Sailing around Long Island in two weeks... Starting in Huntington... How would you do

[Tempest245]

Yes, I'm a little confused by the description of what happened.

Do you have a typical roller furling system on a foil attached to your headstay? The head of sail is attached to a swivel and is pulled up through a track in your foil by your halyard and the tack is attached to the drum? If So, what let loose that caused the
" bang" Did the forestay let loose at the mast head? Or the top swivel let loose from the halyard?

Why did you need to support the mast via the main halyard?

It's good that you're taking these shakedown cruises on the sound and getting all the kinks out.

[seaturkey]

Well... By shackle I have no idea what I thought I meant... The last few days have been an education as much as they have been an expense...

Over $1,000 later, I've found out that my forestay snapped (or more appropriately, I snapped it by twisting it).

What actually happened was that while trying to furl the genoa, it wrapped my "spare" gennaker halyard... This happened because the "shackle" on the rotating head on the furler split open (that was the bang) and "grabbed" the gennaker halyard.... Which it then proceeded to wrap like a burrito. :/

I (the other guilty party along with the "shackle") panicked when the sail wasn't furling and fearing something more severe had happened then wrapped the sail, ehhh by hand -

All I can say is yikes -

[hellosailor]

On the bright side, if you popped your forestay, you were lucky that the mast didn't come down. THAT would have been a memorable day.

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

My $.02 on some of the further posts:

IMHO the Thimbles are overrated. No shore access. It's a crappy anchorage loaded with granite hazards, exposed to the prevailing SW wind fetch the entire width of LIS, and the bottom is foul with *live* and dead power cables and abandoned mooring chains. Nice to motor through one time at slow speed to see the little island houses and move on.

Other than that I agree with other advice, except Cuttyhunk and Newport are going to stretch your range in the 2 weeks you have -- why push for the distance when there are so many great places to explore in LIS, BI Sound, and Gardiner's Bay areas?

Also -- In LIS (for flat water) I'd favor the CT shore if you get a cold front (strong NW winds) and the LI shore in SW winds if strong. In east winds (usually accompanied by cooler wet weather for a couple of days) I'd stay put during the ebb (wind against current) and depending on how much wind/rain perhaps hunker down in a harbor where there's things to do ashore.

Wishing you a great adventure, and hoping nothing breaks.

Good advice, particularly about the Sound kicking up when the east wind blows against the current. Not fun.

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by seaturkey

The point of the story : could I have done anything differently or better?

Ideas?

2 of the 3 scariest moments I've had on a boat in 50 years of sailing involved roller furling systems.

I don't use them anymore.

I know that makes me a total odd-ball.

[annsni]

We're right near you in Northport and actually spent the night in Lloyd Harbor on Sunday/Monday. Didn't see you though!!

We have a 42 foot sailboat and a few places we LOVE to go (like, we HAVE to go each year) are Hamburg Cove (above Essex on the CT. River), Mystic Seaport, Watch Hill, RI (although we can't get in anymore thanks to the shoaling), and Block. Other than that, Newport is great, Cutty is so fun, Martha's Vineyard is wonderful, Fisher's is quiet and a nice spot to stop in. Those are our standards each year.

Of the above, Hamburg Cove is one of our favorites. Fresh water in a quiet cove, GREAT swimming and lovely quiet nights. We can spend a bunch of nights there and not feel like it's too long.

We don't do the South Shore due to our draft (6'8") but we've gone out to the Vineyard a bunch of times.

[Nicholson58]

Great post. I've pasted some into my data files. We think we will be leaving the Great Lakes on our 'grand retirement' next spring. Long Island on on the plan since we have family there. We are 58 feet; 16 beam; 6'-8" draft. I'm sure this changes the metrics relative to the OP - sorry. I've already checked the charts for Fire Island where the beach house is. (Great S Bay) Looks like a no-go. We are totally unfamiliar with the waters.

[annsni]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Great post. I've pasted some into my data files. We think we will be leaving the Great Lakes on our 'grand retirement' next spring. Long Island on on the plan since we have family there. We are 58 feet; 16 beam; 6'-8" draft. I'm sure this changes the metrics relative to the OP - sorry. I've already checked the charts for Fire Island where the beach house is. (Great S Bay) Looks like a no-go. We are totally unfamiliar with the waters.

We are 6'8" as well and would never even think of trying the South Shore. Definitely go for the Sound.

[seaturkey]

I love the recommendations as the admiral and I don't really like doing the "touristy" things - we try to embrace as much of the local scene as possible when we anchor or Moore off a destination... So this info is worth it's weight in gold... Thanks again -

Block is a must for us as well and the CT Shoreline, but there was so much to choose from the only way to narrow the search is either with experience or some advice -

Much appreciated