Dead Calm

When Long Island Sound is jokingly referred to as the Dead Sea, it is not because of its high salt content or lack of marine life. The Dead Sea remark pokes fun at the lack of wind here during the peak of summer. Hot, windless days with nearly a ripple on the water's surface.
Like all good jokes, there is an element of truth to this, but it sometimes become overstated. The winds most certainly die in late July and August, but on most days, the prevailing southwesterlies  pick up by mid-afternoon.
There are exceptions of course, and they can be lasting. The heatwave this past week brought a 24-hour hazy stillness to the Sound for several days. No afternoon breeze, no puff of wind in the jib, no sunset sails.

The Mystic Whaler , a 1967 reproduction of a 19th-century schooner, was rebuilt in Providence, Rhode Island in 1993. Based in New London during the summer months, she offers everything from sunset sails to 3-day cruises.
Keeping a busy schedule, Carina and I have crossed paths with her in Greenport, Stonington, and several other ports. She is a beautiful sight to see under-sail.
On this hazy evening however, she wasn't going anywhere fast. Just south of Morgan Point, I spotted her practicing that old 21st-century tradition of trimming the iron genoa.

Mystic Whaler Cruises
Cruising Guide To The New England Coast: General Conditions
Iron Genoa - a sailboat's engine

Restless Farewell

Others will enter the gates of the ferry, and cross
         from shore to shore.......

The others that are to follow me, the ties between
me and them

Walt Whitman: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry 

As gentrification continues its scorched-earth, forward march,
I've often found reassurances in the rituals and structures 
around us which remain constant. No, not silly nostalgia for 
some make-believe past, but instead a tangible connection to 
those provincial traits which help define the towns and people 
of Long Island Sound.

There are the baymen of Oyster and Huntington Bays, who 
still work their shellfish beds manually. The wooden 
oysterboats of Norwalk, Stratford, and other shoreline towns. 
Then there are the lighthouses; the 18th and 19th century 
villages; and the farms of the North Fork and the
Connecticut River.
 These are not museum relics, but instead, working 
links to our past which carry on. Stripped of them, we 
inch closer to every other shoreline town which sold its 
soul to postwar Los Angelization long ago.

The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is believed to be the oldest
continuously operated ferry in the U.S. Established in 1655, it 
became a state operation in 1915, surviving the Great Depression,
the Floods of 1936, and several ill-conceived highway overpasses
in the 1950's and '60's. 
Just a barge pushed by a tugboat, she is highly functional, but never  
glamorous. Sadly, she met her fate with the budget-cuts this week. 

About 25 miles south of here is the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry. She is 
considered to be the second oldest continuously operated ferry in 
the U.S.. Linking a prettier, more affluent stretch, with museums
and parks overlooking the river, this boat is the more popular of 
the two. Somewhat famous, she is an appealing September/October 
fall foliage excursion, and provides an important transportation 
link along this 16 mile bridge-less stretch between Saybrook and 
East Haddam.

But pedigrees, logistics, and big-pictures don't carry much 
weight in Hartford. The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry has been 
axed along with her older sister to the north. There has been 
a lot of talk about how neither of these boats make money, 
but that argument is selective, penny-wise, and pound foolish. 
No form of transportation makes money without public subsidies. 
Highways, airports, shipping terminals, etc, all lose money 
without government assistance. 

Both ferries are scheduled to close on August 25.

I've thought about taking one final boat ride, but 
what good would it do? Maybe, instead, I'll go find 
some franchise restaurant along the CT Turnpike 
or Long Island Expressway which serves generic 
jalapeno poppers, hot-pockets, fish-a-ma-jig 
sandwiches, and booze.
I'll sit in one of those formica cubicles, partitioned 
by the glazed glass ovals depicting lighthouses, 
oystermen, church steeples, ferry boats, and 
everything  else we chose to abandon.

Chester-Hadlyme Ferry

Middletown Press: Ferry Workers Given Layoff Notices
Lyme Line: Towns Work To Save The Ferries
Walt Whitman Archive
Soundbounder: Chester-Hadlyme Ferry
Soundbounder: New Ways To Lose

A Case Of Gansett

Good ideas on the drafting table don't always succeed in actuality.

