Best/Good/Interesting Places to Go/Stop At on US East Coast

[Joli]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I kind of what to go to NS. But dodging the lobster pots in Maine gets so old and I bet NS is the same. So right now I don't think I will go north of Portland ME.

Other than that I am going to try to not comment on places (but so far have been to all but 1)

The lobster season in NS doesn't start until late fall, there are no lobster pots to deal with. Maine, that's another story...

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Joli

The lobster season in NS doesn't start until late fall, there are no lobster pots to deal with. Maine, that's another story...

Lobster pot issues depend upon the boat. With a long keel contiguous with the rudder and the prop in a cut out above; we ignored lobster pots and sailed or motored over them. Our only consequence was light wisps of colorful paint at our water line rubbed off the floats.

[sailorboy1]

I will say:

Having lived in NH i have sailed Maine numerous times. It is pretty in places, but i just am not doing the lobster pot battle to go again. For people in Chesapeake and south who think crab pots are everywhere, you know nothing about pot population. Heck the mooring field will be full of them. If you dropped your anchor in a pot free place dont be surprised you will be surrounded by them the next morning.

Now if someone posts a GREAT place to visit I will consider it.

[Kd9truck]

Breezey point, queens NYC, otherwise known as the “Irish Riviera” on the east side of the NYC harbor entrance on the “bay” there's 2 restaurants called “Kennedys” (year round) and the bay house (seasonal). Drop anchor and dingy over, an all Irish community with a great vibe.
Oyster Bay, 30 miles from the Statue of Liberty on the Long Island side of the sound. “Cooper bluff” is the OBMC marina (channel 71) bar you can rent a mooring for the night or swing it dock side, they get a good crowd and the food truck food is very good, the town it self is a 4 block walk with many restaurants at different price ranges, there are also breakfast options. Sagamore hill is a historic feature as well as the Sewanaka Yacht club one of the oldest clubs in the USA. provision options are walkable. There are well over 200 mixed vessels in the Harbor on mooring.

Ocean beach fire island, several restaurants and a grocery store( $$$)a seasonal community with a supper laidback vibe you will need to anchor and dingy it in. Also this destination is on the shallow end if you draw more than 5 feet you should be moving on the high tides the (Robert Moses ) inlet can be daunting at night.
Block island (its Nantucket without the Boston elite)

[Lazy Jack 32]

Speaking of Daufuskie Island, S.C., the late Pat Conroy (author of The Great Santini, Prince of Tides, etc.) taught school over there for a year in the Sixties, when the Sea Islands of SC, home of the Gullah dialect of English, were isolated preserves of African American culture, with more emphasis on African. Conroy wrote a book about his experience, The Water Is Wide, which was made into a movie under the name of Conrack, (in the movie the island was renamed Yamacraw). From the Seventies on, the state began building more bridges connecting the islands to the mainland, and now many if not most of those islands have lost their distance from the rest of the world.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Lazy Jack 32

Speaking of Daufuskie Island, S.C., the late Pat Conroy (author of The Great Santini, Prince of Tides, etc.) taught school over there for a year in the Sixties, when the Sea Islands of SC, home of the Gullah dialect of English, were isolated preserves of African American culture, with more emphasis on African. Conroy wrote a book about his experience, The Water Is Wide, which was made into a movie under the name of Conrack, (in the movie the island was renamed Yamacraw). From the Seventies on, the state began building more bridges connecting the islands to the mainland, and now many if not most of those islands have lost their distance from the rest of the world.

I hope there if no bridge to Daufuskie Isand. It would lose it's culture. Last I was there the north end was being developed. I would hope the rest would be decleared a National Heritage Sight. The sea islands are all but gone along with the culture.

[Lazy Jack 32]

Guy Carawan, who is also "the late," compiled a wonderful book about that Sea Island Gullah culture called "Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life?" Carawan lived on John's Island, SC, for many years. Carawan learned "We Shall Overcome" from cigar factory workers in Charleston, and taught it to Martin Luther King, Jr., up at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. To tie the topic back to this thread, though, I bet every place you cruise through on the ICW has stories to tell, if you can pause and find an old folk to tell them to you.

[ksuderman]

I didn't see it mentioned, but if you're going through Long Island Sound then a stop at Block Island is probably in order. Although you probably want to avoid Block Island Race Week, unless that is what you are into.

Another option if going up the Hudson River is to go up to Lake Champlain to get the the St Lawrence and then sail out and around to NS that way. Although check to make sure your boat will fit through all the locks (same holds for the Erie canal).

If going to Provincetown try to do it before July 4th weekend (or take in the fireworks in the harbor!) as the noise from the Tea Dance can be heard for some distance... we listen to the thumping in Truro from July 4 to Labor Day...

