New England Boaters

[bmac]

Hoping some of you familiar with New England waters can provide some guidance. We are headed to Block Island then Nantucket then Martha's Vineyard then to Montauk. When I run the auto route on my chartplotter I get routes that look like what I would expect....EXCEPT, the route from BI to Nantucket takes me south of Martha's Vineyard. While that me be more direct there does appear to be some skinny water that way. For those of you that boat in these waters which way would you go from BI to Nantucket, north or south of MV? Thanks.

 

[Madifonzo]

My charts show good depth south of the vineyard. The north side has more channel markers and is probably more scenic and more forgiving on a windy day since you have land to either side. I have done both routes but was on a sailboat at the time. I don't recall depth being an issue on either route. Based on the charts and channels I would go north of the vineyard.

 

[AFD]

stay north if you think you might need a stop. oak bluffs has the cheapest fuel on the cape traditionally. there is nowhere to stop on the south side that i know of. traffic on the north side is obviously greater but will not be any sort of problem. its not busy, just scenic.
there are skinny spots everywhere, south and north. just watch your charts for planning. the shoals dont move on the north side that i know of, cant say from experience how the south side is from year to year.

 

[Jeremygavin]

It has been a long time since I have gone through muskeget channel between the vineyard and Nantucket so I don't have real time knowledge of how it is now but it is an area known for shoaling. I have some friends that fish in the canyons and go out that way sometimes so it is passable but if it were me with the draft on your boat I would take the safe route up the west side of the vineyard and over to Nantucket. Very easy well marked route that way. Probably only another 5-10 miles that way looking on the navionics app.

 

[Sea Gull]

I always go North of the Vineyard, but would not eliminate the possibility of the outside route, if the conditions permit.

When I plan a route, I always plan it assuming poor visibility and equipment problems, so I'm always prepared. So, where possible, I'm plotting courses to sound/light ATONs and sometimes deviating from a rhumb line course to approach an intermediate marker. In good conditions I end up skipping some or all of these, but they are plotted if I need them.

So Brian, it's up to you, but the question back is: would you navigate the route though those shoals in pea soup fog, or without your primary navigation equipment?

Also, when are you going? We will be in ACK next week.

 

[bmac]

Thanks everyone, sounds like I'll take the slightly less direct but better protected and marked North route.

Jeff, I wouldn't hesitate to navigate the south route in fog, if I knew the plotted route had sufficient water but I wouldn't do it without my chartplotters or radar functioning, so good point. We'll be on Block 7/23, a week from this Saturday. We expect to be in ACK on 7/26 and 27 heading to MV on the 28th.

 

[swaterhouse]

The shoaling between MV and Nantucket is a moving target, likely your charts would be out of date. You can go that way but its not nearly as well traveled as the northern route.

Note as mentioned earlier that the northern route still has its shoals but the are better marked, further apart and don't change much.

 

[bmac]

The shoaling between MV and Nantucket is a moving target, likely your charts would be out of date. You can go that way but its not nearly as well traveled as the northern route.

Note as mentioned earlier that the northern route still has its shoals but the are better marked, further apart and don't change much.

Over the winter I had new Raymarine eS units installed with a Navionics Platinum + card that I updated over wifi immediately before running dock to dock navigation. It consistently gives me the southern route but I'm not that trusting in the auto routing technology compared to the actual experience of CSR Captains. The North route it shall be.

One other question; I'll have about 400 gallons of fuel on board when I arrive in Block Island. I'm debating taking on fuel on BI versus making a stop somewhere on the way to Nantucket. Any suggestions on where to stop if I take that option?

 

[Jeremygavin]

McDougals marine and Falmouth Marine in Falmouth harbor have valvtec diesel and are busy marinas so the fuel doesn't sit long. It would be a short 2 mile detour on your way to Nantucket if taking the northern route around MV. Oak bluffs has been running low prices on gasoline for the past year or 2 but I am not sure on diesel pricing as I have gas engines.

 

[cod]

Brian,

Menemsha on the Western end of MV has been a good fuel stop enroute to or from Nantucket. Your basically passing right by it. They typically have had very competive fuel prices in the past. Larsens fish market has some great seafood and clam chowder which is next to the fuel dock.

+1 on the north route
Enjoy! And safe travels!

 

[tcourtney]

Was in menempsha last week diesel fuel was 2.45 and was on oak bluffs too and diesel was 2.85