Sailing from Boston to New York

[MartyB]

Hey guys!

Need your input on my upcoming sailing plans from Boston to Florida.

The first part will be to sail along the coast because my wife does not like the open ocean and the rough seas…🤷*♂️

So my plan would be to sail to New York first. We would leave Boston around October 16.

The plan is to do ;
Boston- Cape Cod (Provincetown)
Then to Nantucket
Then go to Martha’s Vineyard
Then a night in Block Island.
Then I need to split the Long Island sound into two. Thinking of Northport Bay for a stop.
Then go through the East River and spend a night or two in New York (Manhattan). I found a marina at Chelsea Piers. I have a 70’ mast but I think I am good to do the East River…

Is that a good plan you think? I can only go at 6-7 knots motoring and about the same sailing so it will be a slow displacement. Boat is a 42’ Fountaine Pajot Catamaran. I have sailed the Med (France and Spain) last year and then across the pond to the Caribbean in December and then from Martinique to Boston via Bermuda last May.

Any input is welcome. I have never sailed that area and I am fully aware that I will need to be aware of weather to make this happen in late October.

Thanks.

[neflier]

You may want to consider the the Cape Cod Canal. You need to time the current, but it shaves a bunch of distance off the trip and keeps you more "coastal" during the time of year when things can start getting "interesting". If your wife wants to avoid open ocean, then this really is the only option. You then have Newport, Block Island, and all the options in LI Sound.

I delivered our C42 this past May from Boston to the the South Shore of Long Island and took the CCC. It was an easy trip, one day from Boston to the entrance of the CCC, granted the days were longer, then an overnight run to her new home. There is a marina, with great restaurants, at the east entrance of the CCC. Highly recommended.

[MartyB]

I did the CCC back in May coming in from Bermuda. The idea is to see Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket if weather allows it. If not we definitely will do the CC Canal! ��

[neflier]

Big difference between May and late October in that area Enjoy the trip!!

[Lou-In-NJ]

Originally Posted by MartyB

I did the CCC back in May coming in from Bermuda. The idea is to see Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket if weather allows it. If not we definitely will do the CC Canal! ��

if your starting point is Boston, the canal is actually a short cut to Martha's Vineyard, then hit Nantucket, then Block Island. After sailing past Nantucket several times over the years, we finally stopped there a few years ago, and I don't think we saw much more by being on the island. I would rather anchor off Gardiners Island conditions permitting, or anchoring around shelter island, or at Sag Harbor and get dinner in town. Unless you are doing night passages, from there, a very early start might get you to Mt. Sinai, or Port Jefferson, then another day, not nearly as long will get you to Oyster Bay where the yacht club is accommodating. If you want to get closer to the entrance of the East River, you can make Manhasset or Little Neck Bay. Just keep in mind, you should enter the East River at the Throgs Neck no sooner than 1 hour and 45 minutes after mean high water that the Battery. See this guide for timing:
https://www.offshoreblue.com/cruise/east-river-timing.php?expand_article=1

[Chotu]

Places you need to take the current into account are the Cape Cod Canal, the race, East River/Hell gate.

The plan sounds reasonable and it will be chilly. Bring warm clothes.

Staying right at Chelsea Piers! Very nice. Not super cheap I don’t think. But you will be right in the heart of everything and it will be a good time.

[SurlySailor]

When you leave from block island to head for your overnight stop on the sound try to leave about 3 to 4 hours before low tide. You’ll fight the current for a bit in the open part of the block island sound but you will hit the flip around the right time and get a big boost down the sound. My usual plan 38 foot monohull is leave 3-4 hours before low at plums gut, go block island to plum gut, hug the north shore of LI until you are around the point at orient then take the middle of the sound as the current is ripping. I’ll usually take the LI side of Stratford shoal and decide whether we’re stopping in port Jeff or fighting the tide when it turns. Our home port is Norwalk and we easily do Block to Norwalk in about 10-12 hours.

[Kettlewell]

Another vote to take the CC Canal, but that puts Nantucket way out of your way. If it were me I would do something like Boston to P-Town, to the CC Canal, then maybe Vineyard Haven if you want to see Martha's Vineyard, but New Bedford is right on the route, has moorings, the cheapest and cleanest fuel around, and is an easy in easy out. From there I would go to Block, and then I would choose my LI Sound ports by where I can get to easiest with the wind and current situation. For example, I have had some great sails down the sound in the fall with stiff but manageable winds from the north, so I hugged the north shore. Other times, wind is from the south, so I hug the south shore. Going with the current is a big plus.