[CaribbeesYC]

Too many to mention:

New York City (moorings at Pier 25)
Newport RI
Block Island
Nantucket
Penobscot Bay ME (Stonington, Camden, Fox Island Thoroughfare, etc.)
St John, Newfoundland

[Pete the Cat]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well I will toss out a few.

Tortuga Fl - largest brick construction in the world, fort, great waters
Key West Fl - well just because
Marine Stadium Miami - view
Titusville Fl, good space museum
St Augustine Fl - oldest city in US
Fernidina Beach Fl - cool town,most flags flew of any US town
Cumberland Island GA-ruins, horses, museum
Jerkell Island Ga - history
Savannah Ga - quaint and interesting
Charleston SC - cool old city, great maritime museum with aircraft carier
Walberg Creek Ga - just a cool anchorage with monkeys on the beach
Beufort Sc - cool old southern town, smoked wings at Qs on the Bay
Portsmouth/Norfolk Va - history, maritime museum, battleship, ICW mile 0, MacArthur museum
Wilmington SC - cool city, battleship
Yorktown Va- battlefield, revolutionary museum
Solomon Island MD(?)- neat museum
Reedville va - note he fishing fleeton way in, go to the museum to learn about it
St Marys on the Potomac - first MS captial old city
Mt Vernon on Potomac - Washingtons estate
Washington Channel DC- get a mooring and explore Washington DC best deal anywhere
Atlantic Highlands NJ - old city downtown, old movie theather
Liberty Island - Statue of Liberty
East River NY - for the building sights
Port Washington NY - great cruiser stop for provising etc
New London CT - moorings to explore the history
mystic Ct -mariime hisory
Fall River Ma- battleship
Hadley Harbor Ma - peaceful on weekday
New Bedford Ma - whaling history
Provincetown Ma - gayness and fun
Boston Islands Ma - forts hidden all over
Boston - enough said
Salem Ma - witch history tackiness
Glouster Ma - fishing history
Thatcher Island CapeAnn Ma - twin lighthouses
Rockland Ma - moffit #1 the most painted building ever
Portland Me - great walking eating town, old fort if you are brave
Jewell Island - old ruins WWII destoryer headquarters
Harpswell/Eagle Island Me - Commodore Perrys home
Bath Me - maritime museum, Bath Iron Works
Rockland Me- lobster capital, art museum

I am sure alot have slipped my mind

I would generally support this list. Just a few amendments:
1. As a sailor, I hate most of the ICW. it is slow, ugly and noisy and shallow in most parts. You can use it for short periods, but getting from port to port, I would go outside.
2. I think Maine before Penobscot Bay is sort of a waste of time. Go straight to Tenants Harbor and go East from there. Yes the lobster pots are annoying-you need a cutter on your prop--but the fishermen are using a different system of late where they have several pots on one buoy so there are fewer obstacles. Also, the fishing has been getting crappy off Maine so there were fewer than ever in the last couple years (more lobster fishermen,but fewer traps). I would leave Provincetown direct for Monhegan, Matinicus or Tennants Harbor and skip all the coast in between. Just my experience. Others will have differing views. Shelburne NS up to Halifax is another nice cruising area, but Maine is better.
Ray Durkee
Castine Maine

[Wolfhound]

Matinicus & Ragged Ass are worth a visit. Great people there, and as close to time travel as you'll likely ever get. The inconveniences are there, but more than made up for.

[brucebach]

Shelter Island, NY
- West Neck Harbor
- Coecles Harbor
- Dering Harbor

[dougweibel]

Some of the stops on it were mentioned but check out the Albemarle loop. Free dock space 2 nights at most of the stops. Albemarle Plantation is particularly nice if you want a "resort" type spot to rest up a couple nights. Cheap fuel too.

I didn't see St. Michaels mentioned for the Chesapeake. Go in the back way - anchor in San Domingo creek. This is probably our favorite stop on the Chesapeake though a little out of the way.

[Ryan]

It's tragic how many boats pass so close to Cape Lookout, yet don't make the quick detour. It's an amazing place.

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

Cape Lookout is a beautiful park and anchorage, but it's off the ICW path about five miles from Beaufort Inlet.

[KellyMarcena]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Took the ferry to Monhegan and would love to take our boat but did not see any excellent options for anchoring and mooring options seemed uncertain. Active captain mentions finding the harbormaster who usually is nearby who might be able to put you on one of the moorings east of the ferry dock if the owner (mostly local lobster boats) isn't there.

Any better info on how to visit Monhegan by boat?

Yes - the word is to use the ferry. It can be uncomfortable (both getting there and being onboard while there) and no anchoring I believe...(hard granite bottom) so you're dependent on picking up a mooring. Artist colony and beautiful works all around. at least two nice Inns to stay at, as well...