31 replies to this topic

[OptimistPrime]

Hey everyone, two years ago my parents and I started cruising on our Tartan 3800. So far we have made 2 trips from the Chesapeake Bay around Key West to Northwest Florida and another trip down to Jacksonville where we hope to make a Bahama trip next February. I am a Junior in high school this year and take a regular curriculum online. We have had our boat for 16 years and made some upgrades to outfit it for cruising such as water maker, solar panels, wind generator those being the major adjustments.

So far on our journey my favorite place has been Charleston, South Carolina just because of the town and the stuff to see there. We've stayed at the megadock twice, once on our boat and then with our friends sportfish doing a delivery. What are your favorite cruising spots on the east coast?

 rsz_new_canvas.jpg   89.2K   6 downloads
Picture of our boat taken a couple years back

[Tom Ray]

I am a Junior in high school this year...

Is there a tradition that covers this situation?

[sailman]

I have cruised the northern Chesapeake and enjoyed it very much, lots of little coves to explore. The sailing was a little light. My favorite spot on the East coast if in between the forks of Long Island (Little and Great Peconic Bay, Gardner's Bay, etc.)

I am a Junior in high school this year...

Is there a tradition that covers this situation?

Federal authorities might become involved with a standard welcome.

[kent_island_sailor]

This is kind of a new area here. The OP might actually LIKE the traditional greeting
Best I can think of is to save it for his 18th birthday.

[kent_island_sailor]

I have been from Maine to Bermuda to Florida on the East Coast. So far I like the Chesapeake better than anywhere overall as a cruising ground, but they all have there good and bad parts.

[Estar]

What are your favorite cruising spots on the east coast?

You will get a lot fo different opinions, but this is easy to answer for me, the further north and east you go the better it gets.

The east coast of Newfoundland is by the best cruising on the 'east coast' - tons of beautiful empty anchorages, whales everyday and the occasional iceberg, good sailing breezes, little fog or tides, and terrifically friendly 'locals'.

The south coast of Newfoundland is almost as good but much more fog and tides and less good breeze and the anchorages are not quite as good.

The BdO lakes in Nova Scotia are marvelous for quiet low stress cruising.

Maine is 'ok', but way way too many lobster pot floats, many of the harbours are full of (expensive) mooring buoys, lots of fog and very light wind during the summer

Buzzard's bay, and block island has good summer winds, but the anchorages are like trailer home parks.

The Ches bay is excellent in the spring and fall, but pretty miserable during the summer.

[Tucky]

44.38.42 N, 67.25.20 W

[kent_island_sailor]

My impression of New England was "this place would be awesome if you got rid of half the boats". Compared to here in the Chessie, there are a LOT of boats crammed into a given area.
As has been mentioned, our worst feature is the Bermuda High that can give you well over a week of "hot, humid, light and variable from the south". If that happens to correspond with your stay here ---

[SailAR]

44.38.42 N, 67.25.20 W

with nothing fun to play with at work, this looks to be north of Roque? never been up that way...

[Soñadora]

Well, here on the East Coast of Minnesota, I hear the spoils area behind the breakwater is pretty good.

[boomer]

This is kind of a new area here. The OP might actually LIKE the traditional greeting
Best I can think of is to save it for his 18th birthday.

[Tucky]

44.38.42 N, 67.25.20 W

with nothing fun to play with at work, this looks to be north of Roque? never been up that way...

Little cove (Moose Snare Cove) off a tiny river on the mainland north of Roque. Most boats can't get in, so it is really private and beautiful.

[Steam Flyer]

My impression of New England was "this place would be awesome if you got rid of half the boats". Compared to here in the Chessie, there are a LOT of boats crammed into a given area.
As has been mentioned, our worst feature is the Bermuda High that can give you well over a week of "hot, humid, light and variable from the south". If that happens to correspond with your stay here ---

heh heh heh... and there are places where it's just as pretty & cruiser-friendly as the Chesapeake, and half the boats you'd find there....

But I'm not sayin' where.

