Vacation

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wciparchia

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Vacation: from Northern Hudson River, through Harlem River into the sound, stops along the way in Ct. to Block Island as done before.
After Block I'm headed to RiverHead, which is new to me, than home back to the Hudson. When leaving Riverhead, thinking about going through Shinnecock canal and out the inlet and up to the Hudson. Any pointers?
After leaving Block, would it be easier to go through the Shinnecock inlet to RiverHead? rather than through the bays?
Any info would be helpful
37 Silverton Convertible, Yanmars 25 Knot cruise
 
What dates? We are in Riverhead from 7/3 - 7/5. Prior to that in Newport and Greenport.

From Block you want to head towards Shelter island and run North to Riverhead through the Peconic Bay. It is a easy run North, South is a little trickier. There is a town marina in Greenport, nice stop for lunch, can even take $1.00 ferry to Shelter Island.

From Riverhead, you can go through the lock. The Lock is easy if the locks are open and the water is slack or the locks are closed. To check timing you can call locks, number is in LIBI section posted above. If locks are open and water is flowing, it will flow fast from Peconic to the Bay. This will make it tricky to navigate as it will be hard to control the boat through. That is about the only time you don't want to attempt it. All other times are easy. If locks are closed, wait for green light to go in, try and determine which side you will go to based on other boats in line and where their fenders are, if unsure, fender both sides. Have one rope ready from a mid-cleat. Once in lock, pull forward and loop rope around cleat on lock, do not tie it off. Once lock gates close, water will go up or down and you will let out rope as you need to, to keep yourself against dock. Dock is concrete, so watch as it drops, you don't catch it. Once gate opens, remove rope, and head out.

It's easy when done right, I have seen many do it wrong. Plan ahead, make sure crew nows the drill.
Good lock, I mean luck!
 
Take a look at the Tiana Bay thread a few down here. Going out Shinnecock inlet and heading west to the Harbor is an option on a nice day but going inside is tricky if you do not know your way around Moriches Bay.
 
wciparchia,
You have lots of choices after the Shinnecock Canal...You can continue south and go out the inlet or go west through Tiana Bay, Moriches Bay, Great South Bay, etc... . Its faster taking the ocean route but easier on the inside when the seas & wind pick up.
Enjoy the trip,
Perry
 
I would go from Block past Shelter and into Riverhead. The channel from the end of the Peconic into Riverhead zig-zags, make sure you don't wander outside of it.

How long are you taking to get back? If you have the time, Watch Hill on the south shore is a nice stop. The water on the south shore gets very skinny in places, the LICC guys can give you the specifics.

If it's a nice day, the run outside from shinnecock should be easy.
 
Mike, thanks for the info.
We're leaving RiverHead (Treasure Cove) and if I go through the inlet, (if the weather is good), just run home. If the seas are not good I'll take the Sound, but will stop 1/2 way.
Have you been to Watch Hill? is there anything there for the kids?
Thank's again,
Wayne
 
If the kids enjooy the ocean, they will have a blast at Watch Hill, it is a short walk across the dunes.
 
quote:
Originally posted by HOGAN

If the kids enjooy the ocean, they will have a blast at Watch Hill, it is a short walk across the dunes.

Click to expand...


Don’t forget the nature walk which has various vantage points of the bay and ocean….

Friends of watch hill (FOWH) also have events during the season.

Some helpful links below:

www.friendsofwatchhill.org/

www.watchhillfi.com/

www.nps.gov/fiis/
 
quote:
Originally posted by CurrentSea

What dates? We are in Riverhead from 7/3 - 7/5. Prior to that in Newport and Greenport.

From Block you want to head towards Shelter island and run North to Riverhead through the Peconic Bay. It is a easy run North, South is a little trickier. There is a town marina in Greenport, nice stop for lunch, can even take $1.00 ferry to Shelter Island.

From Riverhead, you can go through the lock. The Lock is easy if the locks are open and the water is slack or the locks are closed. To check timing you can call locks, number is in LIBI section posted above. If locks are open and water is flowing, it will flow fast from Peconic to the Bay. This will make it tricky to navigate as it will be hard to control the boat through. That is about the only time you don't want to attempt it. All other times are easy. If locks are closed, wait for green light to go in, try and determine which side you will go to based on other boats in line and where their fenders are, if unsure, fender both sides. Have one rope ready from a mid-cleat. Once in lock, pull forward and loop rope around cleat on lock, do not tie it off. Once lock gates close, water will go up or down and you will let out rope as you need to, to keep yourself against dock. Dock is concrete, so watch as it drops, you don't catch it. Once gate opens, remove rope, and head out.

It's easy when done right, I have seen many do it wrong. Plan ahead, make sure crew nows the drill.
Good lock, I mean luck!

Click to expand...


Dave, you nailed the locks procedure. I do prefer timing them just as they open or about to close to avoid locking though with a bunch of boats and also not to have the water rushing. All in all it is not that difficult if done correctly.

I did have one mishap that ended up ok, but was a bit embarrassing. We entered the locks and I had a friend on the Silverton like Walters behind me. I forget the exact issue, but I think his girlfriend was trying to do a loop around a cleat but the wind was blowing him off and his lady was not really much help. I got off my boat just for a couple of seconds to help thinking it would be a couple of minutes before the water level changed. Within seconds I was looking at the top of may canvas and my wife holding the line around the cleat looking up at me puzzled while the boat was going lower and lower. Well you know me and I am not the most in shape guy. But I had no choice and had to think quick, I did a flying leap on to my rear cockpit seat and bounced like on a trampoline, and landed on the floor unscathed except for the pride. There was a bit of laughter from some other boats… [:I]

Lesson learned never leave your boat in a lock, at least from my experience I would never do that again.
 
The bigger the boat the greater the need to lock through. Its no problem going thru with the locks open if you're in a smaller boat,they're easy to maneuver and have a quick throttle response. Larger boats would require a change of undies if the current was moving with the locks open. Not worth the sweat and stress. My .02
 
quote:
Originally posted by Perry

The bigger the boat the greater the need to lock through. Its no problem going thru with the locks open if you're in a smaller boat,they're easy to maneuver and have a quick throttle response. Larger boats would require a change of undies if the current was moving with the locks open. Not worth the sweat and stress. My .02

Click to expand...
Perry, I know you see it all over there. I have gone through under various conditions over the last few years and traveled with larger boats than my 32. I would contact the lock master and get the approximate time of the opening and positioned ourselves ready to go though as soon as the gates opened. We traveled though with almost no current conditions. But a few minutes later it starts to rush north to south hard. Timing that window is not that easy, so it is best to time it to lock though, especially with a larger boat as you stated.
 
I saw someone where there dog jumped off when they got in to the lock. They had to go chase him!
Was funny.
 
Radiowaves,
The easiest way to get thru the locks is when the just open or just about to close, you are correct. If you are the only boat transiting the locks then no problem...problems arise from other boaters either too close or transiting the restaurant/marina just before the locks. Boats come out perpendicular to the canal and are immediately met with either boat traffic or fast moving water...these are the things that big boats will get in trouble trying to avoid a collision with these novices.
Hope this helps...
Perry
 
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