Trip to NY and Martha's Vineyard

Steve36

Member
May 17, 2007
177
Lake Ontario
Boat Info
2010 540DA
Engines
Cummins 8.3L Zeus Drives
Hello all.
I am planning to take a trip from Oswego to NYC and Marthas Vineyards.
I am looking for information as to where to stop and what to do. Presently I boat in Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Have not had any experience with NYC and the ocean.
My boat is a 2010 540DA. I am planning to go with at least one or two other boats.
I would really appreciate a helping hand in building an itinerary for this trip.
Thank you in advance.
 
Steve, I recommend Block Island between Martha’s Vineyard and New York. From there you can continue to Long Island and all the way to the city. If it’s a round trip Newport in Rhode Island is also a great stop
 
Hello all.
I am planning to take a trip from Oswego to NYC and Marthas Vineyards.
I am looking for information as to where to stop and what to do. Presently I boat in Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Have not had any experience with NYC and the ocean.
My boat is a 2010 540DA. I am planning to go with at least one or two other boats.
I would really appreciate a helping hand in building an itinerary for this trip.
Thank you in advance.

It's kind of a loaded question, but I'll get this started. It would help if you provide more details on how long you plan on staying in particular area.

Are you coming down via NY state canals? Make sure all the locks are operating as per schedule.

On the way down, stop by Kingston NY. I've heard good things about it.

My advice in NYC, do not stay in any of NYC marinas, as they're not well protected and you'll be rocking quite a bit. One time I had a crew member (a boater) sick while in a slip at North Cove marina. It has a breakwater. The marina on 23rd street rocks really bad. I don't know about 79th street. Best option is to be on the Jersey City side. Liberty Landing is a good option with water taxi right there. Just keep in mind that it stops service early. IF you plan on having dinner and do a late show.....and I'm not sure what your options are with COVID now....plan on alternative transportation coming back. Uber/Lift could be your best option.

There are tons of great ports between NYC and MV. Let us know how much time you plan for this run and we'll be able to provide some recommendations.
 
Last edited:
Good to see you Alex!!!

Rusty

Hey buddy, how are you? I hope all is well. You picked a great place to be at this time of the year. We love MV. I hope you can delay your departure and enjoy it for a while.
 
Thanks for the replies.
My trip will start in Oswego and we will be using the canals. This trip is for next summer (2021). Hoping Covid will be a bad memory by then.
We plan on allocating a minimum of 17 days for this trip with a maximum of 30 days if needed.
We plan on heading out around July 01.
Hope that helps.

Thanks again for the replies.
 
Hello all.
I am planning to take a trip from Oswego to NYC and Marthas Vineyards.
I am looking for information as to where to stop and what to do. Presently I boat in Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Have not had any experience with NYC and the ocean.
My boat is a 2010 540DA. I am planning to go with at least one or two other boats.
I would really appreciate a helping hand in building an itinerary for this trip.
Thank you in advance.

Here's a start on the canal/Hudson itinerary. From Oswego the first day a comfortable ride would be to Sylvan Beach at the east end of Oneida Lake. From our logs the last time through, it was 6 hours Oswego to Brewerton, 32 miles. Then 22 miles to Sylvan Beach across the Lake. That can be done in an hour, only 2 miles of it is no wake.
Tie to the wall on port. We always go as far to the east as we can to be more settled from swell on the lake if it's windy from the west. A few restaurants / beach bars to choose from.
An aggressive day 2 to Canajoharie. 70 miles, you will be passing through locks 22 thru 14. figure 11 hours. There is power on the wall at the village dock. We have enjoyed Gino's restaurant a few times, it's sit down Italian, nothing fancy, good food. There are others.
If the long day is too much for the crew, or you just want to smell the roses a little, stop in Utica or Little Falls, Utica you tie to the wall in front of a restaurant, not much else there, but Little Falls is worth a walk into town. Then you could pull up short the next day in Canajoharie and the girls would like the Gift / Christmas shoppe (Lee's at Wagner Square) while the guys go in Jim's Irish Harbor Pub next door.
From Canajoharie you can make it to Waterford the next day. 60 miles, 9 1/2 hours. There is a canal welcome center there and power and water. If you need provisions, there's a Hannaford across the bridge in troy. it's about 2/3 mile walk. If you need more than you can fit in your back pack or want to carry, when checking out, ask for them to unlock the cart wheels and you can take the shopping cart back to the canal. You can leave it there when you are finished as the store sends some stock boys over every few days to take the carts back to the store. We like McGreivie's restaurant, very short walk from the boat. Also a decent auto parts and hardware close by.
Most would go to Kingston from here but we always go just 25 miles down the river to Shady Harbor Marina. After coming across the canal, it's a nice 2 day stop. Pool, barbecues, on site restaurant with good food, diesel and they have a yard should you need something. Also Laundry and a courtesy car, so if you go there, you can skip the Hannaford at Waterford and provision up in New Baltimore.
Kingston is a nice little town. All the usual. We have stayed at the city marina a few times and bought diesel once at Rondout Yacht Basin. The last 2 times through we just went up Rondout creek and anchored. The spots are on Active Captain. Kingston is more or less the half way point on the Hudson to NY city so I suppose that's why most go there. Kingston would be a good place to rent a car from and visit the Culinary Institute. Reservations are required.
From there we usually go to Haverstraw and hang on the hook for one night to stage for the trip to the yacht club we stay at on Staten Island but that would be way out of your way. First timers should go to Liberty Landing. Bring your big wallet but it's worth it for the convenience. As others said, ferry to Manhattan is right there as well as proximity to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Jersey city is no longer the dump it once was and the locals can point you to a number of bars and restaurants close to the boat, but NYC is where it's at. I've only been into the sound twice and only as far as New Haven so others can chime in from here. Hopefully 2021 will be a better traveling year. Have fun and use all 30 days :)
 