FB- Doug

[Estar]

Little cove (Moose Snare Cove) off a tiny river on the mainland north of Roque. Most boats can't get in, so it is really private and beautiful.

Interesting . . . you use degrees, minutes, seconds. Is that a multihull thing Almost everyone else I know uses degrees and decimal minutes.

 moose.jpg   238.62K   32 downloads

[SailAR]

Little cove (Moose Snare Cove) off a tiny river on the mainland north of Roque. Most boats can't get in, so it is really private and beautiful.

Interesting . . . you use degrees, minutes, seconds. Is that a multihull thing Almost everyone else I know uses degrees and decimal minutes.

 moose.jpg   238.62K   32 downloads

The NOAA chart shows a 1/2 on the way into the "Mill Pond" where Estar's X is. Only way you'll have to worry about me being up there is in a dinghy on a rising tide for a first look. I still wonder about the infamous rock in the middle of the Roque Thorofare.

[BigBlueSailor]

Hamburg Cove is my special place on earth. Its 10 miles up the CT River from Long Island Sound. Its fresh water, clean, beautiful, and peaceful.

Mooring policy is simple;
1- Pick up any mooring you want.
2- If the owner shows up switch to another mooring.
3- If all are taken…rent one of the $20 a night balls.
4- If those are taken….ask to raft and make new friends.

I never recommend it as I don’t want to spoil it.

[sailman]

Hamburg Cove is my special place on earth. Its 10 miles up the CT River from Long Island Sound. Its fresh water, clean, beautiful, and peaceful.

Mooring policy is simple;
1- Pick up any mooring you want.
2- If the owner shows up switch to another mooring.
3- If all are taken…rent one of the $20 a night balls.
4- If those are taken….ask to raft and make new friends.

I never recommend it as I don’t want to spoil it.

I can remember trying to anchor there for while until someone rowed up to us and told us the policy. I don't know how the moorings hold because it felt like the anchor was dragging through river silt across bedrock. Either way, a great cove!

[Tucky]

The NOAA chart shows a 1/2 on the way into the "Mill Pond" where Estar's X is. Only way you'll have to worry about me being up there is in a dinghy on a rising tide for a first look. I still wonder about the infamous rock in the middle of the Roque Thorofare.

The 1/2 and the infamous rock are just on the chart to scare folks off- trust me . . . . . . . . . . . . Most folks stay away when they see it on the chart, and the rest after they hit 'em

[Salazar]

Maskells Harbour - 46.023504,-60.785853

[Salazar]

Crammond Islands - 45.752156, -61.090241

[Salazar]

Little Harbour - 45.850087, -60.971209

[MidPack]

I haven't cruised other areas along the east coast but Mystic, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor & Block Island were bliss to me. Add in Newport, Buzzards Bay, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket and it's hard for me to imagine someplace better.

I've anchored in Hamburg Cove once, surprised to see it named here, I assumed it was not well known. It was peaceful...

[bmiller]

Maskells Harbour - 46.023504,-60.785853

That is beautiful! What is that boat?

[Salazar]

That is beautiful! What is that boat?

"ANNA", a 56' Racing/Cruising Sloop - Launched: 2007 - Designer: Sparkman & Stephens - Builder: Brooklin Boatyard

http://www.sailingma...-design/67-anna

http://forums.sailin...4

[FWThober]

If I had my druthers, which coincidentally I do have, I would cruise the waters between Portland, ME and Mt Desert Island. Too much fog and not enough wind? Well... you're cruising, take your time - there'll be some wind and/or the fog will clear eventually. These are beautiful waters with innumerable fine anchorages. Finestkind!

Frank

[kdh]

If I had my druthers, which coincidentally I do have, I would cruise the waters between Portland, ME and Mt Desert Island. Too much fog and not enough wind? Well... you're cruising, take your time - there'll be some wind and/or the fog will clear eventually. These are beautiful waters with innumerable fine anchorages. Finestkind!

Frank

Fog, no wind, rocks? No problem. Lobster pots everywhere? Ugggh. I'll take the trailer parks around MA, RI.

Until I decide I like Maine better.

