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A Novice Cruises The L.I. Sound:

8 Nights: Stratford – Essex – Mystic – Clinton – Oyster Bay

By Tab Hauser

This being our second season as boat owners we decided to do our first cruise on the Long Island Sound for a week leaving from our home port of Port Washington, NY We did this voyage in our 1994 Carver 35 aft cabin “Ebay” special. Let me clarify. Being new to owning a boat we did want to spend a lot of money so in the fall of 2005 I searched EBay and found our boat in Lake George, NY sitting on blocks. Our first real adventure in the “A Boat Time” was getting to Port Washington. To be brief, we took a boat not used in four years (after being surveyed of course) from the bottom of Lake George to its northern tip at Ticonderoga, NY using a paper chart and binoculars with no on the water but us. We docked over night and at 6:30 in the morning a truck with a long trailer appeared at the state ramp and backed down into the water. After maneuvering the boat on to his 12 wheel trailer the driver secured it and hauled it 8 miles at $100 per mile from Lake George to Lake Champlain. I was at the upper helm making sure we do not rip any wires from the poles. After being placed into Lake Champlain it was up and down the 13 locks to Troy for the night. From Troy it was down the Hudson River to Port Washington. This would not have been so bad if it had not been cold and raining much of the way that early May. It did not help that I had no experience in piloting a twin screw. (I should also mention we had no modern day navigation equipment working due to the fact the roof and arch was removed so the boat would fit under the wires on the road as well as the low bridges on the Champlain – Hudson Canal) Navigation was done the old fashion way using binoculars and charts.

"A Boat Time"

With one season of local boating it was time to cruise. On July 5th we departed Manhasset Bay at 12:30 under a gray skies. We cleared Sands Point 1PM with 1 ½ mile visibility and a 15 mph giving us a push from the rear doing a comfortable 16 knots as we crossed the sound staying close to the Connecticut shore line. At 2PM we passed Norwalk and at 3PM arrived at the jetty where the Housatonic River empties heading up river to for our first night in Stratford, Ct. Gassing up at the Brewer’s Marina here required me to spin the boat around and go into a 4 knot flood tide with wind still at 15 mph. Docking was another situation in which my limited experienced was taxed. To get into the slip I had the tide and wind off pushing me on my port side requiring me to keep the boat very close to the slips on the left. The idea was that when I made my spin to go stern first I would blow to the middle and be set to goose the throttle in reverse to counter tide and wind. As a novice boater I have been taught and practiced going very slow while docking is a good thing. After goosing the throttle to stay on course on the left side I did quick tap on reverse to slow down, a fast spin with another tap on starboard reverse throttle and then a fast reverse. To an old time boater this maneuver may have not been a big deal. While I appreciated the hooting and accolades from fellow boaters who watched and grabbed the stern line to help us in what came across my mind when they cleated the boat was the understanding as to why there are bars in marinas. It also shows that one of the only ways to gain experience in difficult situations in boating is to get into a difficult situation and learn from it.

Lobsterman on the Sound Going up the Housatonic River

After checking out the engines and settling in we were given a two minute lift to Main Street where were walked around the Stratford. If you like viewing old homes, Stratford is a good port to visit. Here you can see many of these circa 1700’s and 1800’s homes through out the town. A good place to visit is the “Ye Olde Stratford Historical Societie” and see the Judson House in period furnishings. There is also a war memorial worth seeing in their village green honoring soldiers from as far back as the Civil War. This town is also the home to the Stratford Theater which is known for its Shakespeare Festival.

Old Homes In Stratford This home was lived in by a framer of the Constitution

Dinner that night was at Outriggers just adjacent to Brewer’s Marina. We were joined by friends from Connecticut. Outriggers had plenty of items to choose for both fish and non-fish eaters and we found the food good. Desert was on board with an apple pie made locally from Oronque Farms.

Day 2: We left Stratford at 8:30 AM under a hazy sky taking in the pretty views as the ebb tide gave us a push out to the sound. After rounding the jetty we had a steady 10 mph wind from our stern and lake like conditions on the Long Island Sound. We throttled up to 3200 rpm and started to cruise at an average of 16 knots. At 9:20 we were south of New Haven where we text messaged our son who was taking part in a camp on Yale Campus there. Visibility here was 1 ½ miles with calm seas. At 11AM we were at the lighthouse by the Saybrook jetty that announces the entrance to the Connecticut River. Actually there are two lighthouses here. The one on the sound is a traditional looking lighthouse. The other on the north end of the jetty is more pyramid shaped with large stately homes to its west enjoying views of the L.I. Sound and the river. Between the jetty and the Route 95 bridge we had to be vigilant due to a narrow channel and a lot of boat traffic that seemed to be in rush to get out.

