CONNECTICUT RIVER

Another challenging day. The weather forecast was not ideal with winds of 15-20 knots with 1-2 foot waves predicted, but we decided that since the wind would be from the North, we could sneak up the north side of Long Island Sound and be in the lee of Connecticut the whole way so even if it was windy, we wouldn’t have the waves to deal with. We also wanted to get through New York Harbor before the Memorial Day weekend started. That’s the start of the boating season around here and we were afraid it would be crowded with weekend boaters who don’t always comply with the rules of navigation. Lastly, it looked like we would have good tidal flow getting through Hell Gate, a narrow part of the East River which can have extremely strong currents to fight if the tide is against you.

NYC skyline from the harbor

We left Great Kills Basin around 7:30 AM and managed (for the second time - the first time was when we brought our previous boat down from RI) to get through New York Harbor without being stopped and inspected by any law enforcement organization. Ever since 9/11, they have routinely stopped recreational boaters in the harbor, and there are eight different law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction there. We saw a few, but, luckily, didn’t get boarded.

Even with the strong winds, the water through the harbor was reasonably calm, except for the wakes of all the ferries barreling through. Even east of the harbor, the water was okay until we got out into Long Island Sound. The wind had shifted to the southwest, unlike the forecasted north wind.

East River bridges

This meant that the wind had more and more time to build up waves the further we travelled east. By early afternoon the waves were 2-3 feet high and the winds were pretty steady at around 15-20 knots. Since the wind was essentially at our back and the waves were coming from behind us (a “following” sea), it was still tolerable. The waves were coming at an angle to our stern (quartering) so they gave us a boost and increased our speed a bit. As the afternoon wore on, the wind got stronger and the waves got bigger. The boost to our speed now came from surfing the waves which, although fun, requires a bit more effort in positioning the boat on the wave and keeping it in the right place.

Waterfront property

For anyone who has surfed, or whitewater kayaked or paddled an outrigger canoe, the feeling of getting picked  up by a wave is unmistakable. I was able to get “rides” on the waves that would last two or three minutes before I would drop the wave and pick up another one. When I wasn’t surfing, my speed was about 11.5 knots, but when I caught a wave, it would quickly accelerate to 14 to 15 knots or more, all while I was trying to control  the wheel and keep the boat going in the right direction. Our boat actually surfs quite well for something 34 feet long, weighing over 16,000 pounds, but when we finally got to the breakwater and saw the lighthouse at our destination, we were relieved to get into calm water.

Connecticut River breakwater

We are moored in the North Cove Basin of the Connecticut River, on a free mooring provided by the boating community here. I was glad to see the moorage, although we could have anchored out. The wind is still very strong, and forecast to hit over 30 knots tonight, so I will be able to sleep without having to keep one eye open to make sure we don’t drag our anchor.

Tomorrow we will head into Narraganset Bay, Rhode Island and stay at the Barrington Yacht Club a couple of nights while visiting a very good friend from way back in medical school. I am looking forward to the weekend…

One more beautiful sunset on the water