I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the 18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24 ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the 18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24 ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j



--
Sheldon Haynie
Texas Instruments
50 Phillipe Cote
Manchester, NH 03101
603 222 8652

On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 11:42:51 -0500, Sheldon Haynie
wrote:

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the 18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24 ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j


Fog is frequent between the Vineyard and Nantucket. It is one of the
places I really am glad to have radar, although I have made the trip
quite a few times without it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have hung a large sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not going to come, you know. ' " -- Terry Eagleton

All points well taken.
Right not we just motor up and down the CT between Holyoke and Hatfield...
(yeah, way up north) and rely on something as simple as a cell phone for and
sudden troubles. I should invest in a VHF I suppose...

-j

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 11:42:51 -0500, Sheldon Haynie
wrote:

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are
the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and
out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the
18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size
for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24
ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j


Fog is frequent between the Vineyard and Nantucket. It is one of the
places I really am glad to have radar, although I have made the trip
quite a few times without it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have hung a large
sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not going to come, you know. '
-- Terry Eagleton

Some thoughts:

I think your personal preferencse for accomodation may indicate the size
boat you want. Almost any sound well handled vessel can work those
waters. In grade school I sailed there in a 12 cat boat and fished in a
16' outboard. It gets bouncy and exciting if you don't pay attention to
the weather, but that's true regardless.

Do you want a dry warm steering position, or just fully protected from
spray, or will a little spindrift be OK sometimes? Sun protection? Want
to be able to fully enclose the cockpit with isenglass for rainy days at
anchor? BBQ? How much of a head do you want? Basin? Shower? On board
water tanks or just some jugs? How much storage? Large comfy bed for
overnighters? Icebox or just a cooler? Multiburner stove or just a
gimbaled burner? How many in-laws and such do you want to carry at once?

And, as mentioned above, do you want to mount radar (plan on spending a
bit of time learning how to make it work and how to read it)? If you
plan to ever anchor, you'll want a useable foredeck, not one of those
sloping skidplates lately popular.

A larger boat that you enjoy staying on may pay back some added costs in
saved hotel fees as well as providing more dignified travel.

Rufus

Some thoughts:

I think your personal preferencse for accomodation may indicate the size
boat you want. Almost any sound well handled vessel can work those
waters. In grade school I sailed there in a 12 cat boat and fished in a
16' outboard. It gets bouncy and exciting if you don't pay attention to
the weather, but that's true regardless.

Do you want a dry warm steering position, or just fully protected from
spray, or will a little spindrift be OK sometimes? Sun protection? Want
to be able to fully enclose the cockpit with isenglass for rainy days at
anchor? BBQ? How much of a head do you want? Basin? Shower? On board
water tanks or just some jugs? How much storage? Large comfy bed for
overnighters? Icebox or just a cooler? Multiburner stove or just a
gimbaled burner? How many in-laws and such do you want to carry at once?

And, as mentioned above, do you want to mount radar (plan on spending a
bit of time learning how to make it work and how to read it)? If you
plan to ever anchor, you'll want a useable foredeck, not one of those
sloping skidplates lately popular.

A larger boat that you enjoy staying on may pay back some added costs in
saved hotel fees as well as providing more dignified travel.

Rufus

All points well taken.
Right not we just motor up and down the CT between Holyoke and Hatfield...
(yeah, way up north) and rely on something as simple as a cell phone for and
sudden troubles. I should invest in a VHF I suppose...

-j

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 11:42:51 -0500, Sheldon Haynie
wrote:

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are
the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and
out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the
18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size
for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24
ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j


Fog is frequent between the Vineyard and Nantucket. It is one of the
places I really am glad to have radar, although I have made the trip
quite a few times without it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have hung a large
sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not going to come, you know. '
-- Terry Eagleton

On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 11:42:51 -0500, Sheldon Haynie
wrote:

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the 18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24 ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j


Fog is frequent between the Vineyard and Nantucket. It is one of the
places I really am glad to have radar, although I have made the trip
quite a few times without it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have hung a large sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not going to come, you know. ' " -- Terry Eagleton

Jay, you are talking about very heavily traveled water.. People have
rowed/paddle/windsurfed back and forth across Vineyard Sound.

More Important that boat size, is how well equipped and trained you are the
boat are.

You WILL need:

all USCG safety equipment
VHF radio with good antenna
VHF portable independent of boat electrical system
secondary fuel supply (spare 5 gals is sufficient ? )

The chop can be handled by adjusting speed or by staying in port when the
waves kick up.


On 2/1/04 3:10 PM, in article , "jay"
wrote:

I am interesting in checking out the lower half of the Ct River, and out
towards Nantucket/The Vineyard.. I have no plans to try this on the 18' I
have now, but what would anyone recommend for a good "sea worthy" size for a
boat to stand up to the chop?
Right now I'm looking at upgrading to a Sea Ray sun Deck (260 horse, 24 ft.,
50gal gas tank) thinking that that might be something that can be used
around the Islands/The Cape...

-j



--
Sheldon Haynie
Texas Instruments
50 Phillipe Cote
Manchester, NH 03101
603 222 8652