Block Island to Noank, then on to Old Lyme, Connecticut - Post 7

Going north earlier this season it was easier to get a favorable weather window to sail from Cape May to Block Island as the prevailing winds are from the south. Monitoring the weather while we were on Block Island, it was apparent that it would be very difficult to get a two-day weather window with northerly winds to allow us a straight sail to Cape May. 

We would have to break up the sail and stage in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. To get to Sandy Hook from Block Island we had two choices, “outside” (in the Atlantic) or “inside” through Long Island Sound. The outside route, while more direct, requires a specific weather window and offers limited options if the weather deteriorates. We decided to take the Long Island Sound route and see some of this beautiful part of the New England coast. 

So out came Eldridge and we started studying the tides and currents. We picked Noank, Connecticut as our first destination. We looked at the charts and timed our entry into the Sound through Lords Passage. Lords Passage is north of The Race and offers a straighter shot to Noank. Additionally, the currents are not as strong as at The Race where they frequently reach over four knots (7.5 km/hr).

Cottage, Noank, Connecticut

We timed it right, got through Lords Passage uneventfully and got a mooring at Noank Shipyard. We had deflated our dinghy for the short passage from Block Island and we were pleased to find out that the marina offered a launch service. We got Rosalind squared away and took the launch to shore. Noank is a quaint low-key seaside community a few miles from the busy Mystic Seaport. We enjoyed walking around town, saw the 100+ year old general store and had lunch Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, a classic New England lobster pound restaurant started in 1947.

Buoys and Gulls Outhouse
Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Connecticut

Back on Rosalind, we studied Eldridge and worked out our departure time for the next morning. Our next destination was Old Lyme, Connecticut.

The sailing distance from Noank to Old Lyme was just under 22 nautical miles (42 km). The next morning, we timed the tides to have favorable current in Long Island Sound and up the Connecticut River and had a pleasant trip to Old Lyme. Entering the river, we passed between two breakwaters and waited for the railroad bridge to open; the bridge is normally open to allow commercial and recreational boating to go through but it wasn't for us this time. After crossing the railroad bridge, we passed under Interstate 95 and got a mooring at the Old Lyme Marina, three miles (5.5 km) upriver from Long Island Sound and nestled between the Connecticut shore and Calves Island.

Lynde Point Light on Breakwater

Connecticut River Entrance

Interstate 95 and Railroad Bridges in Background

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Calves Island (on left) and Connecticut Shore (on right)

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Old Lyme Marina has been family owned since 1973 and Glenn, the second generation owner, truly made us feel welcome. The marina offered a launch service so we did not have to inflate our dinghy to get to shore. The marina was conveniently located less than ten minutes by foot from a large supermarket. We provisioned, had nice long hot showers on shore and did laundry. There were no laundry facilities at the marina so we took the local bus and had a pleasant ride through scenic Connecticut byways to nearby East Lyme. We did laundry, had a gluten free pizza for lunch and took the bus back to Old Lyme. We said goodbye to Glenn and thanked him for his hospitality, and then took the launch back to Rosalind. The next morning, early, we planned on catching the tide and getting a favorable current going down Long Island Sound towards New Haven.

Being “Locals” on Block Island - Post 6

One thing led to another and we ended up spending over three weeks on Block Island. The first week we had absolutely spectacular weather, balmy with low humidity. We did have wind and sometimes a little too much of it, but it was pleasant. We did not have to think about air conditioning; however, we did spend a significant amount of time on anchor watch. While there is plenty of room to anchor in the Great Salt Pond, the holding is not the best and boats dragging their anchors was a common occurrence.

Rosalind at Anchor, Great Salt Pond, Block Island

We had family visiting and that was great fun all around. We got our guests out to Rosalind with the dinghy and had a great time showing them how we live onboard and cruise.

Staying more than a few days on Block Island, we learned the lay of the land. We found the supermarket, shore showers at the beach pavilion, and learned all about mail deliveries. We purchased an AIS transponder and had it delivered to the island. It took some sorting out but we finally located the package and spent a day getting it installed. (We will be doing a post just on that shortly.) We also ordered microfiber (polyester) sheets, as we found that anything cotton never dried on board. We used our handcart to carry these heavy packages across the island and we were glad to have brought it with us on the trip. The heavy-duty folding cart worked so well that the mail delivery guy wanted to know all about it.

During our stay, we also rented a scooter for a couple of hours and toured the island. We drove to the south end of the island and looked at the Mohegan Bluffs and to the north end to look at Founder's Rock, where the first settlers landed. We walked on the beach at the north end of the island to see the lighthouse up close and learned a lot about seagulls from the local park ranger.

Lyman Runabout, Payne's Dock, Great Salt Pond, Block Island

After the first week, the weather deteriorated. The inverted Omega weather system that brought torrential rains to the eastern United States hit Block Island and it was wet and windy. A gale was forecast and we moved to a mooring to get a break from the anchor watches. Then we got news that our home's basement flooded. Our neighbors emptied 23 buckets of water (they are amazing friends!) but we knew that we had to go back and deal with this. So we got ferry and train tickets and Cheryl went back while I stayed on Rosalind. A few days later Cheryl was back and we had more family visitors.

