The Long Island Loop – Points of Interest

[Russ Calasant]

Thanks Alex,

I do have paper charts just not at home. I am interested in PC software. I have GPS on board- a Garmin 5212, 3205 (networked) and a handheld just in case. I checked Garmins site and it appeared that all I had to do was take the SD Card (actually a micro SD w/adapt) from the 5212 plug it into my laptop and I would download the chartplotting funtionality enabling me to plot a course, save and transfer back to my 5212. Not the case it seems - nothing happens. The 3205 takes some kind of mini usb, I have been trying to update software from the web with no success. It states to download update to computer,then to SD Card pop it in 5212 and it will update automatically. not so, nothing happens.:smt021 The 3205 I have not even gotten that far due to the funny little usb card. :smt100 I plan to call Garmin to try and iron this out unless someone can show me the light:grin:

 

[Russ Calasant]

In case anyone was interested I got the answers I need from a very helpful member, Rollercoastr - :smt038

You'll need to start the update process manually after inserting the SD card. Go to "Information" and then "User Data" to select update.

If you did that and it wouldn't let you perform the update, then I recommend erasing the card and starting over. You can do that in Windows by opening "My Computer" and either:

right-clicking on the SD card icon and selecting "Format"

or double-clicking on the SD card, selecting all the files you see and deleting them

Then re-run the update file you downloaded from Garmin. If you want to confirm that it extracted the files to the SD card, view the files on the card and look for "gupdate.gcd" in a folder called "Garmin".

If you successfully update the 5212, then insert a fresh SD card if possible (or just re-erase the one you used), go back to Information ---> User Data and this time select the option to copy built-in maps to the card. This copy takes a while, so have a cup of coffee or something else to do... This step is necessary to get chart data into HomePort on your computer.

You'll need a USB card reader and memory card to perform this update on the 3205. Jim carries them. Here's a pic of the reader (adapter):

The update process works similarly on the older units, but the menu options are laid-out differently. Note: I haven't been able to get my Windows 7 computer to load the driver for my card reader. It works fine with XP.

As for Homeport, it's a powerful program at a reasonable price. I highly recommend it.

 

[Alex F]

Russ,

I'm glad you have this issue resolved. I'm sure now it'll be much more fun to continue planning your trips.

 

[Russ Calasant]

Russ,

I'm glad you have this issue resolved. I'm sure now it'll be much more fun to continue planning your trips.

Thanks Alex, I am looking forward to it! :smt038

 

[thecupajoe@aol.com]

sounds like a great trip i think davis park or if you like it quieter watch hill in greenport townsend was alot of fun for me my wife and twin 13 yr old girls

 

[rcmafgny]

I agree with Port Jefferson, but before, I would stop at Greenport, which has a handful of nice marinas. Afterwards you go through Plum Gut and head west. A stop in Stamford CT for lunch - Crab Shack - worth the visit !! have a great time.

Rich

crab shack is the best!

 

[jg300da]

Another vote for the Crab Shack.

 

[Alex F]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get some info on marinas with "cheap" fuel in the South Shore area, any recommendations?

 

[tdschafer]

Hey Alex,
The marina I stored my boat at this winter doesn't have a gas pump but, he uses a mobile company called "Direct Marine Fuel". He says they are a little more than you pay for your car but much cheaper than the marinas. The number is 631-467-2145. Maybe you could call them and setup a place to meet when you're in the area?? The marina guy says they've used him for several years and never got one complaint from the customers. I haven't used him but I plan to when I am launched. Todd

 

[JohnEGraham]

Hey, I have a small boat with a 70 Gallon gas tank but my friend has a 39 ft Sea ray and he uses those damn Gas cans with a gas caddy, which I warn him all the time. I will let him know. I am in lindenhurst and he is in Babylon.I wonder if they have a Great South Bay access point If i don't meet ther minimums
JG.

