I agree with Roger and Charlie -- Three years ago we took Itchen from the
Chesapeake up North (down East?) to Deer I. in late July - early August and
then back home from Yarmouth/Royal River in early-mid October. The Long
Island Sound to Cape Cod Canal segment in July was memorable for crowded
(really really crowded) anchorages, thick morning fog and bouncing around in
weekend warrior powerboat wakes. Block Island's Great Salt Pond was
memorably parked-up, with a boisterous and friendly party-scene.

Coming back in October was like stepping back thirty or forty years. In
Hadley Harbor we were the only transient boat and even Newport had a dozen
or two unoccupied moorings. With modern weather forecasting it was easy to
wait-out a couple of nasty frontal passages and then have nice fast reaches
and a memorable crystal-clear starry night run from Newport to Mamaroneck.

The only caveat in planning to charter that time of year would be the
impossibility of knowing for sure that a one week charter would coincide
with mostly nice weather. October (and some years even November) is a time
of year for relaxed cruising-mode on a schedule which can adapt to bad
weather by laying-over for a day or two in an anchorage or marina dock
somewhere that you'd enjoy exploring on foot! Lot's to see and do between
Newport and Bristol and Providence if the weather is uncooperative.

Scott Odell


"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
NE Sailboat wrote:

While it can be nice if the weather ( Indian Summer ) is good, I
wouldn't want to bet an expensive vacation on it.

Aside from being cool, it's probably a better bet and ultimately safer
than betting against the summer thunderstorms (which can kill you even if
you do everything right) and fog. SNIP The hurricane could easily have
come in August.

The last two weeks of September and the first two of October have always
been the best weather window to plan on here in Maine SNIP
I would still bet more confidently on fall than summer for a good
week.
Roger Long