[Rhodes22-list] Next trip to Long Island Sound

[Bill Berner]

When I've made the trip upriver I don't think I've ever done more than 6.5
with the current, and that's plenty for me.

I either motor or motor sail the entire way on the East River.  Our boats
are pretty small with pretty small outboards.  I know of a bunch of people
with bigger boats and bigger engines that have gotten into trouble in the
East River by being cavalier about the currents.

Key to the trip, IMHO, is finding out the time for slack at Hell Gate, and
back time departure from there.  It's reasonably okay to have some current
flushing you towards the sound, but I prefer going for the flat water.

When planning the trip up river, I find the time for slack at Hell Gate,
calculate back towards my departure point.  I check the various current
stations between the Gate and the Battery in order to estimate their effect
on my anticipated speed at different points in the river.  IIRC (thanks
Michael!), there are current station at 61st St., 23rd, and one or two more
south of there.  Once I've figured out how long it should take me between
each current station, I write down what time I want to be at each and put
their locations into my GPS.  When I actually make the trip, I try to adjust
my speed, slowing down if necessary to hit the waypoints at the right time.
I don't want to get there either too early or too late as the window for
slack tide at Hell Gate is only about 20 minutes, and the current builds
really fast both before and after.

Maybe I'm ever doing it, but it makes me comfortable and worry free, so I
can enjoy the trip.

BB

Bill Berner
191 South Broadway
Hastings on Hudson, NY  10706
 
v 914 478 2896
f 914 478 3856
e BBerner at optonline.net
 

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Richard G. Smith
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 10:22 PM
To: 'The Rhodes 22 mail list'
Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Next trip to Long Island Sound


What are the ramp fees in Manhattan?

There are no ramps in Manhattan.  The nearest one is in Liberty State
Park (public).  It's just to the West of the Statue of Liberty in New
Jersey .  From there it's a mile or so East to the Battery (tip of
Manhattan Island) where the East and Hudson Rivers converge.

There is a public ramp in Great Kills Harbor Staten Island (10 miles
from the Battery) and many others on the South Coast of Raritan Bay.

It is VITAL that you have the current table for the date.  By timing it
properly you can do about 10 kts (average) from the Battery to the
Sound!

If you just want to make the trip up the river to the Sound I would
suggest you proceed to City Island (at the very Western end of the
sound)  There you can rent a mooring, have dinner, sleep (not to much
surge)  and start back with the westward flood in the morning.

I generally start at dawn and proceed to Huntington L.I to rent a slip
or mooring in the Harbor..  This will be a 10 to 13 hour sail.

Richard Smith

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