Thanks for the replies.
My trip will start in Oswego and we will be using the canals. This trip is for next summer (2021). Hoping Covid will be a bad memory by then.
We plan on allocating a minimum of 17 days for this trip with a maximum of 30 days if needed.
We plan on heading out around July 01.
Hope that helps.

Thanks again for the replies.

It's an awesome trip and it's a good idea to start planning way in advance and take your time on finding things to do in the desired ports. Since Mark gave good recommendations on getting to the LI Sound, I'll share my opinion from that point on.

I'd focus on visiting Long Island (North shore) ports on the way to MV and some CT port on the way back.

My preferred ports on LI side:
1. Port Jefferson. Take mooring or dock at Danfords.
2. Greenport. Go through Plum Gut and take a short ride SW. Mitchel's marina is right in the town.
3. Shelter Island. There are 3 harbors. For first time visitor I'd recommend going to Westneck Harbor. You can dock at Island Boat Yard or anchor across in designated anchorage area. Salt restaurant is a cool place, it's right at the marina. Take dinghy around to see beautiful properties surrounded by nature.
4. Sag Harbor. High end small but cool town. Town marina is most economical (if you can call it there), others will charge $7 p/f or more. Easiest option is to anchor inside the harbor, past the bridge. It's very protected and very short dinghy ride to town. Sometimes, weather permitting, I anchor on the outside of the breakwater, kind of across from most marinas with mega-yachts. There's a convenient cut through breakwater right to dinghy dock.
5. Montauk. Dock at Montauk Yacht Club (I think it has been renamed to "Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina"). Prepare to pay up to $10 p/f. You can do Star Island Yacht club for a bit less ($7 p/f) and couple others, but it's a different experience. Unfortunately, this whole place has been super overpriced for couple years now. But, it's pretty nice and worth the stop, considering you're coming from such distance.
6. BLOCK ISLAND. A must do stop. Warning, once you get there, you may not want to leave....LOL. Plenty of options for anchoring, mooring (first come first served) and docking. Good marinas are Champlins, Boat Basin and Panes. It's usually a tight squeeze in most of them, but dockhands do a good job helping.

MV:
7. Out of the 3 harbors, my favorite is Edgartown. I wouldn't even try getting a dock at tiny marina, there's a great mooring field, which requires advanced mooring reservations.
8. While at MV, you might want to consider running another 20NM NE to visit Nantucket.
On your way back, see if Elizabeth islands is something you have time to see. If not, make your way to the mainland.

9. NEWPORT RI. Another must do ports. Few marina choices, moorings are (FCFS), and there's anchorage. Tricky bottom and usually crowded anchorage, so I'd say take a mooring or a dock. Lots to see, so plan to stay couple days.

CT:
10. Mystic CT. Another must do. If you wish, you can even dock right at the Seaport. Otherwise, plenty of marina choices.
11. Essex. A bit of a ride up the river inland, but very cool place. Take a dinghy ride to Hamburg Cove.
12. Norwalk and Stamford both offer nice harbors with small towns with shops and restaurants. Both have few marinas for transients.

I'm sure this info will keep you busy researching for a while.

Have fun.....
 
