I'm about to buy a 32 foot, 4 foot draft, boat in Patchogue, New York and
will need to get it back to Maine in the spring. I'd like to use the
opportunity to explore some of the inside passages of this area. The Coast
Pilot mentions frequent shoaling and some of the bascule bridge listings on
the chart look tight for a sailboat.

I'd like to make contact with someone who is familiar with these waters to
determine the feasibility of some of the routes.

--

Roger Long

go offshore from the Verezonno Bridge to Montauk. If that is too much for you
and your crew, go up the East River and out Long Island Sound, which has
hundreds of safe anchorages.

From: "Roger Long"
Date: 11/19/2004 6:20 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I'm about to buy a 32 foot, 4 foot draft, boat in Patchogue, New York and
will need to get it back to Maine in the spring. I'd like to use the
opportunity to explore some of the inside passages of this area. The Coast
Pilot mentions frequent shoaling and some of the bascule bridge listings on
the chart look tight for a sailboat.

I'd like to make contact with someone who is familiar with these waters to
determine the feasibility of some of the routes.

--

Roger Long

That's easy to do but I want to see a lot of the interesting looking areas
inside the islands.

What I don't want to do is get miles down the intricate channels and then
find out that the only route has shoaled over in the channel so that only an
outboard can go through or that one of the bascule bridge channels has
shoaled so that you can't get a sailboat over to the side where there is
clearance for the mast.

--

Roger Long



"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
go offshore from the Verezonno Bridge to Montauk. If that is too much for
you
and your crew, go up the East River and out Long Island Sound, which has
hundreds of safe anchorages.

LIS is lots more interesting, and the South Shore harbor entrances can become
real nasty in F-4 or F-5 winds. Lots of shallow water there as well. There is
a reason there are few sailboats on the South Shore.

If you don't want to do LIS, try Greenport, Sag Harbor, Coecles Harbor, Derring
Harbor, Block Island, Montauk and a whole bunch of places on the eastern end of
LI.

That's easy to do but I want to see a lot of the interesting looking areas
inside the islands.

What I don't want to do is get miles down the intricate channels and then
find out that the only route has shoaled over in the channel so that only an
outboard can go through or that one of the bascule bridge channels has
shoaled so that you can't get a sailboat over to the side where there is
clearance for the mast.

--

Roger Long



"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
go offshore from the Verezonno Bridge to Montauk. If that is too much for
you
and your crew, go up the East River and out Long Island Sound, which has
hundreds of safe anchorages.

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:35:06 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

That's easy to do but I want to see a lot of the interesting looking areas
inside the islands.

What I don't want to do is get miles down the intricate channels and then
find out that the only route has shoaled over in the channel so that only an
outboard can go through or that one of the bascule bridge channels has
shoaled so that you can't get a sailboat over to the side where there is
clearance for the mast.


A lot of that water is very thin. Since I draw 7 feet, I have never
taken our boat inside. I did drive a friend's Gulfstar 37 into Fire
Island inlet once. THat is about 4-ft draft, and we didn't hit
anything.

However, I realized afterward why he asked Barb and me to come that
day. He didn't want to face that himself.

I remember running aground in a Hobie 18 with the boards up once in
Great South Bay. I think that draws about 6 inches.

Shoaling in bascule channels usually appears in the Local Notices, but
I don't suppose anyone guarantees that.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC

Let's Put the XXX back in Xmas

I used to live in Bay Shore and thoroughly enjoyed the bays in a
32-footer that drew 3 feet. There are some really nifty places to
explore -- Sunken Forest at Sailor's Haven on Fire Island, and many
other Fire Island towns. With 4 feet you'll have to be more than
judicious and VERY motivated to do it, but by watching the channels
and timing your travel to the tides, you should be OK. You WILL
ground, but usually in soft sand. One trick, at least for seeing the
Fire Island towns, is to come in the Fire Island Inlet (slack tide is
best!), make your way to a berth in one of the Fire Island towns, and
use the water taxi service or the ferries that regularly cross the bay
from the mainland (Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue all have ferries
going to the different towns) to see the sights, such as they are.
BTW, the ferries are big boats that all draw at least 3 or 4, maybe 5
feet. They stay in the channels.

Further East, the bays get VERY shoal, and only local knowledge will
get you through. Moriches Inlet is used by locals, but is
treacherously shoal; ditto for Shinnecock. Nonetheless, local sports
fishing guys use them routinely, because they know the shifts, which
are frequent. All of this being said, I haven't been boating there in
several years, ahving moved to Atlanta 25 years ago. Last time I was
out on the bay I was eastbound from Lindenhurst to Bay shore in a 36
foot Chris Craft, and fetched bottom twice. No harm done, beyond my
ego and a little fragility added to my friendship with the guy whose
boat I was using.

Plan well and go for it. Then go thru the Shinnecock canal (much
argument here if there's a lock or a gate; if you go, please edify us
all) up into the Peconics. Stay in Sag Harbor for a little while, go
around to Greenport for a couple days, and anchor in Deering or
Coecles Harbor and rent a bike on Shelter Island. From there run out
to Montauk, thence to Block Island. All really great places.

Also, for an unusual cruising break: if you stay over on Fire Island,
ferry over to the mainland and take the Long Island Railroad into
Manhattan for dinner and a show. An hour and a half each way, but
what a neat juxtaposition to a cruise. We used to stay at Atlantique
on Fire Island from Thursday night until Monday night during the
summer months, and I'd commute to my office in New York on Friday
mornings while my wife and kids enjoyed the beach.

It's skinny water, but not too skinny for 4 feet.

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 23:20:45 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I'm about to buy a 32 foot, 4 foot draft, boat in Patchogue, New York and
will need to get it back to Maine in the spring. I'd like to use the
opportunity to explore some of the inside passages of this area. The Coast
Pilot mentions frequent shoaling and some of the bascule bridge listings on
the chart look tight for a sailboat.

I'd like to make contact with someone who is familiar with these waters to
determine the feasibility of some of the routes.

--

Roger Long

I took a 41' boat (59' mast clearance, 4' 6" draft) from Bayshore to Maine
last spring. I looked at the inshore route, but my decision was made by a
low bridge up near Shinnecock Inlet. You should check that out. What is your
mast height? I can check my charts, but they are aboard, so it will be a few
days.
There is also a canal from Shinnecock (sp?) Inlet into Great Peconic Bay,
but it has some very low bridges that would require you un-stepping your
mast. I understand there are mast cranes at either end, but never considered
it.
We left Bayshore (actually the Fire Island Boat Basin) about 8 am and
motorsailed to Block Island, arriving about midnight, after dodging
thunderstorms around Montauk Point.
Getting from Bayshore to the Fire Island Inlet was all I wanted to
experience of the inshore route, as it is extremely shallow, with shifting
banks. My recommendation is outside.



"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I'm about to buy a 32 foot, 4 foot draft, boat in Patchogue, New York and
will need to get it back to Maine in the spring. I'd like to use the
opportunity to explore some of the inside passages of this area. The
Coast
Pilot mentions frequent shoaling and some of the bascule bridge listings
on
the chart look tight for a sailboat.

I'd like to make contact with someone who is familiar with these waters to
determine the feasibility of some of the routes.

--

Roger Long