New Member from New England

[Aequitas]

Glad to be aboard this forum. My wife and I have been cruising the waters from LI Sound to Maine for the past 15 years aboard our 1980 Grand Banks 36 classic. Looking to move to a slightly larger and newer vessel with less maintenance and a little more speed when needed. Our leading candidates at this time are the Nordic Tug 37 with flybridge or the Helmsman Pilothouse 38. We like the stairway to the flybridge on the Helmsman, so we're leaning that way (easier for our dog to climb). I hope I can pick up some good ideas on the forum!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[Billyfeet]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Mrbill]

Great looking forward to you contribution.

 

[AnnapolisJim]

Maybe you can help being you are experienced cruisers in the New England area. My wife and I are leaving Annapolis 1st week of August to head to Maine and have never done this area so we are looking for suggestions. We also have a GB 36. Once leaving Cape Cod Canal, what ports do you suggest to use as daily stopping ports to get as quickly up to the Penobscot Bay area? Being you are GB 36 experienced, you know how average speed. On the way up, we are not really interested in sight seeing too much which we hope to do on the way back. Many thanks for your time.

 

[Fish53]

Penbay

Hi, I used to fish down off the cape and traveled back and forth to Penobscot bay frequently. My boat averaged 7kts and I used to make the trip in one day with one crewmember aboard. Portland would be a good mid-point for an overnight and fuel, sorry I can't suggest dockage or marinas as I always used the Portland fish exchange when I was there. I have a mooring in Rockport Maine, 6000# stone and new chain that held my 50,000# commercial trawler fine, if I don't get my boat overboard soon you could use that for a day or two, PM me if interested. Good luck.

 

[AnnapolisJim]

Fish53--thanks for the advice. I may take you up on that offer to use your mooring in Rockport for a day or so being moorings this time of year are hard to come by. We'll keep in touch. Many thanks, AnnapolisJim

 

[No Mast]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[FlyWright]

Our leading candidates at this time are the Nordic Tug 37 with flybridge or the Helmsman Pilothouse 38. We like the stairway to the flybridge on the Helmsman, so we're leaning that way (easier for our dog to climb). I hope I can pick up some good ideas on the forum!

First, welcome to the forum! Lots of GB and NT owners in these waters.

One of our members, Windmist, owned a Helmsman 38 PH and upgraded recently to a NT42. He'd be a good guy to talk to about the two models. He's currently enjoying his boat on a cruise in Alaskan waters.

Both are great boats. I was very impressed with the quality and layout on his 38PH.

 

[roger howell]

Hi,
We own a GB36 and have just returned from our fourth trip to the Bahamas and back to Maine. We allow 2 weeks from the Chesapeake to Portland, for weather and sanity. We stop at Chesapeake or Delaware City, Cape May for fuel, Atlantic City and Manasquan NJ, Great Kills or Manhasset Bay depending on the tides in Help Gate, Milford and Old Saybrook CT, Newport, New Bedford for fuel at Sea Fuels, Gloucester or Annisquam, Portsmouth or Isle of Shoals, Portland, and Tenants Harbor. You are now in Penobscot Bay with fuel at Journeys End Marina in Rockland. Longer days will mean fewer stops. Active Captain is your friend.
Have a good trip.
Roger

 

[AnnapolisJim]

Roger--many thanks for the itinerary. This will help a lot....even the fuel stops you suggested. We are looking fwd getting underway.
Many thanks....greatly appreciated.
Jim

 

[yachtbrokerguy]

Fog, fog, and maybe some more fog. If you are cruising that area get ready for fog and change your plans accordingly. If you get caught in fog you might try to call on the radio (on low power) to boats in your vicinity that are more familiar with the waters and running in fog that are headed the same way. However you might consider changing your destination if you can follow a local who runs the same speed as you.
If you wake up to fog, often you can wait it out as the sun might burn it off. Change your plans accordingly.
I grew up in Massachusetts and ran a whale watch boat out of Boston and would run at 20 knots with limited visibility, and 200 passengers on board, but was used to it.