[Scrimshaw4]

The run around the tip of the "Cape" to Nantucket can get knarly and there are a lot of shoals. Once past P'town there are no places to bail. If she doesn't like the open ocean then I'd strongly agree with those that are suggesting the CCC route. Then pick your harbors as you head down Buzzards Bay and into Long Island Sound. Key tides are the RACE into the Long Idsalnd Sound on eastern Long Island and the Throgs Neck Bridge as you exit the Sound and head down through NY Harbor and on Out to Sandy Hook. The Next tide consideration is the C & D Canal that connects the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. Try and time that so you're entering the C & D at slack High at Reedy Point and that should give you favorable tides thru and down the Chesapeake Bay. Wind vs. tide creates a rough ride in both Buzzards Bay and the Delaware Bay. Done this route muliple times. Just remember, you should only have a loose itnerary and not a schedule for other than tides. Enjoy, it's a great run! JMHO

[hlev00]

The marinas in NYC are generally quite rolly. You might consider city island if you want to get into the city. If NYC is not too important also consider Atlantic Highlands. It is very protected and a good place to get supplies including a West Marine. I think there is a ferry from AH to NYC but check seasonal schedule.

[CarlF]

This would be a great plan if you were leaving September 1 but by your departure of Oct 16 you are on the late side for going south. With climate change, the winter NE gales start earlier now and it's quite possible for a string of storms to trap you in New England for the winter. And the outer shoals of the Cape are treacherous in winter weather. Hundreds of lives have been lost there.

A few years ago I had a friend who was waiting for a few repair parts in RI as I left on Oct 1. By the time he was ready to go on the 15th of October the weather had deteriorated. He didn't find a weather window until December 8 - leaving with ice on the decks. Fortunately, he was in a heavy 55ft bluewater ketch with interior helm and heat..

Now - my friend's experience was unusual and you're likely to find a weather window with some patience. But I wouldn't waste rare good weather playing tourist visiting islands. Get south to Cape May as quickly as you can and explore the Chesapeake (which is lovely in late October).

The New Jersey coast is the biggest challenge. NE winds kick up a truly nasty sea that makes most of the harbor bars too dangerous to cross. And the beam sea is misrable even in a cat.

The best tactic from Boston is the Cape Cod Canal, up long Island sound, and through the East River. Chelsea Piers is not a comfortable stop as the tug and water taxi traffic in the Hudson will roll you from 5AM to 11PM. Best marina is Liberty Landing. Before the East River Capri or a mooring at Port Washington is very nice.

Wait at Liberty Landing (or even move down to anchor at Sandy Hook) and wait for the right weather to transit the NJ coast. Even if you wife doesn't like it - go day or night if you get a truly gentle patch of weather. The only good stops before Cape May are Barneget Bay and Atlantic City. Atlantic City has a large marina. Cape May is easy to enter after dark but you'll have to anchor. There are no cat friendly marinas I know of in Cape May but it's well protected at anchor.

Once in Cape May it will be warmer and the weather nicer - you can slow down. At this time of year most choose to take the calmer passage up the Delaware River through the C&D canal and back down the Chesapeake to Norfolk

If there was a way you could leave earlier, the boat show">Annapolis Boat Show October 12-15 is an annual gathering of cruisers that's lots of fun and should be experienced at least once by any sailor.

[MIRELOS]

That time of the year, I would take the CC canal, lots of stops possible in LISound to ride out the weather, I would stop at Manhasett Bay (Port Washington) to provision (walk to stores etc.) and wait for the East River tide, then Atlantic Highlands/Sandy Hook......overnight at Atlantic City and from there you either go up the Delaware to the Chesapeake or outside to Norfolk then wait for a window to go around Cape Hatteras...after that its all nice.
Done it a few times and about to do it again...enjoy

[Shrew]

That is going to be late. Most New England resources close after Columbus Day. Nantucket Moorings' last reservation date is October 12. Block Island moorings will be closed. You'll be anchoring everywhere. Check to see when they start pulling the dinghy docks out of the water.

Get a copy of the "Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book 2023". You'll need it for Cape Cod Canal, Woods Hole, The Race and Hell's Gate in NY.

[bensolomon]

I would go outside LIS. From block Make for shinnecock bay for overnight (44 NM). Then next day go to Atlantic highlands (74 NM). Head south from there. Eldrich is mandatory to have.

[Kettlewell]

With climate change, the winter NE gales start earlier now and it's quite possible for a string of storms to trap you in New England for the winter.

I have read that opinion stated a few times, but haven't seen any evidence it is truly the case. Maybe it is correct, but is there any scientific evidence? Found this one study that concluded:

It is difficult to determine whether changes in large-scale circulation patterns have had a detectable effect on wind storms in New England, as our results overall do not indicate a statistically significant change in wind storm frequency or intensity.

https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.co....1002/met.1952