Gansett, a converted and restored 50 foot lobster hull, plied the waters last summer between the harbors of Stonington and Watch Hill. Part-ferry service and part-tour guide, the 25 minute narrated trips served up such local favorites as Narragansett Beer and Del's Lemonade, while transporting passengers to-and-from Dodsons Boatyard and the Watch Hill Docks.

Upon first learning of this last year, I thought it was a wonderful idea. Though separated by just three miles of water, a trip by land between the two villages is nearly 12 miles, and includes the added hassles of beach traffic and parking. Arriving by car, day trippers and weekenders were likely to stay put.

Also, many travelling yachtsmen with a limited schedule visit one of the harbors, but rarely the two; preferring not to waste a day of travel on another nearby port. The Gansett provided the opportunity to visit both towns, regardless of where you dropped anchor.

So, I was saddened last week when I learned the Gansett has moved her operations back to Newport, Rhode Island for 2011. Disappointed, but not entirely surprised. With tickets priced at $25, the fares were too expensive for a short ferry ride.* 

As a tour boat, the trip seemed too limited in scope to draw mass appeal. While Gansett was the only excursion boat serving Watch Hill and Stonington, nearby Mystic offers a slew of choices ranging from schooners to 19th-century steamboats. It is a competitive field.  

Hopefully the waters of Newport provide a more lucrative home for Gansett this season. She is a pretty boat which has been meticulously restored, and I can't help but think she'll strike gold somewhere. 

As for a ferry serving Watch Hill and Stonington....I still think it's a good idea...at least on paper!  

Gansett Cruises

About M/V Gansett

New London Day: New Ferry Service (June 2010)

Grab A Gansett: Vintage Beer Ads

View Larger Map

*Since each excursion/ferry boat offers something unique, prices alone are not always a fair comparison. Still, I thought they were worth noting. A one-hour tour of the Thimble Islands is priced at $10; a round-trip ticket on the North Ferry, connecting Shelter Island with Greenport costs $8; and a 2.5-hour sail on the schooner Argia costs $42. Of course, none of these boats serve Narragansett Beer.

The Riptide Is Ready

Tomorrow marks the opening day for many party fishing boats on Long Island Sound. While some boats head south for the winter, or fish offshore for cod on a limited schedule, the majority of them close down from December through March.
The Riptide, based out of City Island in the Bronx, will be making daily trips for blackfish (tautog), starting Friday. When I stopped by Jorgensen's Landing two weeks ago, the captain and crew were getting her ready for another season of fishing on the Sound.

Riptide III: website
New York: Saltwater Fishing Regulations
Connecticut: Saltwater Fishing Regulations
Soundbounder: Directory of Party Boats Located on Long Island Sound
 

The 7:05 Out Of Noank

Officially, Fishers Island belongs to the State of New York. It's shortest distance to the mainland however is with Rhode Island. It has a Connecticut zip-code, an east end of Long Island area-code, and views of Block Island. To reach the island, one must take a ferry from New London (there is a small airport too).

Most of Fishers Island is private and residential. As you may have already guessed, it is also very expensive. Much of the work that takes place here is performed by off-island residents. The girl at the pharmacy, the landscaper, and the electrician are often residents of southeastern Connecticut who commute here daily. That's where Baby Doll comes in.

Along with one other boat that I am aware of, Baby Doll departs Noank twice each morning and ferries workers to West Harbor on Fishers Island. In the afternoon, she does it all again and returns them home.

Sure beats the Cross Bronx Expressway!

Map

Park City

Park City Ferry, Port Jefferson, August 2009

Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company

Chester Hadlyme Ferry

Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, October, 2009
CT.gov: Ferry Schedule
YouTube: Ferry Crossing
Soundbounder: Restless Farewell (budget cut)
Map

Note Gillette Castle in the upper left corner

P.T. Barnum

P.T. Barnum ferry departing Port Jefferson, August 2009 When you reach the narrowest part of a channel, you will encouter the largest ship.