I’ll second the recommendation for a stopover in Kingston. The Hudson River Maritime Museum can accommodate you with a side tie. It’s close to restaurants too, but dock space is limited so a reservation is suggested.
Half Moon Bay on the west side of Haverstraw Bay is another place we like to stop. Sunset views across the Hudson are beautiful and short Uber rides to Restaurants.
Your best bet in NYC is at Liberty Landing on the New Jersey Side. Very well protected, great views of the Manhattan skyline, easy access to Manhattan if you want to go in there and short Uber Ride to Hoboken where there are lots of restaurants and bars.
Any other places on either side of the river will make for a bouncy night.
You can skip the ocean for the ride to points East if you want by heading up the East River to the LI Sound. That will give you more great views of Manhattan and open up a lot of possibilities for stops along Long Island Sound for food, fuel, and overnight stays as you head east to Block Island.
Greenport is a nice little town and a popular place for overnight stopovers.
Heading East in the ocean from Liberty Landing will get you to Block Island much faster for sure, but transient marina space will be very limited if you want to stop along the way, you would have to deal with unfamiliar inlets to get to them, and the shallow bays along the south shore of Long Island can be unforgiving.
Fire Island would make a nice beach stop, but most marinas are reserved for residents of the different towns and your beam will limit you in the few places where you might otherwise be able to reserve a slip.
 
I just did a trip to NYC. Usually I stay at Liberty Landing. I was looking on DOCKWA an app for booking marinas and found Hudson Point marina. Hudson Point is directly across the canal from Liberty Landing. Not much in the way of services at Hudson put the price is more reasonable and many restaurants within walking distance. The ferry to the city is around the corner. DOCKWA is a must for cruisers.
 
Just a little side note. If you do Libery Landing and want to see the Statue of Liberty I suggest you make a reservation. We did it a few years ago as it was a bucket list thing for me. Reservations to go up to the crown are usually sold out by March for a summer visit. It was a very cool experience but not so much if you are claustrophobic! Lol
 
I agree with Alex that Edgartown is the place to go if you only do one stop in Martha's Vineyard, but since you will be there in early July you need to book a mooring in March if you want to guarantee a spot on or near a weekend especially if you have any boats over 50' with you. If you go mid week you can probably wait until late April to book.

Edgartown is extremely popular, the weekends from July through August usually book out within 5-7 days of the reservations opening in March, mid week in early July is not far behind.

Sounds like a great Trip, we had thought about doing the reverse trip this summer, but we sold our boat and with Covid have not been able/willing to travel to see replacements.
 
I agree with Alex that Edgartown is the place to go if you only do one stop in Martha's Vineyard, but since you will be there in early July you need to book a mooring in March if you want to guarantee a spot on or near a weekend especially if you have any boats over 50' with you. If you go mid week you can probably wait until late April to book.

Edgartown is extremely popular, the weekends from July through August usually book out within 5-7 days of the reservations opening in March, mid week in early July is not far behind.

Sounds like a great Trip, we had thought about doing the reverse trip this summer, but we sold our boat and with Covid have not been able/willing to travel to see replacements.
Wow, you sold the boat. Congrats. Good time to sell. Good luck with your search for the next one.
 
Wow, you sold the boat. Congrats. Good time to sell. Good luck with your search for the next one.

Fortunately/unfortunately it sold in June, just as Floridians decided to have covid parties!

Since there isn't a single boat on market today we "have to have" were waiting it out, we have several brands\models were looking at but we have seen everything were interested in locally the rest are all in FL.
 
Fortunately/unfortunately it sold in June, just as Floridians decided to have covid parties!

Since there isn't a single boat on market today we "have to have" were waiting it out, we have several brands\models were looking at but we have seen everything were interested in locally the rest are all in FL.
What types and brand boats are you thinking?
 
Thank you for the great info.
I will be looking it over and making plans over the winter.
Hope everything opens up and this damn virus goes away.
 
Another place to tag onto Alex's list, he briefly mentioned the Elizabeth Islands. There are really only two spots to go on the Elizabeth's for an overnight, Hadley Harbor and Cuttyhunk.

While I love Hadley and would suggest it if you have lots of time, its a beautiful harbor but you can only go ashore to one tiny tick infested island that separates the inside and outside harbors, the rest is all private.

I would not skip Cuttyhunk unless your very pressed for time. You only need one day in Cuttyhunk but its like stepping back in time. No cars, no hotels, only a couple of "restaurants". Restaurants is quoted because your actually eating in someones back yard or driveway and they only open 2-3 nights a week!

Up until two years ago they still operated a one room schoolhouse, but the last kid went to high school on the mainland.

Take a walk up the hill with the beautiful stone walls leading up the hill to nowhere but is an awesome view on a clear day.

In the early evening a raw bar boat comes around to serve fresh oysters (raised on the island), crab, shrimp, clams etc.

There are one or two places on the dock that will steam a lobster for you, pay in afternoon and pickup when ready usually about half an hour after raw bar boat is done with their rounds - just in time for dinner.

Moorings on the inner harbor are hard to get on weekends but mid week you can usually get them before noon, DO NOT go outside the channel/mooring area it goes from 10 feet deep to 2 feet deep in a matter of 5 foot distance at the edges.

There is some room to anchor on the inside in the northwest corner, otherwise lots of room and more moorings on the outside that is protected from all but the north/northeast which is super rare in summer.
 

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