NY to Newport

[a_nyc_scott]

Hi!

I'm in the process of purchasing my first ranger tug (a used R-29). This (of course) means that I am planning my first week away! I am planning a post labor day cruise from NY (she will be berthed just north of the George Washington Bridge), down the Hudson, through the Harlem river, down the East river, through Hell's Gate, into Long Island sound and up to Newport.

Have any of you (all much more salty than I) sailed this particular route and if so do you have any thoughts/insights about the journey (how long did it take, good stops along the way, things to be careful of, etc.)?

Thanks for any/all guidance!

Scott

 

[Brian B]

Congrats on your new tug. I did that trip couple of years ago from RI to Lake Champlain and back. You should get comfortable with the boat and make sure all its systems are OK before taking off on an extended trip.
You have Hells Gate to be aware of, slack tide is best. You have a choice of stops in CT or NY as you come across Long Island Sound. Mystic CT Seaport is very nice. I would recommend going to Block Island RI, New Harbor on the West side of the island. After Labor Day will be perfect to explore the island. You can get a town mooring or anchor out in the designated anchorage. There is a launch that will pick you up and take you ashore, you can hire a taxi for a tour of the island. In the morning the bakery boat will come around selling breakfast sandwiches,fresh baked goods and hot coffee.
There is a free pump out boat, and a water boat that sells fresh water. Fuel is available at Payne's Dock. Be careful of the North Rip at Block Island when you depart and head for Newport. Depending on the tides this area can be very rough, set course for the 1BI bouy and you will be fine.
From Block Island Newport isn't very far, you should be able to get a mooring in the harbor, there is also an anchorage area and they run a launch service. Explore Narragansett Bay while you are here in RI.
If you only have a week you will be pushing yourself to do it all and that is without any weather holdups. RI is my home waters so if you need any other info let me know.

 

[Ahab]

I'd agree with Brien, Mystic and Block are both great. The west harbor on Block is referred to as The Salt Pond. Try to get a town mooring if possible as pop up storms seem frequent there in my experience and boats like to drag anchor there. Another good stop to break it up would be Oyster Bay, on Long Island. The Oyster Bay yacht club has moorings, launch service and a very nice club house and they seem to welcome transients.

 

[a_nyc_scott]

Thanks for all the thoughts/guidance! My plan is to transit most of the Long Island Sound in one day. Stop over for the night someplace like Block Island or Oyster Bay and continue up to Newport on the following day (weather permitting). How long did it take for you to transit the length of the Long Island Sound? I'm planning on a 15 - 18 knot cruising speed which I've read is realistic for an R-29S (again weather permitting). I have rented a house in Newport for the week and would like to get there relatively quickly and then use the house as a base to do day cruises in the Narraganset Bay area. Is this overly ambitious?

 

[BradOwens]

I don't know what year or engine your R29 is, but my 2012 with the Yanmar 260 hp engine cruises at more like 12 knots. 15 to 18 would be unrealistic in my opinion.

 

[Brian B]

You will need to plot out the mileage and determine how far you want to travel in a day.
Why not live on the boat and forget the home rental? That's what these boats are made for. You could get a slip at the Newport Yachting Center and be very close to downtown Newport.

 

[knotflying]

Thanks for all the thoughts/guidance! My plan is to transit most of the Long Island Sound in one day. Stop over for the night someplace like Block Island or Oyster Bay and continue up to Newport on the following day (weather permitting). How long did it take for you to transit the length of the Long Island Sound? I'm planning on a 15 - 18 knot cruising speed which I've read is realistic for an R-29S (again weather permitting). I have rented a house in Newport for the week and would like to get there relatively quickly and then use the house as a base to do day cruises in the Narraganset Bay area. Is this overly ambitious?

Stop and smell the roses my friend. Long Island sound from Manhattan to Block Island is about 100 miles. The purpose of the boat is to cruise and enjoy your time doing it. There are plenty of places to stop along the way to Block Island. And all of them are worth spending some time at. Trying to do 100 miles in one day will be a killer. The Long Island sound can get pretty rough if the weather and wind are not with you. The boat can go fast but so will the fuel flow. At high speed be prepared to see your wallet drain along with your fuel. You may want to have a less ambitious destination if time is limited.