Light houses and jetty at Connecticut River

At 11:20 we arrived at the Essex Island Marina gas dock. Here we took 67 gallons of gasoline and at our earlier request was given a dock number with a cove view. We were then handed a map by a young and friendly staff member and pointed which way to go. We were also advised a dock hand that would assist us when we got to our spot for the 3 days here. We were on “new” dock B on the cove side. This is 150 feet long dock in which they have boats tie up parallel to each other. Access to this side is limited due to 3 pillars 60 feet south of the dock that mark shallow water. To get into this dock you travel up the west side of Essex Island and then make a 180 degree turn to starboard around the last docked boat that is docked perpendicular here and hope to crab to your space. Today I was lucky and had the wind and tide going my way so I allowed the boat to literally “park” itself once after I had it lined up with to my designated area. Just to have a little fun and knowing I lined the boat up with the wind and current I let go of the wheel 40 feet out and told the deck hand I have it on auto pilot and was going to let the boat dock it self. A couple of boaters near by heard this and looked up to see a boat literally park itself and ever so softly touch the dock One of them came over and said he knew of auto pilot on the open water but wanted to see my new docking system. Yes, we all had a good laugh once the joke was up. The other side of B dock had traditional slips. Here we watched a 40 foot cruiser reverse in missing his slip mate by mere inches due to wind and tide that was not in his favor.

On Dock B, Essex Island Marina Main Street

Once our lines were secured and we were connected to power and water we headed into Essex for lunch and a stroll. To get to Main Street from the Essex Island Marina we walked a few minutes to the other side of the island where a small pontoon boat ferries people to the main land in about 25 seconds. From here it is one block to Main Street and 3 blocks to the Black Seal. The Black Seal is two rooms. The first room is your traditional tap room with the back room being the dinning area decorated in a nautical antique theme. We ordered a chef salad, an overly stuffed baked clam that is a special of the house and the broiled trout along with 2 beers. We found the food very good and reasonably priced. From here we walked to the end of Essex checking out the different shops, galleries and boutiques. For ladies, there is a Talbot at end of Essex from which Maureen found an outfit on sale. For guys, this place has air conditioning and an area where you can sit down and read a man’s magazines while the ladies are busy trying on clothes. Our stroll back towards the river had us stop at the Friday afternoon “Grown in Connecticut Farmers Market”. If you walk around the town you will see a fair number of restored homes from the 1700 and 1800’s.

Older Homes in Essex

Antique Wooden Boats at The River Musuem

At the end of Main Street by the river is the Connecticut River Museum. This was a good stop because the weekend we were here had its annual antique mahogany boat gathering. If you ever want to see a labor of love on the water I recommend you take a close look at these wooden pieces of art that the owners spend many hours keeping a float and running. When you compare them to modern speed boats you can see how technology and comfort on the water has changed. Dinner tonight was at Marley’s which is on the marina property. We found the food only average and overpriced. In fact we did not even finish our dishes. Still hungry but not wanting a big meal we were recommended to go to the Griswold Inn’s wine room. Here we ordered 3 tapas style dishes along with a tasting of different wines. We liked this place and would recommend it for a light meal and for its wine. Afterwards we went up to the Inn’s pub and listened to the house “banjo” band play a medley of rock and banjo music.

Tapas Dish Another Fine Old Home In Essex

Day 3: On our second day in Essex we awoke at 7:30 to clear skies and hot temperatures. With this perfect day ahead of us we got underway and headed to Hamburg Cove. Hamburg Cove is the prettiest place to moor a boat for a day or an overnight in this region. It is just up the river from Essex and accessed via a small well marked channel. This channel opens up to a large lake like area. There are mooring balls all over the place. The understood rule here is if a ball is free you can grab it but if the owner comes by you need to give it up. In the cove there are also half a dozen orange mooring balls that rent for $20 on a day / overnight basis. We grabbed the rental ball and used it from 8AM to 6:30PM but no one came around to collect the fee. After securing to the ball we decided to do some “boat” chores before launching our tender for the first time and rowing around. We were going to row to the end of the cove where this is a store and marina but with the current and breeze we changed our mind. It was the only time I regretted not bringing my outboard engine The rest of the day was spent swimming, napping, reading and more swimming. Dinner was back at the Griswold Inn main dining room. We found the food good but a little overpriced. The clams casino and grilled shrimps and scallops were good. The hand cut filet was basic. A salad of 5 balls of mozzarella in a baked tomato and the root beer float desert was not worth the price. Next time we are in the area we will go back to the Wine Room and have the small plate meals. It should be noted that this place has a reputation for a Sunday Brunch but fellow boaters who went said it over priced for what they received. After dinner we went back to the pub where the same banjo band was playing the same style tunes to a packed house of wooden boat owners.

Hamburg Cove

Day 4: At 9:45 under clear skies we departed for a trip up the Connecticut River. We found the ride up very pretty passing trees, beautiful homes and scenic hillsides in the distance. Here the river is easy to maneuver if you watch your markers. While on route we passed the Gillette Castle State Park, the Chester Haddam Ferry (which is the second oldest ferry company in the U.S. ) as well as the Goodspeed Opera House at the rotating bridge in East Haddam. For lunch we headed up another mile to The Blue Oar. Here you can get a good sandwich with friendly service and nice views at reasonable prices. After lunch we made our way back down the river to Hamburg Cove. Today being a hot Sunday at 1:30 there were no moorings anywhere to grab in the cove. After circling a few times and about to give up a boater signaled for us to raft up with him. We found this a friendly gesture and took him up on his offer. What was nice is that our new boat friends and ourselves had a lot in common. We were both “new” used boat owners and we both decided to buy something roomy as a first boat with no experience at twin screw piloting. There boat was a mint condition 2001 Silverton 41 with 40 hours on it. We compared boating stories toured each others boats and then respected each others privacy while swimming and floating off our sterns. At 4:30 we un-rafted and headed back to Essex Island Marina to use the pool, play some shuffle board and have a cocktail on the aft deck before dinner. Dinner that night was back at the Black Seal where we were just as pleased with this meal as we were with lunch 2 days earlier. After finishing dinner we strolled passed the Griswold Inn. We were not going to go in this evening but upon hearing some incredible music coming through the doors we went in. Tonight there was four piece jazz and blues band that took the house down for a small crowd. At 11PM they finished there last set so we danced our way down to the ferry and called it a night.

Below are Views On the Connecticut River

Spinning Windmill Ferry

Goodspeed Opera House and Tour Boat Gillette Castle

Day 5: At 9:30 we checked out from the Marina and departed for Mystic. While under way and with visibility of 2 - 3 miles I plotted on the GPS several away points to aim for so we can get there in a safe and efficient way. Getting to the head of Mystic Harbor for the first time can be a little tricky with out full visibility. On the radio we heard of a couple of groundings in the area so we slowed to 8 knots and followed our charts and GPS carefully. Once you get to the light house at the end of the harbor swing around the big green marker keeping it to port. Then stay to the west side of the harbor in the well marked channel to the bridges. Our destination was the Mystic Seaport Marina which requires going by the Amtrak and Main Street bridges. This Main Street bridge opens on the “40’s” every hour. Being that we missed the 11:40 we decided to get gas and a pump out. We picked the Mystic River Marina for gas because the wind was coming from the east and they are on the east side of river making getting gas and leaving easy. Here a friendly dock hand tied us up, handed the gas hose and gave us friendly advise while letting us hang around until it was time to leave for the bridge opening. Immediately after leaving the dock I noticed my starboard engine was not shifting gears. I made a big circle back to where the dock hand summoned the service manager to take a look. My problem was a disconnected shaft due to a bad coupling. (which we found out a week later was due to a worn shaft) We were happy they had a coupling nearly similar to ours and after milling it out on their lathe a few thousands it fit well. We were more than pleased that they fixed it while we waited.

Mystic Seaport Museum Near Sunset

At 4:10 we headed up to Mystic but had to wait as the low railroad bridge turned closed for 10 minutes while an Acela train from Boston speeded by. Once it opened we slowly made our way to Main Street bridge where it opened on time after a toot on what sounded like old fashion steam whistle. Once under the bridge you see and pass the Mystic Seaport Museum with its ships and wharf. After radioing ahead we were directed to a space on their finger dock where we were secured with power, water and a given a small sign that said “Private Yacht: Do Not Board”. I guess this is for the visitors who think it is OK to board all the boats on the property confusing 150 year old ships with used modern day cruisers like ours. We found it funny but thought the sign was cool. With an evening cocktail and the day visitors gone we watched how the sun reflected on the ships in water behind us. At 6:30 we walked to the seaport’s most famous ship, the Charles Morgan, as well as a visiting classically built schooner named the Lady Maryland. We learned there were 9 young teenagers taking part in a 10 day sea camp aboard this new but old style 110 foot two master. From there we walked 15 minutes into town taking the first right turn after heading south. On the streets in this area one can see homes from the 1700 and 1800’s restored. On many of the homes were plaques with the original name and careers of the first owner. Dinner that night was at Bravo-Bravo. This place is known for pastas. We had had one standard dish off the menu and one custom ordered pasta. We would not hesitate to recommend Bravo-Bravo as it was a nice treat to have good Italian food after nearly a week of seafood and pub type fare. After dinner we walked west to the end of Mystic passing the different boutiques, ice cream shops and stores. (We passed on the Mystic Pizza place that made Julie Roberts famous)

