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Old 09-30-2022, 04:54 PM   #21
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The tide will have a significant impact on your SOG - consult your Chapman’s
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Old 09-30-2022, 06:34 PM   #22
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Buy this year's Eldridge for $18 - you'll save a load of fuel if you time your arrival at The Race to suit the tides. Timed correctly, you should be able to ride an ebb tide to the Race and then an incoming tide from the Race westwards.
If you stay in the middle of the Sound, you shouldn't encounter any pots, but bear in mind, although lobsters are no longer there, they do fish for conch using similar pots with associated floats.
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Old 10-01-2022, 06:09 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by Stonechamps View Post
"How should I know, Just head for the dark part"
Came up the Delaware overnight a couple months ago. The 'dark parts' were commercial ships running the channel. Surprising how difficult they were to see amongst all the shore lights. Very glad for radar and AIS.
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Old 10-01-2022, 06:53 AM   #24
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Similarly don’t worry about timing the LI Sound tides. 6h it’s with you but 6h against. Worry more about daylight this time of year and hitting places while they’re still open.
Somewhat true, but only if you are running for 12 hours. Most like to take advantage of the tides during a 6-8 hour day. Also, there are some places, like the Race, where you really don't want to fight the tide, but other places as well could be a couple knots worth. Not critical, but worth looking at especially at slow speeds.
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Old 10-01-2022, 07:25 AM   #25
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Been sailing LI Sound for over 60 years.
Lobster pots are not an issue as for the most part they are no existent.

Best to plan your trip to coincide with tide. You want to catch the flood either thru Watch Hill Passage or the "The Race". If unfamiliar with the passage, only take Watch Hill Passage in daylight. Lights at night can be confusing otherwise.
The "Race" is the clearest and easiest. You have 2 major lighthouses and a powerful RACON on G-11 which sits between the 2 lighthouses.
From there it is a clear shot down the sound with numerous 'MO-A' buoys to follow all the way to Strafford Shoals lighthouse. Plenty of water. If you suspect any weather, the CT shore offers more places to 'duck-in'. Prevailing wind is usually SW.
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Old 10-01-2022, 07:59 AM   #26
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Guess you definition of slow changes with the boat. For over 3 decades had sail. Now have SD. It’s a total joy to be able to ignore tides to some extent. Still suck at docking so pay attention to currents then. But otherwise c/w sail not so much. During the fall there’s still junk in the water. Up here more floating debris. Also a lot of winter sticks in harbors. At low light angles the tied together empty plastic gallon containers people use to mark traps are less visible. Often discolored, faded or abandoned so even less visible. Find I’m more concerned about seeing stuff than in the summer. In the ocean I actually prefer night watches to day. But coastal very much prefer to avoid night.
Yes, you’re right in the sailboat timed the tides for the Race. In the current SD hull time the trip for daylight. Especially when there’s less daylight to work with.
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Old 10-01-2022, 08:30 AM   #27
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I have cruised extensively at night. East river and the sound. Before night curing make sure you are familiarly with the area, buoy location, twists and turn. Good track marks make it easier. Its always better to have a feel for the area first, but sometimes it unavoidable.
The east river to the sound is not bad for visibility. There is enough ambient light from the city you can see well enough without anything special. The sound is another matter. Either way you go ( towards ny is worse) the flashing buoy lights get lost in the city landscape. I run with a night vision camera ( Nite Trak ) . I keep this on a dedicated screen. I can see the water in front of the boat and pick out the buoys. The camera is great for picking out running lights on other vessels long before you can see them by eye.



The camera is not a wide pan screen, kinds narrow field of view. But if its not on the screen I cant hit it. This makes it great when passing buoys or debris in the water.
The pictures don't do the camera justice.
In the fist pic you can clearly see the rippled water in front of the boat. Great for finding debris. In the second pic ( moonless night in the ocean 20 miles away from land ) you could still see the horizon , the water in front of the boat, and pick out any boat traffic lights long before i could see them by eye. This was great in conjunction with the full screen radar. I could visually confirm my radar targets since I know where to look in the dark.
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:27 AM   #28
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In October of 2017, I sailed a Gulfstar 44 from Narragansett Bay to just south of Annapolis in Chesapeake Bay.

We left Wickford RI early afternoon, and heavy rains hit, so we found and "borrowed" an empty mooring in the inner waters at Point Judith for few hours.

We woke up around 2am and it was a beautiful night, so we picked up the hook and sailed west down the sound.

That evening we found a small cove on the north shore of Long Island off the town of Manhasset close to the Throgs Neck Bridge and stayed the night, and the following morning timed our passage through Hell's Gate - strong tides and currents - and NYC to Sandy Hook NJ. And then headed south outside the NJ coast.

I've since sold the sailboat and now have the Grand Banks.

Anyway... as others have mentioned... time the tides and currents around Block Island - they are strong.

Also... if cruising at night in Long Island Sound... watch the commercial traffic... especially the tugs towing barges. The tow cable is long - very long - and the visual connection between the tug and the barge is not always easily apparent. Obviously you don't want to get in between the two. There's plenty of room in the Sound to stay clear, just be watchful.

Good luck. Enjoy the trip.
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:32 AM   #29
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+1 on the pots but you still see some. Less once past Pt. Judith. Do try to time the current for a "downhill" ride. Eldridge is your friend.

Rob
Agreed. Along the southern shore you could see a 4-6 Kt differential (2-3 knot current) depending on if you with with or against. Watch the eastern end of L.I. (The race) it can get sporty through there so timing is important.
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:46 AM   #30
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Since buying current boat in the fall of last year have gone Groton Connecticut- east Greenwich RI, east Greenwich to Deltaville Va, Deltaville to Melville RI. Have gone Barrington RI to Norfolk Va 8x on prior sailboat in recent years prior. All trips fall or spring.
As said there’s only two places where timing tides is critical regardless of time of day. Hell gate/east river and the Race. But unlike getting through NYC the Race is a very short time and in a SD hull unlike the sailboat you can easily get through against the current. I don’t have FLIR. I’m willing to spent the money on fuel. If the seasons allow of course will time to avoid traveling against tides. But for me having a good weather window and maximizing time in daylight are also part of the equation. Of course given every SD micro includes tides and currents I do slow down or speed up to time things but no longer feel the need to hit things at slack. I used to buy Eldridge annually but haven’t in decades as it’s no longer necessary imho. Going against the maximal currents you will see at least in my boat you’ll be burning 4.4gph at 7kts SOG. 10gph at 9.8kts. We’ve done the Deltaville-Rhode island trip both ways. The Groton -RI goes past his destination. At 10k average 617g. At 7k 375g best I can tell looking at fuel receipts. Neither time except for NYC paid much attention to tides/currents. Think one of the greatest advantages of SD over FD is the freedom SD gives you. Now with fuel well under $6 have no reluctance to use it. Paid $4.50 with slip discount.
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Old 10-01-2022, 10:46 AM   #31
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Paid $4.65 for Valvetect diesel last week including a 10 cent club discount. Regarding the towing of barges, that is worth noting. Number of years ago, a boat in the Sound came between the tug and the barge and hit the cable and sunk. I think it was at night. Several lives lost if my memory is correct.
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