 

[Alex F]

Todd,

Thanks for the tip, please let me know if you end up using this service. I wander if they go out for something like 100-150gal? Obviously, I won't be bode dry to fill all of my 200gal. You always have to have a plan B, what if the guy doesn't show up and you have to travel to get fuel some place esle?

Hey, I have a small boat with a 70 Gallon gas tank but my friend has a 39 ft Sea ray and he uses those damn Gas cans with a gas caddy, which I warn him all the time. I will let him know. I am in lindenhurst and he is in Babylon.I wonder if they have a Great South Bay access point If i don't meet ther minimums
JG.

I'm surprized marina allows him to use the caddy, unless he's got diesels.

 

[bmac]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get some info on marinas with "cheap" fuel in the South Shore area, any recommendations?

No such thing Alex, at least not on the western parts of Long Island....most of the fuel docks are in the same general price range, unless you happen to have discount reciprocity from your own marina. If you're headed thorugh the GSB east I would suggest stopping at the fuel dock on the Patchogue River due north of Watch Hill. It's generally on the way. Once you get further east you can find cheaper fuel at Coecles Harbor Marina on Shelter Island and at Star Island Yacht Club in Montauk. Do NOT wait to buy fuel on Block Island or Newport if you're headed there.$$$$ :smt021

 

[bmac]

Todd,

Thanks for the tip, please let me know if you end up using this service. I wander if they go out for something like 100-150gal? Obviously, I won't be bode dry to fill all of my 200gal. You always have to have a plan B, what if the guy doesn't show up and you have to travel to get fuel some place esle?



I'm surprized marina allows him to use the caddy, unless he's got diesels.

Rob the owner of Direct Marine Fuel has truck filled my boats for years. Very reasonable and very reliable. :thumbsup: I don't know if he'll fuel a boat that's not in a Marina though. Give him a call (though it's usually his wife Teresa who answers the phone).

 

[Alex F]

No such thing Alex, at least not on the western parts of Long Island....most of the fuel docks are in the same general price range, unless you happen to have discount reciprocity from your own marina. If you're headed thorugh the GSB east I would suggest stopping at the fuel dock on the Patchogue River due north of Watch Hill. It's generally on the way. Once you get further east you can find cheaper fuel at Coecles Harbor Marina on Shelter Island and at Star Island Yacht Club in Montauk. Do NOT wait to buy fuel on Block Island or Newport if you're headed there.$$$$ :smt021

Thanks Brian,

I was hoping you'd chime in eventually. I'm making notes in my float plan.

It's good in the way that most places in the area have similar prices, b/c we don't and there're few that run much higher while few that have pretty good discounts ($.30-$.50 price difference per gal.).

 

[JohnEGraham]

RE:"I'm surprized marina allows him to use the caddy, unless he's got diesels?"
I am in a Marina He is not, his slip off a main road which would allow easy access for a gas truck. JG

 

[bmac]

Thanks Brian,

I was hoping you'd chime in eventually. I'm making notes in my float plan.

It's good in the way that most places in the area have similar prices, b/c we don't and there're few that run much higher while few that have pretty good discounts ($.30-$.50 price difference per gal.).

You're welcome Alex. Also, you can usually get fuel at a slightly lower cost than the GSB at the Shinnecock Canal. There's two easily accessible fuel docks there.

 

[Alex F]

You're welcome Alex. Also, you can usually get fuel at a slightly lower cost than the GSB at the Shinnecock Canal. There's two easily accessible fuel docks there.

That's great!:thumbsup:
Now I have few places to choose from and plan my fuel stops while in the area and as I'm heading back home. Shelter Island fuel stop is perfect as we'll be heading there for the raft with our CSR friends. It sounds like Shinnecock Canal or Patchogue River are good fuel stops as I'll be travelling from Montauk to Fire Island.