Sea Chanties and a Mock Breach Rescue At Sea

The Restored Sabino Giving Rides With Stately Homes Behind View of the Charles Morgan

Day 6: Today was a “dry” day. That meant no boating. It also meant hot and dry as it was to be in 90’s. At 9:30 we ordered a taxi to take us to the Mystic Aquarium. The walk would have been 20 minutes but with the temperatures already passing 85 degrees it seemed a good idea. (Call 20 minutes in advance for any taxi needed here). We found the aquarium a nice place to visit and spent 2 ½ hours here. I liked the Dr Robert Ballard science exhibit. To get to his exhibit you have the option at no extra charge to take a 3 D futuristic roller coaster ride in which you sit in lounge chairs with handles, don 3 D glasses and go for a simulated ride. (While this was fun I did see the connection to an aquarium or science exhibit). The science exhibit displayed and discussed different things about the Titanic, ancient marine archeology, as well as evidence on how the Black Sea being flooded by the Mediterranean Sea could have happened and may have been the folklore of the story of Noah. The aquarium also has nice penguin exhibit, sea lion feeding and the usual fish tanks with species from all over the world. The Mystic Aquarium is worth a stop when in the area or traveling with children Lunch today was just down the road from the aquarium at the Steak Loft and then it was a taxi back to the Mystic Seaport Museum.

The Mystic Seaport offers different activities from 9:30 to 4:30 with each activity in a specific old building or area. We listened to sea shanties, witnessed an old fashion breech loaded rescue as well as saw wood carvings being made, and sailors climbing the tall rigs to furl or unfurl the sails. We toured an old fishing schooner and the last waling ship to learn what life was like on the high seas. Over all there about 2 dozen small homes and buildings to wander in and out of. Most of these buildings are original and moved from different areas in New England. The street that is water side is a re-creation of a town wharf with all the stores needed to supply a ship and its people. I would call Mystic Seaport a small version of a Colonial Williamsburg with out the costumes. The Mystic Seaport is also a real ship yard. On the south end there is a restoration building where we saw craftsman caulking the hull and refitting rotted wood on a fishing vessel built in 1941. Being tired from walking around all day in the hot sun we elected to eat at the Seaman’s Inn on premises. We found the food and service here good. Members and boaters get a 10% discount.

Fog In The Harbor The Morning We Left

Day 7: Today we had hoped to cross the L.I. Sound but this was not going to be possible do to thick fog. Realizing we were going no where for a couple of hours we walked up to the Kitchen Little for breakfast just 5 minutes north of the Seaport. (do not miss breakfast here). At 10:30 the fog lifted to a half a mile visibility and we made a made dash to get the boat ready to catch the 10:40 bridge opening. After making the bridge and heading down the channel fog cut our visibility to a ¼ mile. At this point we grabbed an open mooring at the bottom of Mystic Harbor and waited out the fog. We also called to cancel our reservation at the marina in Mattituck and opted to stay along the Connecticut coast following my past GPS lines but making a turn into Clinton. At 12:20 we untied from the mooring and headed east in calm seas seeing only a mile ahead of us. This we felt was more than enough viewing distance as we could see other boaters come near us and we were out of commercial boating areas. Not seeing the shoreline for the first time out in this weather was a little unnerving to me but using the GPS to get to the different channel markers made the trip possible. At 2:00PM we were able to see the marking announcing the bay in front of Clinton and where the narrow channel started. From there it was down a narrow channel to the gas dock and then into our slip.

We decided to stay the night at the Cedar Island Marina in Clinton because it is a full service place. They have a heated pool and hot tub but more important they offer a free shuttle service to any part in Clinton including a winery and the outlet mall. After grilling some sandwiches on board we walked to the mini van with the shuttle sign on it. Dave Miller their driver was happy to show us around the area. After his little tour we were dropped of at the Clinton Crossing Factory Outlet Mall where he also handed us a coupon good for a free discount book. Nearly 2 hours after helping out the local economy and lessening our wallets of about $300 in shorts, shoes and shirts Dave picked us and our 4 bags of stuff back to the boat. Dinner that night was at Aquabar which was a restaurant next to the marina. Aquabar serves mostly seafood but there is a large enough variety of non fish items to make anyone happy. We found the food very good and splurged on a 2004 Caymus Conundrum because we found their wine prices very reasonable.

