Sailing from Salem to New Haven in a P26 in Late May

[SailorBPTCT]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone had any insights into how long this trip would take if only sailing/motoring from first to last light and staying in various marinas around the way. It's mostly academic at this point, just trying to get a feel for the length-- thanks for any help!

Be well and stay safe!

[SailFastTri]

It's approximately 170nm without counting side trips into harbors. Currents in LIS, The Race or Fishers Island Sound, and the CCC will be significant factors. Approximately 28 hours underway at an average 6 knots. You should probably plan for 3 days, depending on your boat and conditions, timing of currents etc. Allow for 4. A tight schedule can impair judgement and safety.

[Pegu Club]

What’s your average cruising speed under sail/motoring? When we estimate how long a passage will take on our Bristol 29.9 we estimate 5 knots as an average, water line is 24 feet, hull speed is supposedly 6.6 ish knots. So five ish mph average, times the distance of the passage. This basic calculation has worked well for us and has been accurate. Hope you find this helpful for you daily hop from marinas or anchorages. As stated above, currents need to be accounted for.

Fair winds,

Jeff B. aboard Pegu Club

[NormanMartin]

I have made this and similar trips a bunch of times on my own boat and as delivery skipper. A P26 is a nice boat but slow going on such a delivery because of the outboard. The weather will matter. Take a look at www.ventusky.com for a pretty good forecast.
Here is a sample itinerary:
Salem to CC Canal marina (call them before you show up!) or Scituate with the Canal the next day.
Canal to either New Bedford or Cutty Hunk
Above to Newport (maybe anchor out in Mackerel Cove)
do not go into Pt Judith if you can help it
Newport to Stonington or Noank via Fisher's Island Sound/Watch Hill Cut
Above to New Haven

Get a copy of Eldridge to plan your currents which can add or subtract a day from the trip. The current gates are serious impediments. There are so many nice places to anchor out along the way.

Keep in touch with questions.
Norm
Averisera

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by NormanMartin

I have made this and similar trips a bunch of times on my own boat and as delivery skipper. A P26 is a nice boat but slow going on such a delivery because of the outboard. The weather will matter. Take a look at www.ventusky.com for a pretty good forecast.
Here is a sample itinerary:
Salem to CC Canal marina (call them before you show up!) or Scituate with the Canal the next day.
Canal to either New Bedford or Cutty Hunk
Above to Newport (maybe anchor out in Mackerel Cove)
do not go into Pt Judith if you can help it
Newport to Stonington or Noank via Fisher's Island Sound/Watch Hill Cut
Above to New Haven

Get a copy of Eldridge to plan your currents which can add or subtract a day from the trip. The current gates are serious impediments. There are so many nice places to anchor out along the way.

Keep in touch with questions.
Norm
Averisera

Why not inside Pt Judith in Galilee or Pt Judith Pond? However, if making a delivery I'd just jump from Cuttyhunk direct to Stonington CT. Then Stonington to New Haven.

[NormanMartin]

SailFastTri:
Good points, of course. I know a Pearson 26 is way, way slower than a 40 foot trimaran and that is going to affect everything about the trip. A boat that goes 3-4 knots to windward and about that under power in a chop has a lot of limitations.

Pt Judith has a lot of current and may not have dock space, I have experienced. It is a difficult in/out. It is a pretty place, though.

That said, I have done a couple of small boat deliveries on that route and they work out fine if one is not trying to push too hard.

Norm

[SailFastTri]

@NormanMartin I've been in Pt. Judith many times and you're point about the current is well taken. (It's a long way up to Snug Harbor and there's a lot of water to move in and out of Pt Judith Pond during the tide changes.) That said, the tide charts show max current 1.4kt at the entrance, so not a problem even for under-powered dinghies. Ironically, the "sheltered" harbor of refuge formed by jetties outside the harbor is the roughest part.

Galilee (the west side of the pond) has much more pleasure boat dock space than than Pt Judith (east) and there's room to anchor in the pond if draft isn't a problem.

Your point about boat speed is also well taken, and it's just a matter of chopping the trip into smaller bite-size segments. It's also a reason to skip Newport. Newport is a minimum 5 hour r/t detour. It's a long way off the rumbline in, and a longer way out SW to round Point Judith, then to head west again.