RE:"I'm surprized marina allows him to use the caddy, unless he's got diesels?"
I am in a Marina He is not, his slip off a main road which would allow easy access for a gas truck. JG

It can't get any better when you're in position to dectate your own rules....LOL

 

[Alex F]

The long and detailed planning completed and it was time to get ready for very exciting trip. As the departure day got closer, I was constantly checking the weather forecast, which didn’t look very good to start the vacation. They called for 3-5ers and 15kts winds. This doesn’t sound bad if the weatherman would be correct all the time, as last time they have predicted 2-4ers, but I was going through 5-6ers. Admiral just asked me to minimize the ocean time and I was looking for different options. I decided to go from the Manasquan Inlet to the Jones Inlet, which is about a 35 mile run. My plan B was (if it would be uncomfortable for the kids) to use East Rockaway Inlet, which was closer. Knowing that the seas are usually calmer in the early hours, I got up early and casted off at 7am. While passing by the Brielle Yacht Club, I couldn’t avoid taking a shot of this beautiful yacht.

We jumped out of the MI just around 8am and my prediction was correct: the seas were calm and very comfortable. I proceeded on my course to JI at about 26MPH, and adjusted my radar to offshore settings and larger range. The ride was very pleasant. As we got closer to the LI shore line, there were number of cargo ships.

We had the breakfast, and about 1hr45min into the trip we were entering the JI.

Our first stop was Watch Hill, Fire Island. (This was a planned midway stop on the way to Westhampton). The main reason for it, was to take a break after about 4 hrs cruising, and also to wait for the high tide in the Moriches (the famous trouble spot that must be approached only at the high tide). The ride on the ICW was scenic. I was surprised that there were various coves for boats to anchor just along the ICW.

Here’s an interesting houseboat you don’t see everyday.

We passed a couple of 5mph zones, but they were not long. It was good for the crew to take a break and just enjoy a slow cruise for just a little while. The ICW is narrow in some spots but it’s well marked.

So, the key is just to keep a sharp look out and stay in the channel. We passed several bridges, but they were tall enough, so we didn’t need to be concerned about raising them. Just east of the Robert Moses Bridge, we found a pier full of crabbing lovers.

Just before I took the picture of the FI Light House, I encountered an unexpected event.

I just finished going through the no-wake zone and just before getting back on plane, I decided to go through a couple of S-turns at a slow speed. As I proceeded dead in the channel and moved slightly to the starboard, giving more room to a charter boat, my starboard prop touched the bottom. I looked at the buoys and saw that I was clearly in the channel (just not in the middle of it). The bottom was sandy so it wasn’t a big deal. I quickly moved to the middle and proceeded on my course.

The rest of the trip to Watch Hill was uneventful and after another 1hr45min, we approached the WH marina and anchorage area.

After getting a quick ride in the marina basin, we proceeded to very nice anchorage area just around the corner.

After having a great time swimming and lunch, it was time to continue onto Westhampton as the Moriches tide was approaching. So, we continued on our scenery route with quite interesting sites along the way. Here’s an RV park on the eastern end of Fire Island.

As we were getting closer to Moriches and Westhampton, the real estate properties started drawing my attention.

Here’s an interesting choice of color for a house.

It was time to stop looking around, and watch the channel very closely as we approached the Moriches. Starting from buoy #14, I knew it was the beginning of the skinny water. The precise spot that requires most of the attention is from buoy #24 until buoy #29. I’ve learned that it’s important to go from #26 straight to #28 avoiding #27, but I think #27 was recently moved and was inline with the channel, so there was no need to avoid it or turn anywhere. I approached the area about 45min to 1hr before the high tide and saw 4.1’ (if my memory serves me right), as the lowest reading by buoy #26. As I got passed the buoy #29, I was worry free and continued with a clear mind, knowing that the rest of the way I should have plenty of water. After about 1hr15min into the trip, we approached the Westhampton Bridge, which was very low and we had to make a call on channel #13 to request the bridge opening.

It took only few minutes for the bridge operator to give us the green light and we maintained the course.