That is how it seems sometimes. On a cloudy August day motoring in to Port Jefferson, we met up with the P.T. Barnum ferry making her way out of the harbor. I moved as far to starboard as I could, mindful of a jetty that borders this narrow passage. We passed each other uneventfully; passengers waved, and we waved back while trying to keep an eye on the channel ahead. The ferries run quite frequently between Bridgeport and Port Jefferson. No sooner does one boat leave, before another arrives to repeat the process. I have been told that a large percentage of the summer traffic consists of daytrippers who are just looking to take a boat ride, and maybe have lunch in Port Jefferson. P.T. Barnum, by the way, was a resident of Bridgeport, and was instrumental in the creation of the first regularly scheduled ferry service that crossed the Sound here. Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company

Thimble Islands Tour

Recently I described Eatons Neck Basin as an anchorage that I have visited for over three decades. During this past decade however, the Thimble Islands has become the anchorage that I most associate with Long Island Sound. It has always been too far for an overnight or weekend sail, but nearly every trip up or down the Sound has included a stop here.

Despite visiting often, I have never ventured beyond the deep water passage between High Island and Money Island. The submerged rocks (boulders) and unmarked channels always seemed too risky to me. When a keel hits granite, granite always wins.

This summer, we decided to take a tour on one of the boats that are based in nearby Stony Creek. I don't remember what the name of the boat was, but we chose one of the smaller ones with the idea that it could travel closer to shore. It was $10 per person for a one hour tour, and in my opinion, a great bargain. The captain grew up in the area, and even worked on some of the island homes in his youth. With the exception of an inevitable, 10 minute story about pirates, Captain Kidd, and buried treasure, he was very informative. I learned where President Taft spent a summer, where Jane Pauley lives, and how granite was mined here for the construction of Grand Central Station.

Another thing I learned is that while most of the islands are private, Outer Island is open to the public. The Stewart McKinney Wildlife Refuge along with the CT State University System maintain Outer Island, and it is accessible by the ferry that serves the islands. 

*

CT Coastal Access Guide: Outer Island

Friends Of Outer Island

Islander Tours

Volsunga Tours
Sea Mist Tours
Charly More Ferry

Map

Fishers Island Ferry

Fishers Island Ferry, June 2009 Schedule And Fares FishersIsland.net Map

Sabino

One of the great things about the Mystic area is the large number of vintage boats that ply the waters. The Sabino is one of the last wooden, coal-fired, steamboats still in operation. Built in Maine in 1908, she she served as a passenger excursion boat along the Damariscotta and Kennebec Rivers. Acquired by Mystic Seaport in 1973, she underwent a five year restoration and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. She is on display at Mystic Seaport and is available for charters and excursions. This photo caught her winding her way down the Mystic River recently just north of Morgan Point. Mystic Seaport: Sabino National Park Service

Oyster Sloop Christeen

In an ideal world, other coastal towns would follow the example set by Oyster Bay and their magnificent Waterfront Center. The non-profit organization offers a slew of activities ranging from kayak and sailboat rentals, to educational programs, as well as providing coastal access to Oyster Bay Harbor. The flagship of the Waterfront Center is the Christeen, a 40 foot gaff rigged oyster sloop. The Christeen was built in 1883 and is the oldest oyster sloop in North America. After surviving two sinkings and severe neglect, the Christeen was brought home to Oyster Bay in 1992 to undergo a seven year restoration. She is now available for harbor tours, sunset cruises, private charters, and educational sails. Oyster Bay Waterfront Center Christeen: Video Clip New York Times: A Link To The Past Thomas Cardone: Paintings Map

Party Boat Fishing

Bronx & Westchester 
Island Current, City Island
North Star II, City Island
Riptide III, City Island
Klondike, New Rochelle

Connecticut
Snow Goose II, Byram 
Middlebank II, Bridgeport
Black Hawk II, Niantic
Mijoy 747, Waterford
Sunbeam Fleet, Waterford
Sea Otter, Groton
Hel-Cat II, Groton

Long Island
Angler Fleet, Port Washington
Noli Eileen, Huntington
James Joseph, Huntington
Lori C, Stony Brook
Celtic Quest, Port Jefferson
Osprey, Port Jefferson
Captain Bob, Mattituck
Prime Time III, Orient
Peconic Star, Greenport

photo credits: photo 3 & 4 , Mikes Memorabilia Page

Stony Creek

"Like a section of the Maine Coast, drifted into Long Island Sound" *

Thimble Islands Tours & Cruises Volsunga IV Sea Mist The Islander STONY CREEK IN JANUARY: WebAlbum Map *Connecticut: A Guide To Its Roads, Lore And People American Guide Series, WPA 1938 Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston

Here Comes The Ferry

The Grand Republic arrives in Port Jefferson on Sunday morning at 10:15 AM. Right on schedule! Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry website