Annapolis to Block Island 2 Week Boat Trip

CAMELLA

Active Member
Dec 14, 2008
1,046
Annapolis, Maryland
Boat Info
2016 510 Fly
Engines
Cummins QSM-11
I am planning a 2 week family boat trip the end of July from Annapolis, MD to Block Island, RI and back. Last year we went to Wildwood, NJ and stayed at Schooner's Island Marina, the kids had a blast so we plan on stopping there on the way up.

Here is the current plan:

2 nights in Wildwood
2 nights in NYC
1 Night in Mystic, CT
3 Nights in Block Island
Return
1 Night in Mystic, CT
1 Night in NYC2 Nights in Cape May, NJ

My wife and kids (son 3, daughter 6) are only taking the trip up, the return trip I will take my parents or friends.

I am looking for places to stay in the NYC, local knowledge and how many miles from Cape May to NYC, NYC to Mystic, and Mystic to BI.

Much appreciated.
 
I think your better off staying on the New Jersey side at Liberty Landing Marina and taking a ferry across to NYC. It is a much more protected marina and you get a beautiful view of the city. I stayed at Chelsea pier in NYC and would not recommend it. Very rocky and uncomfortable as it is not that protected and is exposed to all the boat and ferry traffic.
 
I agree that Liberty Landing is the place to stay. The marina is great with two very good restaurants that have an awesome view of NYC. Very protected form traffic and calm in the slips...A short ferry ride across the river to the city.

I am a tenant at Liberty Landing...let me know if I can give you any more details or information that will help.


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Another vote for Liberty Landing. You can go to activecaptain.com and map out your route. NYC to Mystic was a long haul I think was like 80 miles. Don't quote me on that. That is going via the LI sound.
 
Liberty Landing, as recommended, is the place to stay in NYC. One night in Mystic doesn't make a lot of sense, IMO, after running for such a stretch. If you just want a well-placed, easy stopover, there are plenty of other choices. But to take in Mystic, particularly the Seaport where I would encourage you to stay, you should really plan two nights and then choose another stopover on your return that's easier access right off the sound. There are a few threads out there about Mystic and what it's like to stay at the Seaport (fantastic - especially for the kids). Unless, of course, you're going there for a particular reason like to visit someone.

if you want to shake it up on the ride back there a a lot of options on both the CT and NY sides of the sound for stopovers. If you want to squeeze in an extra day at Block or elsewhere in your itinerary you could run from Block to Manhasset Bay (Port Washington) and skip Liberty Landing on your return, adding only about 40 or so minutes to your cruise to Cape May. it just depends how long of a day you like on the water.
 
It sounds like Liberty Landing is the place to be in the NYC area. The reason we only plan to stay in Mystic for one night is my wife is from there, nothing new there for us. The stop in Mystic is for a quick rest and to pick up friends and family before and after Block Island.
My return trip is still up in the air, not sure who will be on the boat which will change where we stop. Does anyone know the miles from Cape May to Block Island? I know its roughly 140 miles from Annapolis to Cape May/Wildwood.
I am pretty excited about this trip, should be a great experience.
 
It should be spectacular. Great cruising and Block is truly a special place. If you plan to dock there I recommend making reservations as much in advance as possible (I like the Boat Basin but there's an ongoing debate among loyalists of the Basin and Champlins and plenty of discussion out there about the merits of each). If you plan to grab a mooring understand how that works in advance as they cannot be reserved. Cape May to BI is approximately 250 nm traveling the Long Island Sound.
 
Thanks for the info, is the Boat Basin kid friendly? I was told one or two of the marinas in BI raft boats up to you, I have no interest in rafting up to others while there.
 
BI Boat Basin is just docks on the waterfront property of the famed Oar restaurant. There is a ship's store, easy access to bike and car rentals and an easy walk to Payne's where there are a few other concessions. You will stern into a floating dock between pilings and there is no rafting. Champlins is more of a self-contained "resort" with kid-friendly facilities but they may raft you. Again, there are die-hards who swear by the place - different strokes for different folks. My personal experience has been the Boat Basin is all I need when at Block and I'm not on a mooring. Last summer I was on a mooring and dinghied over to Champlins for the worst lunch of my two week trip. Your experience may vary and I take nothing away from people who love it there. I encourage you to check out reviews on AC and surf for the other threads but if rafting is not an option and you don't need a pool then the Basin is where you should stay. The town beach on Block is exceptional and an easy dinghy or bike ride away.
 
Thanks Red Stripe, I will read reviews on both marinas. Don't think we need a pool if we are separated by beaches.
 
I would stop once in mystic for two days - especially if you stay at the seaport (2 bridges, all the way down the river) mystic is only 25 mi from block - i would do nyc to mystic (maybe a stop in between) mystic to block, block to montauk, montauk to home - could go out shinnicock inlet - as far as block is concerned, if anchoring or a mooring is out, champlins is the place to be theres a pool, tennis courts a "rustic" movie theater where they show first run movies, playground, etc - while its true there is rafting, this is minimized on non-holiday weekends and non existant along the main pier...since the economy took a dump it has not been as bad on block (except 4th of july week) whether you stay here or the boat basin getting in/out is tight, but there are dock hands to help. You will need a dinghy to get to the town beach (beach it where you see all the others and follow the wooden path to the best beach in the northeast) also, mystic is dinghy heaven too (if you dont stay at the seaport you will need one to get around) Sounds like a great trip, have fun.
 
Thanks for the info on Champlins, the amenities sound great for kids. I will have to think about which marina to pick, BI Boat Basin or Champlins. In Mystic we will stay at Brewers or Mystic River, need to stop there before and afterwards. I'm dropping my wife and kids off after Block Island and heading back home with other relatives or friends.
How far in advance do I need to make reservations for Block Island?
 