As we entered the channel leading to WH Town Dock, we see Brian (bmac) on his beautiful 44DB with the gang waiting for Moriches high tide. Since 44 needs ~1’ extra under the boat, Brian needs to make sure that he approaches at the dead high tide.

Just around 5pm, we finally arrived at the marina. While approaching to the slip, I couldn’t avoid catching a shot of this Marquis.

We back up in the slip and I see that something doesn’t look right. How do we get off? Apparently, many marinas in LI don’t have finger in the slips, so the only way to get off/on the boat is via swim platform. Thus, whoever has a dinghy sitting on the platform has to unload it prior entering the slip. So, we had to pull out of the slip, drop off the dingy, tie it to the bow and back in to the slip again. So, anytime you plan your trips make sure to account for the time to unload/load your dinghy.

The dock neighbors were group of people from LI who were transiting for the weekend and made us feel very welcome. We got settled, while kids were playing volleyball on the field just behind the docks. Moments later, we went to explore the town, which was only a few blocks away. The town was small, but very cozy, with flower decors hanging along the street. Well, you can tell, its Hamptons!!!. The roads were filled with fancy cars like Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mazerati, etc. This one felt like cash town. The marina only accepted cash and restaurant we dined at, only took Amax or cash. (Other places also took only cash). Post Stop Café was a very good choice for dinner. We had seafood and it was excellent. The streets are very clean and colorful.

Next morning we couldn’t miss another visit to the town, since it’s very close and we were advised to get breakfast at the Beach Bakery Café. It’s one of the landmarks of the town and the trip there was worth it. It also had a live band, lifting local spirits.

On the way there, we saw an Art Market that had very interesting pieces.

We had our stock full, but if we knew we wouldn’t mind to get some fresh fruits and veggies here right from the local farm stand.

I had to take a shot of Frank’s (the dock master) executive office right by the bathhouse. It was just too funny.

We took our time and left Westhampton only around 12:30pm. We passed couple of no-wake zones and had a view of the local mansions.

We’re off to the Shelter Island for our CSR rendezvous 2010 – Raft-up. Knowing that Moriches troubled spots are behind to the West of us, I cruised along and entered Shinnecock Bay. Just like during the previous leg the ICW is very well marked, so I just kept a sharp lookout for the next buoy. So, having heard of no postings on any board about shoals here, I didn’t worry about the tide and maintained my cruising speed. As I approached buoy #2, all of a sudden I see the depths dropping sharply to 5’-4’, then my newly installed depth finder (B60-20 transducer with DSM30) failed on me, giving me readings of “---“. I immediately switched my SmarCraft TACH to show the depths. It was showing 3.6’ under the boat (oh, thank God this one was still reading). I asked myself - what an interesting “surprise” that’s awaiting me. I slowed down to about 17MPH @3150-3200RPM, dropped the trim tabs down all the way to keep the boat on plane, using minimum speed. While proceeding to the next buoy, my SC depth continues to drop 3.3’-2.6’. I’m dead in the middle of the channel and see the next buoy, the depth is blinking and showing 1.6’-1.3’ under the boat. I was faced with tough decision - I know that according to my SC depth finder, at the point that anything lower than 1.3’, I touch the bottom with my props while at idle (off plane). At this time I’m on plane, which means I’m gaining about 1’ or so. Some immediate thoughts were going thru my mind: if I get off plane I lose a foot and will start stirring the bottom, and depending on how hard, our vacation could be over. If I remain on plane and the depth drops any lower, our vacation – again, is over. Considering that no one ever talked about this being a dangerous spot, I couldn’t believe that this place will have less than 3’ of water, so I decided to stay on plane and take my chance. If my memory serves me right, just as I passed buoy #6, the depth went back to 5’-6’ and my new depth finder srarted working again. I looked at the chartplotter to see if the similar depths are expected ahead and I see that I’ll be approaching another shallow zone very soon. Sure enough (if I recall correctly) between buoy #8 and #10 there was another drop, but not as much as 1.3’, but close to 3-4’. After that spot, the unexpected nerve racking surprise was over. It’s a good thing that there were no boats coming head on, otherwise it would turn in to a real test who’s got the “bigger kohonas” as I wasn’t going to move from the center of the channel.