Day 8: This morning at 9:30 we saw clear skies and unlimited visibility for the first time in a week so we decided to cross the L.I. Sound. With binoculars fixed on the defunct Shoreham power plant on the north shore of Suffolk County we set a course of 230 degrees and made our way south west home. Crossing the sound we had a 10 mph wind off our starboard bow with one foot seas creating some sea spray every now and then. We kept a 15 knot speed keeping the cliffs of the north shore 2 to miles off to our portside. Because conditions were good we decided on passing up on visiting Port Jefferson. Our inclination was get supplies in Oyster Bay but there is no town dock to make it easy on boaters. I did call up marina there and asked them if I put in over $400 gallons of gas can I leave the boat there for a couple of hours. They said no but would rent me a mooring for $25. I thought of this and decided that there was no way I was going to pay someone $400 and not get to use a mooring as courtesy for a couple of hours while getting lunch and supplies. It is too bad as I really like Oyster Bay and visit it frequently via car. With this in mind we headed into Huntington Bay and went to the free town dock in Northport. Northport is a picturesque village that looks like it came from Middle America. In fact this village was the actual set for the movie “In and Out” with Kevin Kline. Northport was actually portrayed in the movie not as water front town but as a small community in the mid west.

Northport Homes and its convenient town dock

Using the Northport town dock could not have been easier. When we pulled up we got a friendly greeting from the Dock Master who helped us with our lines and offered power telling us we can stay free for a few hours but if we stayed the night there would be a small charge. From here we went to Maroni’s for one of the best lunches I have had in years. I had the tasting menu which had me stop at 8 small courses. There was also a medley of desert afterwards. This place has only 7 tables and getting a weekend reservation requires a call a month in advance. After lunch we strolled down the 4 main blocks of Northport before climbing back on board and heading to Oyster Bay.

Northport Just off the Town Dock One of my Coarses at Maroni's (Poached Lobster on Garlic Mashed)

Our last night was spent on an unused mooring ball in Oyster Bay just west of Center Island. Here the waters are calm as you are protected from almost all sides. One could throw out the hook with no worries but with plenty of mooring balls we grabbed one We were the only boat on this Thursday night in the bay and enjoyed the last night watching a movie out doors on the aft deck and looking at the stars afterwards.

Mansions On Center Island Viewed From Oyster Bay

Last Night On Board With Sun Setting At Oyster Bay

The last morning we leisurely packed up and headed back to Port Washington under clear skies and 10 mph winds. 90 minutes later we were comfortably in our slip scrubbing off the all the crystallized salt from the boat.

We found the past 8 days of cruising fun. If I was to do this trip again I would probably stay one night at the Essex Island Marina and one night on a mooring ball in Hamburg Cove. It was a good learning experience. While we have had experience on self charted boats in the San Juan Islands, Thousand Islands, Hudson River, Everglades and Lake Champlain, this trip was different for us. It taught us how to judge area distances as well as practice basic boating skills due to using the boat everyday. Perhaps next year we may try heading out to Greenport, Shelter Island and visit friends in West Hampton. With more boating experience we would then make a run for Block Island which is an open water crossing.

What I can tell boaters is that if you have a cabin go out and explore the places around you. If you do not have a cabin but a good craft I would recommend you head out to places that have inns or hotels near marinas. If you are worried about being in open waters I would take a trip up the Hudson first. There are plenty of marinas in pretty river towns to choose from. What I will say is places have a different look and feel when you arrive via water. My recommendation would be to take your boat and build up your cruising experience like we did here. Lastly, when cruising always call ahead and reserve a slip when possible and especially on busy weekends. We did find slips available in each marina we were at but was told that places like Essex fills pretty quickly and if there is an event in Mystic you will not get in. Check cancellation policies also. Some marinas do not have a good cancellation policy making it worth calling the day you want to be there an alternative action.

If You Go:

Stratford: Brewers Stratford Marina, Phone: (203) 377-4477, www.byy.com/stratford/visit.cfm

Essex: Essex Island Marina Phone: 860-767-1267 www.essexislandmarina.com

Mystic: Mystic Seaport 860.572.5315 http://www.mysticseaport.org/

(Note: Boaters have 24 access to the marina. This allows you to walk around the old seaport after hours which gives the place a completely different look and feel)

Clinton: Cedar Island Marina Phone: 860 669-8681 www.cedarislandmarina.com/

Northport: http://www.northportny.com/

(HOME PAGE www.tabhauser.com where other trips on Lake Champlain and the Hudson River are available for viewing)

BONUS SHOTS

Olde Mystic Seaport