[Jon Eisberg]

My impression of New England was "this place would be awesome if you got rid of half the boats". Compared to here in the Chessie, there are a LOT of boats crammed into a given area.
As has been mentioned, our worst feature is the Bermuda High that can give you well over a week of "hot, humid, light and variable from the south". If that happens to correspond with your stay here ---

heh heh heh... and there are places where it's just as pretty & cruiser-friendly as the Chesapeake, and half the boats you'd find there....

But I'm not sayin' where.

FB- Doug

I'm gonna guess you're referring to the sounds and Outer Banks of NC...

IMHO, not necessarily the "Best" cruising the east coast of the US has to offer, bet quite possibly the most "Underrated"...

wonderful region, great sailing, great people, and certainly "cruisable" all year round...

Saw this scene Monday AM at the bottom of the Alligator River... Damn, that freakin' thing is fugly, no?

And, no - I don't mean the boat... (grin)



Overall, however, gotta go with Evans on this one... From what I've seen so far, Newfoundland is tops...

[Jim in Halifax]

South Shore, Nova Scotia (really, its the Atlantic coast from Halifax down to Cape Sable). This is a favorite hidey-hole near Lunenburg.

[FWThober]

If I had my druthers, which coincidentally I do have, I would cruise the waters between Portland, ME and Mt Desert Island. Too much fog and not enough wind? Well... you're cruising, take your time - there'll be some wind and/or the fog will clear eventually. These are beautiful waters with innumerable fine anchorages. Finestkind!

Frank

Fog, no wind, rocks? No problem. Lobster pots everywhere? Ugggh. I'll take the trailer parks around MA, RI.

Until I decide I like Maine better.

In a couple of hundred days sailing these waters I've never once had a problem with a lobster trap. I sail right through them, they bump against the hull and that's that. I've never sailed with a propeller in the water, so maybe that's my secret. My present boat has no motor at all; I suppose one day I'll snag one of my sweeps and then I can complain, too. :-)

Frank

[Jim in Halifax]

If I had my druthers, which coincidentally I do have, I would cruise the waters between Portland, ME and Mt Desert Island. Too much fog and not enough wind? Well... you're cruising, take your time - there'll be some wind and/or the fog will clear eventually. These are beautiful waters with innumerable fine anchorages. Finestkind!

Frank

Fog, no wind, rocks? No problem. Lobster pots everywhere? Ugggh. I'll take the trailer parks around MA, RI.

Until I decide I like Maine better.

In a couple of hundred days sailing these waters I've never once had a problem with a lobster trap. I sail right through them, they bump against the hull and that's that. I've never sailed with a propeller in the water, so maybe that's my secret. My present boat has no motor at all; I suppose one day I'll snag one of my sweeps and then I can complain, too. :-)

Frank

I was pretty paranoid about lobster traps in Maine but I have to admit I never snagged one. It helps that the fishermen seem to use sinking lines so that all you have to watch out for is the buoy and sometimes a toggle. In Nova Scotia the fishermen use floating polyprop rope; sometimes there is 50 feet or more of it at the surface before the float. You had better know which way the wind / tide is streaming the buoys! But unlike Maine, the season in my area is only in the winter (Dec - May) so it doesn't affect most sailors.

[Cruisin Loser]

The wife and I like Mistake Harbor, Maine for the spectacular setting, peace and quiet, wonderful foraging for raspberries and blueberries. If I were a junior in HS (the Little Loser is a Soph this year), I'd like:

New Harbor (the big pond) at Block Island. Easy dinghy ride to a terrific beach with tons of other kids and social opportunities, bike riding, visiting other kids on boats.

Cuttyhunk. Join the Yacht Club for $50 and take sailing lessons with other kids. Borrow a club 420 and do the evening beer cans.

Castine, Maine. Play ping pong and socialize with other kids at one of the friendliest places on earth.

[SailAR]

The wife and I like Mistake Harbor, Maine for the spectacular setting, peace and quiet, wonderful foraging for raspberries and blueberries.

I love sailing past Red Head when you can see it. Mud Hole is great place to hide as long as you don't have to share it with too many.