Schooner Arriving under Sail, Great Salt Pond, Block Island

We had a great time on Block Island, met some locals and were asked if we had “registered to vote yet”. It’s a fun and unique place. Since over half of the island is under land conservation, construction and population density are controlled. Additionally, since there is only a very limited number of rooms for overnighting, it is, in large part, a day island. Tourists, if they have not arrived on their own boat, generally get there by ferry, rent a bike or moped, and take a ferry back to “America” in the afternoon. So, the island quiets down in the evenings and has a very relaxed feeling. 

We had been on Block Island for three weeks and it was time to start thinking about heading out. So, we started looking at weather windows to start heading back south. September and October are peak months for hurricanes and we wanted to be back in the Chesapeake Bay before hurricane activity intensified. 

Sailing Schooner Eros, Great Salt Pond, Block Island

Bumper Boats in the Night - Post 5

The morning after we arrived, we woke up to see Rosalind surrounded by fog. We were snug at anchor, and being the fifth of July, the anchorage was crowded. We read in our cruising guide that as many as 3,000 boats come to Block Island for Independence Day.

One of our Close Neighbors - They Were to Get Much Closer than that...

After the fog cleared, we inflated our dinghy and went to shore to explore. We found the landing at Payne's Dock and quickly got the impression that Block Island was a small island, as it had a small island slow feel even though it was peak tourist season. 

The temperature was pleasant and the sky clear for our excursion to shore but the weather forecast called for a front to move over Block Island on Friday and Saturday, just two days after our arrival. So, on Thursday, we deployed our second anchor, a Danforth type, on 30 ft (9 m) of chain and 170 ft (50 m) of rode. 

Great Salt Pond, the Evening Before the Blow

The front Friday morning generated winds that gusted to 30 knots (55 km/h) but by midday the weather settled so we went to shore for more exploring before turning in for the night. At about midnight, the wind started whistling in the rigging, gusting to 30 knots (55 km/hr). Within minutes, horns were blasting and the VHF radio was buzzing with calls for help and warnings. There were concerns that a big 90+ ft (27+ m) old steel military tug was drifting. The tug, now privately owned, if loose, would cause tremendous destruction across the anchorage, as no one would have enough power to stop it. Also at the time it was not clear if anyone was aboard the vessel. Maybe, just maybe, the tug had just stretched her chain and was now holding put. Many eyes, including ours, were on her throughout the night.

The Old Steel Military Tug

At the same time, a sailboat drifted on another and the local TowBoatUS provided aid. The anchors of the two boats had gotten tangled and it took some effort to free the two boats and get them to secure locations for the night. Several boats on moorings were also reported drifting, but did not pose any immediate dangers. The TowBoatUS captain had not finished securing the first two boats when a second boat lost its holding and started drifting. This one got tangled with a sailboat just upwind of us and passed within 30 ft (9 m) of us. We were very concerned about both boats, all tangled up, starting to drift down on us. The port captain was called by the tow boat operator and was on his way in another boat to assist. The TowBoatUS captain managed to get the drifting boat under control and relocated it to an empty mooring while the other boat also moved away. The boats closest to us were now the big tug to the northwest, a 38 ft (12 m) motor yacht between us and the big tug, and a 56 ft (17 m) Hatteras motor yacht.

We were almost in the clear...

We had seen the Hatteras motor yacht anchor and I had been concerned about the limited amount of chain they had put out for the depth. While they were anchoring, I mentioned in a polite way that we used a scope of 5:1. This is important to know if you anchor very close to someone because if the scopes are different, the boats will swing differently and could possibly collide. My mention of the scope did not result in any additional chain being let out by the Hatteras captain.

The wind started abating and was now gusting to 20 knots (37 km/h). High tide arrived at 2:29 am. At 2:35 am, the Hatteras started dragging its anchor and moving towards us. At about 2:36 am, while folks around the anchorage were blasting their horns to wake up the captain of the drifting Hatteras motor yacht, I put Rosalind in reverse to lessen the impact of the impending collision. About 5 seconds before the collision, the Hatteras owner showed up on deck wearing a robe! In contrast, we, like most others in the anchorage, had been on watch for hours, monitoring the radio and instruments, and wearing our life preservers. We had our second anchor set since the day before, our engine running since the the wind picked up at midnight, our red deck lights on to increase nighttime visibility, and the AIS, radar and chartplotters running.

The Hatteras that Drifted and Hit Rosalind

The TowBoatUS captain was on the scene just after the Hatteras collided with our anchor rollers and bowsprit. Putting Rosalind in reverse helped and the collision was of limited impact. The TowBoatUS captain used his boat (a large 30 ft or 9 m Rigid Inflatable Boat -RIB) as a wedge and pushed the Hatteras away from us. The Hatteras continued drifting downwind with its anchor chain hanging and it caught our dinghy and did some minor damage to our stern light. The TowBoatUS then directed the Hatteras to a shallow area (an otherwise restricted area) to anchor for the night. We stayed up until first light, and turned in at 4:30 am. 

Minor Damage to Rosalind's Stern Light
(Light Post was Easily Straightened)

The captain of the Hatteras never even stopped by to check on the damage he caused or to apologize for the collision. He just left Block Island.

It took us a couple of days to recover from that adventure. We had to check Rosalind for damage and get some much needed rest. Cruising allows us to see new and exciting places, meet fascinating people, and get very close to nature. All this is amazing, but sometimes things can get a little crazy.