 

[doke01]

Going to Block Island is going to take you 10-12 hours. From there to Newport around 3 hours. These are just quick and dirty estimates but if I was making the trip and had to do it that fast I'd break it up more evenly and stop somewhere in the middle, like Milford, CT instead. It's a beautiful place (we stay at Milford Boat Works, which has diesel, pump out, and a nice ship's store that is also an authorized Yanmar parts dealer, amongst others) and an easy walk to town. Also, in September daylight is only 12-13 hours so if you can't leave early for any reason you'll likely be travelling the last few hours of your trip after dark on that first day if you don't stop in the middle.

You can definitely do it but you will be tired after two days travelling 5-6 hours (if you stop in the middle). You also should time the currents (not the tides) properly or you'll get a pretty strong push back and add even more time, especially when you are closer to the city. If you travel 10-12 hours that first day you will, at some point, be fighting the current and it will feel like you are going very, very slowly.

Hell Gate requires good timing. You can safely transit it anytime in a Ranger but fighting a 3-4 knot current through there is not fun. Here is the site I use to time it: http://www.offshoreblue.com/cruising/east-river-planning.php If you can, and the currents allow it, leave early in the morning. There is usually less wind in the morning so you are less likely to experience chop. Also, you can relax for the afternoon when you arrive. That being said, don't let your plans dictate your trip. It's better to stay safe for a day or two in an anchorage or marina than to venture out into bad weather.

Stick to one side of the sound or the other. Going to Block Island will add extra time to your trip. If you want to go that far the first day than Mystic, CT is a better place to stop.

Hopefully you have a place to tie up in Newport. A lot of the marinas there will consider your boat too tiny to deal with. You'll need to call several places but there are a few that will allow you to tie up. We felt very, very tiny during our trips there.

It's a beautiful trip and is well worth it. Hopefully this won't be your first trip on the boat and you'll have done a couple of shakedown cruises, including anchoring out overnight.

 

[a_nyc_scott]

All great suggestions. Thank you.

I understand that ranger tugs are made for enjoying the journey rather than rushing to the destination. Sometimes life is a bit more complicated. I'm curious how most owners balance the demands of a career (long hours, limited vacation) with the desire to spend time on the water? It seems there are a couple of paths to take; plan A - put off owning a boat until retirement (when you control your schedule) or plan B - work the boat into whatever free time you have. I'm not a fan of putting things off until a future that is not certain (who knows what tomorrow brings?) so I'm opting for plan B - working as much boat time into my schedule as possible.

With respect to the cruising speed for the R-29S; this is a 2015 model with 260 HP Volvo engine. Any experience about what a realistic cruising speed (good weather conditions) might be. My assumption was 15 - 18 knots. Brad (in the trail above) indicates 12 knots is more in line with his experience. Is this right? I've read that the 29's can make up to 20 knots (WOT) and can be cruised at somewhere around 80 to 90% of this number (hence my 15 - 18 knot estimate). Are my assumptions off and the right maximum cruising speed more like 12 knots?

 

[knotflying]

My personal opinion, from experience, is that you should buy the boat now and enjoy it as much as you can with time off. I think your trip to Newport may be a bit ambitious for a new owner. Schedules and boating are a bad mix. If it were me I would just cruise along and get as far as you can stopping along the way and enjoy the stops. Quite frankly, cruising up the Hudson is quite beautiful and you can enjoy the lock experience as well. The cruising is definitely more sheltered and it will give you the ability to become proficient at docking and maneuvering without contending with open waters and currents on the sound.

 

[BradOwens]

The 2015 and newer R29s are very different boats than the older (Classic) R29s. The newer models may be significantly faster than the classics. Hopefully someone with one of the newer boats will chime in with their experience.
Also, I agree that you should buy now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. We're not retired yet either, and we still make time to use the boat. We'll use it more when we retire (A Great Loop Cruise is planned) but we enjoy even short day trips now, and make longer trips when we can. Best of luck whatever you decide, and may you always have fair winds and following seas!

 

[CAPTCRUNCH]

Pretty sure an R29S will do around 50 knots on I-95 under favorable conditions.

 

[a_nyc_scott]

I can say with certainty (having navigated this route on I-95 many times) that conditions are never favorable!

 

[CAPTCRUNCH]

True. I left the NYC area 45 years ago, but I catch Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880 streaming now and then. I gather things haven't improved in my absence.

 

[a_nyc_scott]

There are many wonderful things about the NYC area, but driving is not one of them!

 

[McThomas]

Scott - Your cruising speed is dependent on the seas - when it gets choppy you may be down to 10 kts or less. My R27 will cruise happily at 15-16 kts on flat water, different story when the wind blows out on Rhode Island Sound where you are going! Especially if you are unfamiliar with the boat, I would stay closer to home for now and have fun.