Safe travels

[Legacy]

At the risk of sounding dorky, please really watch the weather. The tropics are really heating up with Hannah, Ike and Josephine on the way. Please watch the weather and exercise good judgement! Save travels!

Ric

[RicM]

Nobody is dorkier than me when it comes to weather!

ANZ255-031315-
COASTAL WATERS FROM MONTAUK NY TO BLOCK ISLAND RI TO MARTHAS
VINEYARD MA TO NANTUCKET MA SOUTHEAST TO 20 NM-
958 PM EDT TUE SEP 2 2008
.SAT...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT EARLY IN THE
AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING S 20 TO 30 KT IN THE LATE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT... BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT. A CHANCE OF
SHOWERS...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY WITH A CHANCE OF TSTMS.
.SUN...W WINDS 10 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT... BECOMING NW
5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT...SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT.

We have decided to reverse our route and will be leaving Thursday headed toward Essex. We can put in at Watch Hill, Stonington, or Mystic if the going gets ugly, but Essex will provide a good safe harbor (up the CT river) and plenty to do until it calms down, unlike Block where you fish, drink, or sleep. Worse case we can get a car and go up to Foxwoods for a day!

[RobS]

Worse case we can get a car and go up to Foxwoods for a day!

Ric, When I was in at Essex the guy in the slip next to me was heading out to the American Wharf in Norwich on the Thames River. The Thames is between the CT River and Mystic. This marina has a shuttle to the casinos. He said it's a great place and is on my list for next season or perhaps a fall trip. Here's the link to thier site. If you "know" your gonna have a rainy day this would be an ideal place and is in route to the rest of your trip. The nice think about your post-Labor Day plans is that you should not have to worry about pre-booking. Check it out:

http://www.americanwharf.com/

[jcollins]

At the risk of sounding dorky, please really watch the weather. The tropics are really heating up with Hannah, Ike and Josephine on the way. Please watch the weather and exercise good judgement! Save travels!

Ric

Ric,
Not dorky. Smart and considerate. Hanna will put a damper on our plans for the upcoming weekend. The trip would be doable, but to sit there all day in the rain...common sense prevails.

[RobS]

...common sense prevails.

Fished for Fluke on Fri and Sun and did very well both days. So Monday I had the boat loaded for wreck fishing. Went to the mouth of the inlet and it was a wall of breaking white water. Our normal cut to the west was still open but tight with white on both sides. Knowing that when we wanted to come in it would be lower tide and wind against tide so conditions would only be worse as the day continued. Could we have done it? Yes. But common sense prevailed, we had 2 great days of fishing this weekend already, so we headed back to the dock and spent the morning rearranging the fishing gear for the transition from the season closing for fluking over to stripers and wrecks. We then headed back out for the afternoon to the beach to meet up with mhanna - Matt and Janet. Here’s Matt waving us off into the sunset…

[Mariner]

We ended up holed up in Roche Harbor on our trip up in the San Juan Islands this summer when an uncharachteristic fall-type storm came in with winds in excess of 30 knots. Nothing like a hurricane, but enough to make an exposed anchorage in the outer islands uncomfortable. So we just went ahead and rented a car to explore the island instead. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

[RicM]

Friday AM
We are at the dock at Essex Island Marina with the weather channel on full time watching for Hanna. This looks like a pretty good spot to ride out the storm. We plan on staying here at least until Sunday. Beautiful day today, might go upriver for a little sight seeing, we'll save really exploring the town and dinner at "The Griz" for tomorrow in the rain. This does look like a great place for the Rendezvous. Rob: It looks like we will be in Greenport Mon & Tuesday night if all goes as expected.

Ric

[jleonard]

Check out Hamburg Cove for sure...grab a private mooring for a few hours and go swimming. (That's the rule at Hamburg...grab a mooring and if the owner comes just take the next one).

I don't think Hanna will be that much of a problem...I am in Mystic and will lower my antennas, add an extra spring line and maybe a fender or two but that's about it.
Marine forcast says 40 knot wind...and LOTS of rain.

[RobS]

Friday AM
We are at the dock at Essex Island Marina

I'm jealous

Rob: It looks like we will be in Greenport Mon & Tuesday night if all goes as expected.

Ok sounds good. I will check with Erika and give you a ring on the cell phone.

Enjoy Essex.

[RobS]

...and LOTS of rain.

That's what they are saying. I just got back from the boat checking to make sure all of my cockpit drains are 100% clear.

[RicM]

Just returned from a long slow cruise up the River to Middletown to the ONLY bar and restaurant on the water from here to Hartford! Beautiful scenery, so different from what we are used to. Lot's of idiots on jet-skis. Battening down the hatches for tomorrow in the company of the Sag Harbor Yaaauuucht Club daaahling! They are here at the Essex I M for a cruise. The dock guy told me the smallest boat is 50'!

Luckily I brought the LPR

Storm a brewin'

We were admiring this gorgeous boat and the dock guy told us it was built for Billy Joel, and the original name was Alexa

The park in "downtown" Essex

[RobS]

Very creative Mr. Photographer. Where are you docked? Let's see a pic of Time after Time

[RicM]

We are on "D" (drunk?) dock. I will try to get some dramatic shots during the storm.

[RobS]

We are on "D" (drunk?) dock.

That's funny - both times I met mhanna at Watch Hill, Fire Island this summer they put us on "D" drunk dock. The word must be getting around about us Albineers.....

[RobS]

Monday morning looks ideal for a smooth ride down the river, across the LI Sound and around Orient Pt. As of now, Sunday afternoon should be fine too:

Long Island Sound (East of Port Jeff)
Last Updated 625 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008

TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT

SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT

TODAY
SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT...INCREASING
TO 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT
BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT THIS AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN THIS
MORNING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS. PERIODS OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

TONIGHT
E WINDS 35 TO 45 WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 KT...BECOMING N
AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. PERIODS OF RAIN. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

SUN
W WINDS 15 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS IN THE
MORNING...DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO
5 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.

SUN NIGHT
W WINDS AROUND 10 KT...BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
1 TO 2 FT IN THE EVENING...THEN 1 FT OR LESS.

MON
N WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 FT
OR LESS.

MON NIGHT
S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT...
DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT IN THE
EVENING...THEN 1 FT OR LESS.