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Sailing to Block Island

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5418 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/02/2010 : 21:38:48

While this may not be relevant to most of the forum members, for northeasterners it is a major question.

Block Island is about 13 miles from the mainland. While it is surrounded by the open Atlantic Ocean, the water between Block and Southern RI is referred to as Block Island Sound.

With a boat like the C-25, C-250 or Capri 25, is it advised to make the trip from Point Judith, Watch Hill, New London, Newport or Southeastern Massachusetts to Block Island?

Is this considered coastal cruising?

While it is nothing like sailing from Miami to the Bahamas across the Gulf Stream, and many Californians sail from the OC out to Catalina, open ocean is nothing to mess around with.

Great Lake and Chesepeake sailors probably have a similar situation.

What's the consensus on the safety of sailing to Block?

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2010 : 22:46:57

Piece of cake! Like everything else, pick your weather and watch your tide/current tables, especially around The Race, Fishers Island Sound, and Watch Hill Passage. From the mouth of the Mystic River, with a nice SW breeze, it's about a 4 hour reach. There's no reason for you to go to Point Judith first--that's a little past Block, and the inside at Watch Hill is a little out of the way too, but a nice stopping point.

I will say that "Block Island Sound" is kind of a euphemism--once you're east of Watch Hill, it's the Atlantic. You can tell the difference.

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/03/2010 : 18:36:59

I've sailed 3 times in a 1980 C25 SR/SK from Narragansett Bay out past Newport and Point Judith to Block. Each time we chose good weather on a summer day, and only once did the weather on the way back a few days later let us down. Anchored in Old Harbor each time. Dropping the sails in 10 foot chop outside the breakwater was a challenge, once.

My friend in RI has gone lots of times in this boat. On misty days you are out of sight of land for a while. That's exciting!

Once we followed the chart with only a Boy Scout compass taped to the cockpit bench, but no GPS! That worked fine! But that was before I got my boat and my GPS. I would never do that again! Neither would he.

We had wet suits and an 8' Zodiac dinghy with outboard as emergency equipment.

It's a nice piece of the ocean. You'll love the trip.

Edited by - on

cat30
1st Mate

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Response Posted - 03/04/2010 : 07:01:27

We did the trip a couple times with my at the time 10 year old son. we had left from both form mystic conn. or newport ri. one time it was pretty foggy so it was nice to have gps although if my son hadnt been paying attention to the gps we would have wound up in england. the weather forecast was important but the trips were uneventful and never felt unsafe. one time on the trip back to mystic we had some serious swells but the boat handled that well also. we have stayed on a mooring and at paynes marina.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 03/04/2010 : 07:52:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cat30
 ...if my son hadnt been paying attention to the gps we would have wound up in england.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">More likely Africa.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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5418 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2010 : 20:09:07

So I was checking the charts and I noticed that there is a long point on the north end of Block Island, so if you pass, you'd better be well offshore.

Old harbor looks pretty small and the Salt Pond appears where most of the marinas are.

I hear its very crowded on summer weekends, where they make boats raft up at the moorings.

When 4 boats are rafted on a mooring and the wind shifts, all heck must ensue, NO? It must be total chaos with shifting fenders and tangled rigging, davits and bow sprits!

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2010 : 22:12:39

I haven't seen that, but I avoid 7/4, Race Week, Labor Day, and the big fishing tournaments. Mid-week is much more pleasant. You can check the [url="http://www.blockislandchamber.com/cgi-bin/calendar.pl"]Chamber of Commerce calendar[/url].

I haven't used the mooring field (S/W of the channel)--friends and I generally anchor toward the SE end where it's not too deep. (I can go even shallower now.) My Delta holds very well there.

Anyway, if you raft up on a mooring (one boat on the mooring and the others snugged up to that boat) and the wind shifts, shouldn't the entire raft swing around the mooring--no shifting necessary? Maybe the chance of a keel-wrap would increase... But I'm not aware that they allow rafting up on the public moorings in GSP.

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JohnP
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Response Posted - 03/10/2010 : 07:56:29

Old Harbor is right in town. The place is deserted off season. We have anchored just like in this photo, and left the dinghy on the beach in front of the hotel. Public showers to the left down the street (to the East of the hotel) and a nice breakfast place also there. There are restaurants, bars, stores, and bike/scooter rentals within 4 small blocks of the National Hotel. The porch of the hotel is open as a restaurant & bar, in season. There are quite a few other fun spots around the town.

On summer weekends the anchorage is either crowded or outright crazy. It's a resort, after all. This old harbor scene, viewed from the hotel porch, is the crowded version - not the crazy version on a holiday weekend:

If you have a car or bikes or friends with a car there, then New Harbor - the Salt Pond - is convenient and beautiful. It's something like a mile to town from the other side of the island. But when you're there, who cares how long the walk is? (Maybe a little child would mind.)

I don't know if the marinas have shuttles to the town or not. Dave, do you know?

Edited by - JohnP on 03/10/2010 07:57:56

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2010 : 08:50:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JohnP
 I don't know if the New Harbor (Great Salt Pond) marinas have shuttles to the town or not. Dave, do you know?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Not that I've seen... But you can rent bikes at the marinas, and the walk is easy--maybe a little over a mile from the marina dinghy docks. Biking to the two lighthouses is fun--and pretty good exercise. (You can rent scooters to make it a lot easier.) There's a nice beach just across the road by the SE end of GSP--when you're anchored there, you can hear the Atlantic swells breaking onto the beach at night.

