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 Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:39:30 GMT, (Mindprobe)
wrote:

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.

==========================

Been there. It's a lock.

yup, according to idiots, civil service employees and local chambers of
commerce.

nope, according to the CG and Corps of Engineers.

take your choice. Idiots on one side, professionals on the other.

From: Wayne.B
Date: 11/22/2004 11:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:39:30 GMT, (Mindprobe)
wrote:

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.

==========================

Been there. It's a lock.

JAXAshby wrote:
yup, according to idiots, civil service employees and local chambers of
commerce.

The "civil servant" being the lock tender. Sure jaxie, there's no
reason why he would know.


nope, according to the CG and Corps of Engineers.

This is an outright lie. There is no mention of the facility on either
of their web sites. The Corps of Engineers did not build the facility,
not do they manage it.

On the other hand, the Coast Pilot describes the locks and gates in
detail. And NOAA describes the current flow in their tide tables.

So who do you believe, the "professionals" that jaxie claims told him
about this, of the ones that publish the data?




take your choice. Idiots on one side, professionals on the other.


From: Wayne.B
Date: 11/22/2004 11:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:39:30 GMT, (Mindprobe)
wrote:


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.

==========================

Been there. It's a lock.

yup, according to idiots, civil service employees and local chambers of
commerce.

The "civil servant" being the lock tender. Sure jaxie, there's no
reason why he would know.

he is not paid to know anything but when to close the gate. just like a city
bus driver is not paid to know anything about engines but when to make the next
stop.

(JAXAshby) wrote in message ...
Been there. It's a lock.

Been there. It's a gate.

The difference is I know the difference.

Check this out,
http://www.boatli.org/locks.htm

They say it's a lock

http://www.town.southampton.ny.us/about.ihtml

The town says it's a lock

http://www.history.rochester.edu/can...06/Chap12.html

This history book says it's a lock and gives the size

The locks to be 22 feet wide, and 90 feet long between gates. . . .

http://www.americancanals.org/progress.htm

And of course the American Canal Organization says it's a lock and
they might have some experience at this.

I found many more references that say it's a lock and did not find one
that said it's a gate.
So I would say that if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and
looks like a duck, it might just be a duck.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

try the Corps of Engs and the CG, and ask for the defintion of a "lock" as to
function, and then the definition of a "gate" as to function.

of course, to Lunnies, it is made of green cheese.

geesh, guys. the damned thing is open most of the time and often is not closed
at all for extended periods of time. go down there and watch the frickin'
water flow **IN**to Peconic Bay (because the damned gate is not closed) and
then **OUT** to Hampton Bay (because that is the way it is supposed to work and
then **IN**to Peconic ....

From: (Robert Gainer)
Date: 11/24/2004 4:54 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

(JAXAshby) wrote in message
...
Been there. It's a lock.

Been there. It's a gate.

The difference is I know the difference.

Check this out,
http://www.boatli.org/locks.htm

They say it's a lock

http://www.town.southampton.ny.us/about.ihtml

The town says it's a lock

http://www.history.rochester.edu/can...06/Chap12.html

This history book says it's a lock and gives the size

The locks to be 22 feet wide, and 90 feet long between gates. . . .

http://www.americancanals.org/progress.htm

And of course the American Canal Organization says it's a lock and
they might have some experience at this.

I found many more references that say it's a lock and did not find one
that said it's a gate.
So I would say that if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and
looks like a duck, it might just be a duck.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

JAXAshby wrote:
try the Corps of Engs and the CG, and ask for the defintion of a "lock" as to
function, and then the definition of a "gate" as to function.

You still trying to beat up this poor dead horse?
No one really gives a rat's patoot if YOU don't consider it a lock.
First off, your knowledge of anything "maritime" is purely basic and
surface skimming. Secondly, considering "first off", if some people wish
to call it a lock, in disagreement to you're nonsense, what do you care?
As for the CG and corp...... well, only you would call them useless
incompetents in one thread, then "experts" in another.
Do us all a favor, Doodles. Go cuddle up with your teddybear and
hibernate for the winter.

otn

over the knee *finally* tells one and all that his posts over the years have no
value except as beer drinking conversation thusly:

From: otnmbrd
Date: 11/24/2004 8:20 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: . net

JAXAshby wrote:
try the Corps of Engs and the CG, and ask for the defintion of a "lock" as
to
function, and then the definition of a "gate" as to function.

You still trying to beat up this poor dead horse?
No one really gives a rat's patoot if YOU don't consider it a lock.
First off, your knowledge of anything "maritime" is purely basic and
surface skimming. Secondly, considering "first off", if some people wish
to call it a lock, in disagreement to you're nonsense, what do you care?
As for the CG and corp...... well, only you would call them useless
incompetents in one thread, then "experts" in another.
Do us all a favor, Doodles. Go cuddle up with your teddybear and
hibernate for the winter.

otn

Subject: Southern Long Island Bays Local Knowledge
From:

Doodles *finally* tells one and all that his post over the years have no value
even as drinking conversation thusly:


over the knee *finally* tells one and all that his posts over the years have
no
value except as beer drinking conversation thusly:


Shen