Braving Hellgate

[unbusted67]

Any tips or tricks for this nasty little passage?

[lorenzo b]

Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book 2010 $10 a must

[unbusted67]

and what just try to hit it right at slack tide?

[psteele235]

Make sure the tide is with you otherwise you will be battling uphill.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by psteele235

Make sure the tide is with you otherwise you will be battling uphill.

Mmmm no otherwise we will be going backwards hull speed is 5.5 knots.

[mbianka]

I agree the Eldridge Tide and Pilot book is a MUST for these waters. If I'm heading to Long island Sound from New York Harbor . I arrive at the Battery about two hours after low water there to ride the flood current up the East River through Hell's Gate into the Sound.

If I'm coming from Long Island Sound I time my arrival at the Throgs Neck Bridge around the time the current starts to ebb southward at that location and ride the ebb down into the Harbor.

Expect to be motoring the whole way for safety. Sometimes I have been able to sail for parts of it. But, at some point the tall buildings screw with the winds and with the currents may cause you boat to spin if you are under sail only. The tugboat captains are not amused when this happens in the narrower channel around midtown Manhattan.

Since I converted to electric propulsion this transit has become much nicer trip. I found I can drift along with the currents at about 4 knots in silence and only occasionaly have to put on a little thrust to straighten out. But, with a diesel or an outboard I would keep it on for the whole passage because if it does not start you will be in a whole bunch of hurt real fast in this water.

Enjoy the journey. I always get a kick when my boat is moving faster than the traffic on the FDR Drive. Plus I always see some interesting things when I make the trip too. You can see some of the sights from a transit I made last year here:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: AN ELECTRIC SAILBOAT CRUISE TO NEW YORK: PART TWO

and if you want to see what doing this transit at 200 knots looks like check this out:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: DESTINATION: NEW YORK HARBOR


Capt. Mike

[mbianka]

Unbusted67:

I would not be too concerned about hitting Hell Gate it at slack tide exactly. It can be a little choppy at other times but, nothing too scary. But, keep a firm hand on the helm as the currents do swirl around in the Gate. And as others have said DO NOT make this trip against the current!


Capt. Mike
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG

[unbusted67]

Cool video, thanks for the tips.

[zydecotoad]

It's pretty simple. Like Capt. Mike said, time the trip so you have the current with you and you will speed throught there.

Hell gate got that name in the old days before they blasted most of the bad rocks out of the way.
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/whoweare/hellgate.pdf

[Tempest245]

Not too much to add to the above, but if you are heading up river from the south...or headed south after....you duck behind governor's island and enter or exit the river via buttermilk channel. Stay to the brooklyn side of the river near lower manhattan. You can at least avoid the staten island ferries.

[hugosalt]

As indicated in above posts... go with the current... make passage with motor at good speed (control is much better when speed is greater than current) plus with speed over ground at 8-10 knots transit between Throggs Neck Bridge and Battery is less than 2 hours.
caution...do not transit if strong opposing winds...which can result in standing waves.
With the right timing and some caution its a great experience,
not as bad as it sounds...some say Adriaen Block, who named
Hellegat(dutch)...english interp could mean "bright passage".
Hugo

[Islandmike]

We were worried as well, however, we did hit around slack and rode the tide down. At one time we saw over 10 knots... It turned out to be a nice trip.

[hugosalt]

Originally Posted by Tempest245

Not too much to add to the above, but if you are heading up river from the south...or headed south after....you duck behind governor's island and enter or exit the river via buttermilk channel. Stay to the brooklyn side of the river near lower manhattan. You can at least avoid the staten island ferries.

One must pass west of Roosevelt Island (there is a
low bridge on the east side of the island.) unless
you know for sure you will clear it.

[Tempest245]

Originally Posted by hugosalt

One must pass west of Roosevelt Island (there is a
low bridge on the east side of the island.) unless
you know for sure you will clear it.

Yes, pass west of Roosevelt island. Check before transiting just in case they close off that side. Which they have been known to do, during big UN meetings.....

[banyandah]

Not trying to seal anyone's thunder, but purely for interest, we've got the ultimate Hell's Gate "Down Under."
It's halfway along one of the world's worst lee shores, with southern ocean swell attacking from Antarctica. The actual gate is no more than houses wide, and holds back a landlocked body thirty miles in length that also empties three mountain fed rivers. Oddly the tide doesn't exert the greater effect. Atmospheric pressure and wind direction seem to be the bigger forces, and so the current is virtually unpredictable.

I've been in and out a couple of times, and made it unscathed, mind having 70 horses under the floor helps. Why bother you may wonder? Hell's Gate opens into Macquarie Harbour. One of the most picturesque place on Earth. Tall timbers line mountainous slopes, with the massive Gordon River open to explore for 30 miles of National Park.

Google it, if you like. Its on the west coast of the island of Tasmania. And if you'd like to see more photos, go to my website.
Cheers from the Banyandah