And somebody tell me what it is that bumps against the bottom of my boat at night in GSP.

Edited by - on

SEAN
Admiral

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USA
772 Posts

Response Posted - 03/11/2010 : 15:33:13

Hey Dave ...

whats a good channel to moniter , for shipping or other traffic if its at night and your traveling ?

nice thread ..i would like to make the trip some time ..

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/11/2010 : 18:35:21

Made this trip last Sept on a bus charter, water was calm for trip out and back. Toured the whole island and very impressed. I can see where the Atlantic could come into play real quick. Ate at the hotel pictured, wasn't impressed with that.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/11/2010 : 22:23:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by SEAN
 Hey Dave ... whats a good channel to moniter , for shipping or other traffic if its at night and your traveling ?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">16. Commercial vessels will make Securite' announcements there. I would avoid night travel there... If you have to do it, be aware of the charted shipping lanes in and out of The Narragansett, and watch for ferries between Old Harbor and both Point Judith and New London (a fast ferry). There's also considerable tug-and-tow traffic between Pt. Judith and The Race--know the lights that identify that.

North of Old Harbor is where a Coast Guard tug ran into a ferry last summer. The "investigation" will take a few more years...

Edited by - on

SEAN
Admiral

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USA
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Response Posted - 03/12/2010 : 05:42:02

thanks Dave ,

yea its a long trip for us at some point im sure it will get dark ..
its is pretty busy in those parts ..
i am pretty comfortable with getting to faulkner island in the dark thats about 1/2 way for us.
we would leave after work a couple times on a thursday .. night traveling when its warm and clear out ..is pretty enjoyable

..orient point is nice too ..i would like to go to watch hill again .

yea those high speed ferrys are something ..but the time i get up that way they should be done for the night

thanks for the channel ..i was listening to 68

o by the way last time we were talking about Watch Hills channel ..i was saying how shallow is was ..
can you belive my keel off set on the gps was set the wrong way ..loseing 3 1/2 feet ..
opps live and learn ..lol

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/12/2010 : 09:50:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by SEAN
 ...o by the way last time we were talking about Watch Hills channel ..i was saying how shallow is was ..
can you belive my keel off set on the gps was set the wrong way ..loseing 3 1/2 feet...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I wondered about that--there's plenty of water for bigger boats than yours if you stay in the marked channel... and trouble if you don't.

68 is generally a marina channel. 13 is ship-to-ship and bridge operator channel, generally for harbor operations. 16 is what everyone (including USN, USCG, and commercial ships) uses in open water. All vessels are "required" by the USCG to monitor 16 when they're under way (if their radio is on). Around here, I generally scan 9, 13, and 16.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/12/2010 09:52:44

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5418 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2010 : 15:03:02

Dave,
I give up. <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> ...and somebody tell me what it is that bumps against the bottom of my boat at night in GSP. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> what is it?

This summer is the year for me to venture out to Block, and up to Newport. Thanks for the tip on checking with the Chamber of Commerce too . . .

Edited by - on

ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 03/23/2010 : 07:09:07

Great thread. Made an attempt at Block last summer from E. Greenwich RI, but got socked in by fog in Dutch Harbor where we overnighting on my club's free mooring. Seas were rough the next day and it looked like even the 35'+ sloops were laboring. We sailed the open sea for 40 min or so and scooted into Newport. Cuttyhunk and Block Island are at the top of my cruise list next year. Cuttyhunk seems a bit more desirable to me because it seems a bit less trammeled. From Newport it seems like you have to sail up-wind most of the time to block.

Vern

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/23/2010 : 12:22:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ruachwrights
 ...Cuttyhunk and Block Island are at the top of my cruise list next year. Cuttyhunk seems a bit more desirable to me because it seems a bit less trammeled. From Newport it seems like you have to sail up-wind most of the time to block.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yup--Block seems like an extension of Long Island or a colony of NJ in the summer, and for you, SW-erlies will be on the nose. (Nice reach from here.) Cuttyhunk is a favorite of some friends of mine--I haven't made it over there yet.

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JohnP
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Response Posted - 03/23/2010 : 13:52:57

Once I sailed on my friend's C25 SR/SK out of East Greenwich, RI to Cuttyhunk. It's just a day sail to the east of Block Island or Newport, and it has a good harbor with moorings, but little protection. Cuttyhunk is a nice stop-over on boats like ours, but it is a very quiet, small town. I don't think we ate at a restaurant there.

It's only a short hop over to to Martha's Vineyard from there, but you have to navigate around the next island in the chain to get to a good channel. The lobsters in Menemsha, MV, though, are out of this world!

Happy sailing!

Edited by - on

hinmo
Navigator

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USA
248 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2010 : 01:00:25

Cuttyhunk's a great destination. I have overnighted many a eve in my power boats. I must say, maybe I am getting old, but unless you have a large boat with generator, or are a real good sleeper, it can be noisy in a harbor where everyone's rafted up.

Then you get people like my neighbor who bragged he drank so much at Cuttyhunk one night, he kept the entire fleet up all night.....some feat to be proud of...jerk.

Edited by - hinmo on 03/28/2010 07:57:22

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