home is where the boat is: Connecticut & Long Island Sound

Tuesday, October 15 – Saturday, October 19, 2013

Mystic Seaport

We left Point Judith Pond early, and raised our sails later in the morning when the wind filled in for a wonderful afternoon of sailing in Rhode Island Sound. Our destination that night was Mystic—we had been having fun stopping in ports and harbors known for maritime history and traditions, as well as wooden boatbuilding, during our trip. So far we’d had memorable experiences in places such as Brooklin, Gloucester, and Vineyard Haven, and so we were excited to see what Mystic Seaport would offer.

We were also going to welcome aboard our first passenger of the trip—my parents were driving to Mystic as we sailed, and my Dad would leave with us to travel Long Island Sound, Hells Gate & Manhattan, Raritan Bay, and the Jersey Shore to Barnegat Inlet.

We arrived at Mystic and motored up the river to see if we could find a spot to anchor, but the anchorages were congested. We considered going past the bridge towards the Seaport Museum to see if we’d find a spot there, but the sun was setting so we didn’t venture it—and it was a good thing too, because we would have found a spot, but the bridge broke and we heard later that it took a few days to fix. So we went back out the river, passing a couple of lovely boats we’d seen when they visited Northeast Harbor this summer, and headed towards a little cove off of Enders Island, where we found a nice spot protected from the wind. The island was home to a beautiful monastery, and the anchorage was peaceful and inviting.

My parents arrived that night and we spent the next day at the Seaport Museum, where we didn’t have nearly enough time. We kept losing each other, as different displays caught our attention, and could have easily spent days there.

By the next morning we were off, though it was an overcast and damp day. We stopped that night in the Connecticut River, and with the intention of setting ourselves up for an early and easy exit, anchored outside the channel, inside the river. We regretted that later—our anchorage was exposed to the wind and strong current, and we slept horribly because we felt the need to check our position so often.

We left the next morning and headed into the wind and waves, using our engines to power through. In the end we traveled all day, the cabin and boat was a mess from consistently pounding into the water, salt water was everywhere, we were tired, we used lots of fuel, and we barely made any distance. It felt like a wasted day, and we probably should have just stayed put until the wind was more favorable. I wish I could say we learned our lesson that day but we didn’t—there have been times afterwards when weather was once again against us, and it would have been better to wait, but the urge to keep moving and exploring was too strong. It’s happening less and less now, but it still happens.

We finished our grueling day of just a few miles by anchoring in “The Gulf” at Milford, CT. We rowed in to explore and were amazed at how many boats fit into such a small harbor, as well as how shallow the areas just outside the channel were. Lining the channel from the Gulf to the harbor were dozens of people standing waist deep in the water, fishing and chatting.

Anchored in The Gulf.

The next day was our last in Long Island Sound, and we saw more boats out sailing that afternoon than we had during the entire course of our trip that far. As we approached Throggs Neck boats of all sizes sailed about, committee boats hummed back and forth, and Saturday regattas were in full swing. The spinnakers were colorful and the boats were beautiful, and the activity was exciting. The number of boats moving around us proved we were heading south—the season here had not yet ended.

We anchored in Little Neck Bay, nearby a fort designed by Robert E. Lee, and then used by the Union in the Civil War, across from the point that now houses the US Merchant Marine Academy. Though you could already feel the hustle and bustle of the city, where we settled for the night hid the Cross Island Parkway and bridges ahead of us from our view. We went below, pulled out our books, charts and guides, and planned our timing the next morning for passing through the infamous Hells Gate. We decided we’d leave our anchorage at 9:30 the next morning, and at 9:30 our anchor was up and we were underway, ready for New York, New York.

More photos from Connecticut: