ssloop: Port Jefferson, NY to Sandwich, MA

Monday, June 29 we left Port Jefferson to cross Long Island Sound to Connecticut. Finally out of New York. We’ve been in NY for 14 days. Seventeen miles later we pulled into Safe Harbor Stratford. What a pretty area and nice marina. We spent 2 days here enjoying the area by foot and dinghy.

On July 1, we moved on to New Haven, CT where we anchored out in a bay near Long Island Sound. The gorgeous day called for a dinghy ride out on the sound to get a look at the local homes and beaches. The shoreline is beginning to get more rocky the further north we go.

The heat wave across the country hit the east coast. We booked a marina in Branford,CT for 2 nights so to help us ward off the heat wave with power on the boat so we could have air conditioning. The feel like temps got to 109. That’s warm! On our way to Branford we took a slight detour out to the Thimble Islands. The Thimble Islands are made up of a few hundred granite rock islands varying in size from the size of a car to large enough to be occupied by up to a dozen beautiful homes. We anchored off nearby and explored the islands by dinghy. Knowing how hot the inland temps were we were happy to take a swim before heading in to the marina. It was time to load up on groceries so we took Uber into town to stock up.Also, while there, Steve stayed cool washing the boat, Sheli got some wash done in the marina laundry. Both evenings we enjoyed a dinghy ride up the river to dinner.

Happy 250th birthday USA! On July 4 we traveled 47 miles and anchored out off of Fishers Island. The grill came out for some yummy steaks to celebrate our country’s big day. Being off shore by 3 miles we had a grand seat to watch fireworks in a dozen different coastal communities. God had his own fireworks show (lightning) that night so the combination was amazing. The storms brought in the winds which made it a rocky night. The captain stayed on the helm all night to keep an eye on things but probably more importantly, it was much quieter up on the helm than in the stateroom with the slap, slap of the wind driven waves on the bow.

The next morning the sun came back out, but the storm front brought in cooler temperatures. It was a super day to travel 60 miles to Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts. Cuttyhunk Island lies between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. This is the western most island of a chain of islands owned by the Forbes family.

We anchored out on the outside harbor next to a 102 ft yacht. We looked pretty small! Our dinghy exploration that afternoon lead to a few new to us moments. As we neared the fuel dock to get gas in the dinghy we noticed the entire dock was lined up with locals - mostly teenagers. As the 4pm ferry went by, they all waved and jumped into the harbor! No gas for us today, but what a hoot to watch this craziness. As we neared the neighboring island of Nashawena we noticed cows enjoying an afternoon on the beach. This island’s only inhabitants are the free roaming Scottish cows and their caretakers. While watching the cows a few curious seals came along to check us out. Back on the boat we enjoyed a lovely evening taking in the views.

The rains came in that evening and continued thru the next 2 days. That morning (Monday) we left in the rain and crossed Buzzards Bay to New Bedford where we stayed on a mooring ball. Upon entering the bay, we had to pass through a Hurricane Gate which can be closed during storms to keep the ocean surges out of the harbor. Once tied to the mooring ball and settled in we radioed the local launch boat to pick us up and bring us to town. A walk through the town and a yummy Mexican dinner were worth enduring the rain.

The rain continued on Tuesday but we moved on. We were once again thankful for our enclosed helm and windshield wipers!

We traveled up thru Buzzards Bay to the Cape Cod Canal. This 17 mile canal cuts across the of the neck of Cape Cod from Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay, saving boats from the 135 mile trip thru Nantucket Shoals and around Cape Cod.

We pulled into the Sandwich Marina located 1/4 mile before the end of the canal. The rains were not going to let up, so once again we gathered our raincoats and umbrellas and walked into town. We were really growing weary of the wet weather by this time. But….sunshine was predicted for the next day!