Finally, I was able to relax as we entered deeper water and was looking forward to approach the Shinnecock canal and the lock. We passed by a few more waterfront mansions and shortly after, arrived to the lock.

The canal had a couple of bridges, but our 320 is “small enough” not to be concerned about raising them. We happened to be passing the canal during the time when the lock was open. So, we just had to deal with the decent current rushing through. It was no big deal for me to control the boat, since I have an experience being in such turbulence in the Point Pleasant canal, which is about 20min ride each way. The key is to use the throttles to maintain the course. If you’re too gentle, the current will push the boat into the walls, as there isn’t too much room.

Just as we passed the lock, there’re two gas docks on the left. The Gulf had the cheapest fuel ($3.35 for 89 octane) in the area, so we filled our tanks.

As we were exiting the Shinnecock canal, and entered the Great Peconic Bay, we have noticed very nice beaches surrounding the shore lines.

I enjoyed cruising the Peconic bays. The deep water and the water color makes you think you’re somewhere in Florida or in a Caribbean region.

After cruising for about 2.5hrs we entered the Shelter Island harbor.

Our CSR raft up had 5 boats prior to our arrival, but 2 boats had to leave earlier. Here’s what’s left of the raft as we pulled in (Lady TAZ, Last Dance and Rubber Duckee).

Since we planned to stay overnight, we dropped our anchor, backed into the Lady TAZ, had all lines secured, and received a big welcome from the gang. We had a quick snack and decided to take a dinghy ride to tour Taylor’s Island before the sunset. If anyone is interested about it, here’s the link http://taylorsisland.org

We got lucky that when we arrived, there was a lady who’s part of the committee. She was very kind and gave us a private tour of the house as well as shared some historical details of the original owner’s family heritage. One of the interesting things we’ve learned is how she gets to the house from the main land. See the picture below.

This happens to be one of very few islands, which is only an island during the high tide.

As we returned to the boats the sun began to set, so Greg and I took a quick dinghy ride to take few pictures of our raft (by this time Rubber Duckee took off as they had to get back to their homeport).

After having some freshly grilled meat and veggies for dinner, we continued to a delightful entertainment, thanks to Russ’s underwater lights. The water was very clear and Russ was happy to give fishing lessons to the kids. Here’s Greg releasing the catch.

The next day, we didn’t want to leave this beautiful place too early and decided to take our dinghies for a ride to follow the water trails that people usually do by kayaks.

After the tour, we used Baby TAZ (Greg’s dinghy) to pull kids behind on the kneeboard. We had a blast and kids absolutely loved it.

Unfortunately, time flies fast when you’re having fun and we had to take off to our next port of call - Greenport, which was only 30min away, but Lady TAZ had few hours to their next destination.

We hugged the eastern coastline of Shelter Island, and were approaching the channel leading to the Townsend Manor Marina (http://www.townsendmanorinn.com/marina.htm)

This marina is also located in protected area and only 15min walk to town. It has interesting setup with picnic area and lawn chairs right behind the boat. There were two pools (one was a kiddie pool, which is great for the little ones) and large adult pool, with tiki bar, all right behind the slip we styed in.

We went to Claudio’s for dinner, the food was very good. BTW, we ate lobsters and seafood.

The following day we toured the town, checked out Mitchell’s marina and the kids took a ride on the carousel.

The town is very nice, with a number of interesting stores and restaurants. I think that 2 nights is plenty for getting to know the town, which worked great for our schedule with the late arrival, the first day.

The next port of call was Montauk Yacht Club. On the way there we stopped by Mitchell’s marina to do the pump-out. Upon approaching the marina we passed by Claudio’s Marina and had a closer look at the beautiful yacht that was docked right at the entrance to Mitchell’s.

About 1hr20min in to the trip, we had entered Montauk Harbor (http://www.montaukyachtclub.com).

Minutes after we contacted the dock master, there were two docks’s hands waiting for us by the slip.

On the way here, I had one failure with my electronics. The most interesting part is that it happened just about the next day reading a thread on CSR regard DSM malfunction. I got the message on my C70 “DSM Lost Communication”. This simply means that my new setup (transducer and DSM30) no longer transmit the depth data to both of my MFDs and st60 Tridata. Once again, my backup (original transducer hooked up to the SmarCraft tach) came to the rescue. When we got in the slip I tried powering down the DSM by unplugging the wire by the fuse box, but it didn’t help. The only way I was able to recover from this failure is by “rebooting everything” turning OFF all batteries (both switches). I gave it a rest for a min or two and turned them back ON. After that, all was back to normal.

We had another technical issue, which I discovered only due to the fact that I tried to pay close attention to everything. Since we had warm days for the most part, we always ran the A/C when in the slip. Thus, I know that condensate gets accumulated in the shower sump box and the shower sump pump gets triggered periodically. While we were in Greenport, I noticed that for some reason I no longer hear the shower pump. I didn’t expect it to fail, because only couple of days earlier I checked it manually for operation and all was fine, the box was clean from any scum, slime, etc. I decided to do a visual inspection. Sure enough my instinct didn’t let me down. When I opened the access panel, I saw that the water was already spilling over the sump box and accumulating by the backup pump, which also didn’t trigger (there was just enough water to trigger it).

The problem with these backup pumps is that, when all is well, they get triggered only a couple of times (well, I check mine only few times a season manually) and if it triggers, I assume it is fine. However, at times it’s a false positive. Apparently, in order to be sure the backup pump truly works, you would need to add water and see if it pumps it out. So, in my case the float switch of the backup pump got stuck and when I moved the switch manually, it triggered the backup pump. The pump kicked off, but wasn’t really pumping water out. So, I knocked it lightly with a screwdriver head and it began to pump.

I switched focus back to the primary pump and it was clear that it was no longer functioning properly, although the switch was fine. At this time I see that I have one primary pump that’s broken and the backup pump that has a mind of its own, which triggers not exactly when I expect it to. So, it’s no brainer that I have to get a replacement (regardless of the cost) for my primary. Star Island marina, which is just next marina over in walking distance has very good supply store that has lots’ of different items. I brought the old pump there and found a replacement. Even though it was substantially more money than I’d pay at WM I just bought it to bring the issue to the closure. My small ShopVac came very handy to pump all the water out and few minutes later the new pump was in place and working fine. This is when I remember Gary’s (Four Suns) statement in one of the posts “it’s not boating until things break”.

As we settled with everything and took a quick tour of the marina we loved it. This is the best marina we’ve ever stayed. It’s a resort that has pretty much everything for cruising families:

- two outdoor and one indoor pools
- tennis courts
- Playground
- Kids entertainment and special arts & craft sessions
- Fitness center
- Sauna and SPA
- Hotel with rooms facing the harbor and the private beach
- Very nice waterfront restaurant
- Free transportation to the Montauk village

Here are few shots of the marina resort:

You definitely pay prime $ for it (there’s 40’ minimum charge with $5 p/f), but I think it is well worth it. We took a shuttle to tour Montauk village, which was very interesting to explore. We happened to catch a gourmet oil market, where we bought some nice extra virgin olive oils, stopped by mini-golf place for the kids to play, and toured the village. We dined at two places since we were there for two nights. The first night was at MYC restaurant, which was very good and the second night at Gossman’s, which was not anything special to brag about. Actually, I would choose a different place, but hearing decent reviews, we decided to try it. The place has a prime location, which was also very attractive and we had witnessed how fishermen were showing off their catch. When the fishing boat came along the restaurant windows the man raised their fish in their hands so people in the restaurant could see and applaud.

Day 7 into the trip and sadly it’s time to leave Montauk, but we were excited to go to our next CSR Rendezvous at Watch Hill and meet more new friends. It’s a quite a distance to travel with a couple of choices (outside to Moriches inlet or inside hugging the coast of Shelter Island through the Shinnecock lock). Remembering the trouble spots in the Shinnecock Bay, and knowing what to expect from Moriches Bay, I considered an outside route as well. We checked the forecast, which called for 3’-5’ seas with 10-15kts winds. I checked the tides and saw that high tide comfortably fits in our schedule (btw, at this time I was more concerned about Shinnecock instead of Moriches), so the decision was made to go on the inside and have a more scenic route ,rather than just bounce in the ocean for hours. I decided to go around Shelter Island on the northern side passing Greenport. I figured that it looks like an easier route and also we’re now familiar with it, which is always a plus. We left MYC at 8am and 2 hours later, we were entering the Shinnecock canal. This time the water between Shinnecock and Great Peconic Bays wasn’t leveled, so the locks were closed. We took advantage of cheaper fuel prices and filled the tanks again at the Gulf station before approaching the lock. So, this time we were about to experience going through the Shinnecock lock. I contacted the lock master and was advised to wait for the green light when the first lock opens. We got the fenders and two lines ready, and proceeded to the waiting area. After idling for a few minutes, the first lock was opened and the light turned green. We entered in the chamber and looped the lines around the cleats, to allow adjusting the lines as the water level changes. The lock was closed again and the chamber was getting filled with water. We were adjusting the lines accordingly, and a few minutes later, the lock on the other side was open and we were ready to take off. It was kind of fun to go through the locks at different times, and experience different pass-thru methods. Going through the closed lock only took in total about 15min, which is nothing. From all the things I’ve read, people made a much bigger deal out of the experience than it actually is. Both times it was fun for me, but it was just a good thing to know what to expect in advance. However, by all means this lock should never be a concern or a showstopper for any boater, even a newbie. If you have never done the locks, just Google it and you’ll get number of links with all the details. Don’t be shy to ask any questions and I’ll be happy to share my experience.

The timing for the tides was perfect, but I still watched very closely for those troubling spots, I came through on the way here (eastbound). When we approached them, I saw anywhere between 4’-5’ under the boat, which was the proof for me that the only safe way to navigate both bays (Shinnecock and Moriches), is during the high tide.

It took us “door to door” from MYC to Watch Hill, just about 4:45hrs (including fuel stop and going through the lock) travelling about 70NM.

As usual for LI places, we had to unload the dinghy and tie it off the bow. Paul (Kemo Sabe) and Russ (Last Dance) gave us a hand ,so I was able to do it with no hassle while remaining in the slip. It was time for the party at the famous and beautiful Watch Hill marina. We had several CSR boats here from couple of days prior to our arrival and a few more to join later in the day. No wonder local folks love this place. It’s very unique and has great setup with access to ocean and bay side beaches. Here’re few shots of the place:

Boardwalk to the beach on the ocean side

Looking at the bay from the boardwalk

Panoramic view

and couple more shots...

Few shots during sunrise

The weather was great, but the wind was too strong generating big swells on the beach side, but it was still nice and the kids had fun.

Since we haven’t seen Brian, (his boat was on the different dock across from us) the gang decided to take a walk to the other side to pay him a visit. Brian gave us a tour of his floating condo and shared some ownership details.

The queen of the show, (Brian’s boat). I should have taken a walk and taken some night pictures how she glows in the dark, but I guess it’ll be next time.

We cooked dinner in the designated grilling area and enjoyed the rest of the evening with our CRS gang.