Thanks for the info on Champlins, the amenities sound great for kids. I will have to think about which marina to pick, BI Boat Basin or Champlins. In Mystic we will stay at Brewers or Mystic River, need to stop there before and afterwards. I'm dropping my wife and kids off after Block Island and heading back home with other relatives or friends.
How far in advance do I need to make reservations for Block Island?
Brewers is ok but a bit of a walk from everything - the earlier the better for reservations on block...as has been said, you can't go wrong with either marina on block.
 
Regarding your NYC stay, while Liberty Landing is a FAR superior, larger, and well maintained marina, for a more convenient experience I would suggest you look into the small marina directly across the canal, called Liberty Harbor Marina (similar name). It offers great protection (almost no rocking), and most importantly it is a quick walk to the 24-hour subway (PATH) which takes you into Manhattan. Liberty Landing Marina, while a great facility with great views, is unfortunately rather isolated. I believe there is a ferry nearby that zips you across the river to Manhattan, but I'm not sure how late and how frequent it runs. Will you be traveling with young kids? If so, then maybe the lack of late night ferry service will not be an issue.
 
tommyc,
I will have my two young kids with me, 3 and 6. So it sounds like Liberty Landing is better for kids if night life is not a concern?
 
OK, so you guys are obviously not going to be hanging out very late with the kids at that age. Liberty Landing is without a doubt MUCH nicer, and run very professionally. It is actually situated within a very large park (Liberty State Park) which could be fun for the kids to run around, etc. But other than the park, it is completely removed from walkable urban life/Jersey City proper. Liberty HARBOR on the other hand is integrated into the city of Jersey City, near multiple subway stops and Light Rail (like a trolley) stations, as well as loads of restaurants and stuff.

The only thing about Liberty HARBOR that might be appealing to kids is that there is a small arcade on premises (just a few video games and a basketball shooting game). But come to think of it, everything was under 10 feet of water during Sandy, so who knows if the arcade would even be open. Liberty Harbor is my homeport because of the great protection, and the fact that it's walkable/integrated into the city.

A third option is Newport Marina, but that is right on the Hudson which will lead to the boat doing a lot of rocking. How are you planning on spending your time here in NYC? Daytime walking around, etc?
 
Jon, have you considered mooring? We always take mooring right next to Champlins. It's a very short ride to the marina.

The docking situation at Champlins is not pleasant, but if I recall it's the only marina with pool.

102_6917_zps9ad21e22.jpg


How long are you planning to stay in NYC area?

Liberty Landing is far better choice if you want to have nice sleep at night. Anything on NYC side is a roller coaster.

In Mystic I would suggest staying right in the Seaport. You pay a fraction more, but the marina stay includes tickets to the park and you'll have it for all day and night. 2nd time we went there that what we did and it was a good choice.

Liberty Science Center should be in walking distance from the marina and will be great for kids. There are tons of stuff to do, so ask away for particular interest. Ferry runs pretty good and it's a short ride to NYC. Just make sure that the last ferry leaving NYC for JC is 7:30pm. IF you plan on staying in the city longer plan on taking PATH to Jersey city and then a cab ride to the marina. I think a cab ride from downtown NY to the marina is about $40-$45. It's also a good hassle free option.

Keep the questions coming if you need anything else.
 
Last edited:
Now c'mon Alex,

You paint a negative picture there. Those two boats are Larry & Brian who are friends and my understanding from being there last year was that they won't raft you to strangers. Not to mention, when they were bringing boats into tight spots there were like 6-8 dock hands walking it in with lines.
Another point that I wanted to mention to the OP about Chaplins is that it is the ONLY air conditioned hotel on the island. I mention this because you stated that you may be bringing people back with you from Mystic. I'm not sure if you are hitting Block after you get passengers but, if they want their own space the hotel isn't bad. There is a little coffee shop/ bakery, pizza shop, burger shack, pool & pool bar, and a small arcade.
 
Now c'mon Alex,

You paint a negative picture there. Those two boats are Larry & Brian who are friends and my understanding from being there last year was that they won't raft you to strangers. Not to mention, when they were bringing boats into tight spots there were like 6-8 dock hands walking it in with lines.
Another point that I wanted to mention to the OP about Chaplins is that it is the ONLY air conditioned hotel on the island. I mention this because you stated that you may be bringing people back with you from Mystic. I'm not sure if you are hitting Block after you get passengers but, if they want their own space the hotel isn't bad. There is a little coffee shop/ bakery, pizza shop, burger shack, pool & pool bar, and a small arcade.

Todd is 95% correct, they could raft you to another boat or have a boat rafted to you, they do a great job fitting everyone in and they do try to accomadate, you can request the floating docks there (stern in), but it is not a gaurentee. Champlins is very family oriented, and has been voted the number 1 family marina on the East coast more then once. As stated earlier it is a love it or hate it envirenment, but you will meet some of the nicest boaters in the Northeast here. As Todd mentioned that picture Alex posted is me ( engine hatch was up only to check my fluids! :grin:), but we were traveling with friends that are rafted to us and this was our request. Fishers Island (east or west passage) to Block is just under a one hour cruise.
 
Thanks guys for the comments. I'll stay at Liberty Landing and Alex that is a great idea with regards to the taxi. I will give Champlins a try, its a better fit for the kids and family members who will be staying in the hotel. Not excited about having strangers walking across my swimplatform. I may request the floating dock and/or no raft up which maybe feasible, I arrive in Block Wednesday July 31st and depart Saturday August 3rd.
 

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