 

[Fish53]

Among the many issues with fog up here one to consider is lobster traps, there is the highest concentration of lobster gear in the state from Boothbay to Downeast Maine. I don't mean just a trap here and there either. Not to bad in daylight but after dark is another story.

 

[AnnapolisJim]

Thanks--I'm packing my dive gear just for that reason with full wet suit.

 

[Daveo]

On your route we have enjoyed stops at York, Portland and Damariscove. We have mostly cruised Downeast in September though, less crowded. In Eastport right now, ashore. Have hardly seen the sun for the fog in three days. Watch those pots!

 

[Fish53]

Dive gear is a good idea, except I've seen White sharks almost every trip out tuna fishing. Hooked one two years ago ten feet long.

 

[DavidM]

AnnapolisJim:


I have done that trip 3-4 times on a 5.5-6.5 kt boats. If you leave Onset on a favorable current, you can make Marblehead in one long day and pick up a mooring there (expensive). Otherwise stop in Scituate about half way (again a mooring).


Then from Marblehead you can make a short hop to Gloucester and pick up a mooring or anchor. From Gloucester you can head up the Annisquam River then up the coast to Portland which is a nice marina overnight stop, or anchor at Jewell Island.


You can leave from Marblehead but then stop at Biddeford Pool and pick up a mooring inside or anchor outside of the pool, again a long day. Then on to Portland or Jewell the next day. The Isle of Shoals is another alternative to Biddeford and makes it a somewhat shorter day from Marblehead..


David

 

[DavidM]

Aequitas:


Seriously consider a non flybridge "trawler" like the Nordic Tug or at the least a flybridge trawler with a useable, ie permanent helm seat, lower helm. Here in the NE you are boating in cooler, sometimes windier and rougher weather and you will prefer the lower helm.

We cruise LI Sound from the Connecticut River to the Vinyard on our Mainship Pilot 34, a downeaster style, and only miss a flybridge maybe one day out of ten and only in the summer months. And in ten days of cruising there will be one or two days that we would be absolutely miserable up on a flybridge.


David

 

[CaptTom]

There are lots of options on where to stop, depending on your endurance. Way too many to list them all. Use Active Captain and you'll be fine.

At 5-7 knots, fog doesn't have to change your plans. In all but the thickest fog you should be able to see other boats and lobster buoys in time at that speed. Have and use radar and VHF, and keep a good lookout. I check the range rings on the radar when a buoy or boat pops out of the fog to estimate the visibility. 1/4 mile isn't bad at all. Half that requires extra vigilance. Below that you have to decide whether to continue on or find a place to wait it out.

I run from the flybridge all the time, but I have a full enclosure. I like the visibility, and it's quieter than the lower helm.

 

[caltexflanc]

AnnapolisJim:


I have done that trip 3-4 times on a 5.5-6.5 kt boats. If you leave Onset on a favorable current, you can make Marblehead in one long day and pick up a mooring there (expensive). Otherwise stop in Scituate about half way (again a mooring).


Then from Marblehead you can make a short hop to Gloucester and pick up a mooring or anchor. From Gloucester you can head up the Annisquam River then up the coast to Portland which is a nice marina overnight stop, or anchor at Jewell Island.


You can leave from Marblehead but then stop at Biddeford Pool and pick up a mooring inside or anchor outside of the pool, again a long day. Then on to Portland or Jewell the next day. The Isle of Shoals is another alternative to Biddeford and makes it a somewhat shorter day from Marblehead..


David

I like this selection. One could combine it with the marina hopping plan described by roger howell to mix things up. There are also so many more options and worthwhile side trips.

To roger howell's post I would add Atlantic Highlands NJ as a necessary topping off spot for fuel, clean and cheap. Also has a good pump out.

The Waterway Guide North edition is a very handy and easy to use reference piece and their site has good current fuel pricing info.

Fuel Pricing - Delaware & Chesapeake Bays | Waterway Guide

http://www.waterwayguide.com/shipstore/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=216

 

[AnnapolisJim]

Many thanks to all of you guys for the valued information to assist us on our cruise north.

 

[Roughin'it]

Welcome Aboard