I have to tell you that I’ve done and seen all kinds of grilling, but the way Paul did it was something you don’t see too often. As everyone got their stuff ready and went to grill, admiral gave me marinated salmon and I followed Russ to the grilling area. We get there and start looking for an empty grill for us. There were few folks finishing their dinner. We spot one empty grill where Russ settles in. I spot another one with something wrapped in the aluminum foil, but no one was watching it. I have to add that by this time, it was already over an hour since we haven’t seen Paul, after he went grilling. Just as Russ and I were almost done grilling, here comes Paul and says something like “I guess my steak is ready…”. Apparently, he dropped his steak on the grill and got pulled away by some local salesman, who had used 370DA for sale. I thought it was just too funny how we lost a site of Paul, as his steak was grilling (or burning) while he’s negotiating a deal on a new boat…LOL. The good thing was that his charcoals were slowly loosing the heat, and looked like the steak was eatable. Paul said that it actually came out just perfect.

We had tons of laughter that lasted for hours that night. Joe (Havana Shamrock), was on a roll freely expressing his view on a number of things, but it was all cool and no one got offended, and appreciated a little humor. I guess the next day, Paul had his colorful sport jacket for sale on ebay or craigslist, but Michele (Paul’s wife) was still on the hunt for the Chamomile tea.

The following day the SE wind was still blowing at around 12-15kts, stirring up the surf at the beach, so we took the kids to the beach on the bay side. Paul and Michele gladly joined us. The sun was shining, the water was calm and warm making it a perfect beach day.

It was the last day of our vacation in LI. I was periodically checking the forecast, which called for a small craft advisory until 10pm that day, with some slack of 3’-4’ with 10-15kts winds for the day of our departure. I was clear that we’ll have a bumpy ride back, so I kind of did another prep talk with admiral. One of the disadvantages was that we had to travel almost 2 hours on ICW to the Jones Inlet before we hit the ocean. So, even though I casted off at 7am, we came out of the inlet just around 9am. I had an idea to jump through Fire Island Inlet, but the tide was not in out favor. So, I continued on with original plan to minimize the ocean runtime. At 9-9:30am the seas were ok, the usual 3’ rollers. But, as the wind picked up, we were in very strange sea conditions, which were 3’-4’ rollers with the constant chops in between. I’ve never seen anything like it. Due to the SE wind, the rollers were hitting us from the port side. I have to say that it still wasn’t bad, not like real rough seas, it’s just the boat was moving a lot more than usual. As always, I adjusted the speed to provide more comfortable ride. I had a plan B, to change the course more to the East (against the seas) and then back to SW (to go with the seas), but it would extend the time of the trip. I only did that maneuver when admiral served some snacks. This helped with an additional side to side rolling effect, while she was in the cabin. So, when I saw that the crew was kind of “adapting to the conditions” I saw no need for a course change and continued on cutting straight across. Since we were travelling at slower speed, it took us a full 2 hours to get to Manasquan Inlet. I thought that we might have an unpleasant entry due to the seas state, but we zipped right in just fine. From that point on, we were cruising in our “backyard” in a relaxed manner. Just another hour later, we were backing into our slip, safe and sound.

I have to say that we were very excited before the trip, but the feeling was even better after the trip. We enjoyed every minute of it and kids didn’t want to come back home. It was a great thing that Russ and I had shared our trip plans and crossed our routes. I was also very happy that other CSR members were able to join us and fulfill the great memories of the trip. I’m sorry that our local CSR friends couldn’t join us due to various reasons, but I hope that it’ll be fixed next year. It’s clear that LI will be among our favorite destinations to which we’re looking forward to coming back to.

Some statistics:
Duration: 8days / 7nights
Distance: 295NM
Engine Hours: 18
Fuel Usage: 362gallons. Avg. fuel burn 0.81MPG.

 

[Turtlesboat]

Looks like a great trip Alex. Nice pics.

 

[Greg]

Wow Alex, Great writeup, Great pics. I think everybody had a great time...
I now have a few more destinations to add to my "to go to" list.

You mentioned that we pulled the kids on the kneeboard, but what about the expert show you put on for us? I am still amazed that that was your first time on the kneeboard...

Now I have to do a write up about my vacation...