What a killer sail from Boston to Block Island to Thimble Islands! Perfect conditions allowed us to sail for 90% of the time only having to motor through the Cape Cod Canal and the very last 20 miles against an opposing current. The weather was fantastic! We made good use of the spinnaker flying it for the majority of our time sailing. Making 7kts felt like an easy task.
We began our journey departing from Constitution Marina around 1900 on Friday bound for the Cape Cod Canal. The sails went up just before reaching Castle Island and they didn't come down until the entrance of the canal. The conditions were perfect that night, mostly clear skies with a steady breeze and a calm sea. We made good time down the bay while the crew settled into their watches and became acquainted with each other and Sibelius, our floating home for the next few days. This would be the first time I had sailed with 4 out of 5 of the crew. It's always fun setting out with a new crew and an unfamiliar vibe - all quick to become chummy due to the intimate nature of a small vessel. After a while of cruising down the coast we realized that we were sailing much too fast (a rarity in the bay) and would need to slow down in order to time the favored tide through the canal. Upon reaching the vicinity of the East entrance to the canal we doused all sail and slowly and quietly drifted towards it. We sat under the stars and watched the very first light of the sun emerge from the sea behind us. After roughly an hour, allowing the Moon to do its work, we fired up the engine and made our way through the canal, the following current building more and more swift as it carried us through in excellent time. Upon passing Massachusetts Maritime Academy, though disappointed that the Kennedy was not in her berth, I snapped my obligatory photo and hopped below for some shut eye while the crew on watch took us through Buzzards Bay.
From the CC canal we sailed downwind under the spinnaker for Block Island where we picked up a mooring in a very busy and rowdy mooring field. The wind was forecast to die that evening so we figured this was a better option than motoring through the night. The next morning we left our neighbors who were still up partying at 0430 and headed straight for Race Point where we entered Long Island Sound. Not before long we encountered large patches of boiling sea as opposing currents swirled and battled each other for dominance. It felt somewhat like airplane turbulence, being bumped and tossed in the small, steep, and pointy chop thrusting up from the sea in all directions. Once we broke through we were immediately launched down Long Island Sound with a following current and we hoisted our spinnaker to make the most of it.
We rode this current for as long as it would carry us until it began shifting out of our favor. As this happened the wind died and we reluctantly woke the slumbering diesel beast which took us the last 20 miles to our final destination. We weaved through the narrow waterways between the small granite rock piles that make up the Thimble Islands and finally tied up at Kyle’s cousin’s mooring right in front of their quaint house on Money Island.
We were then greeted by Kyle’s cousin and his two adorable young boys who stopped by in an Opti captained by one of the boys followed by his dad in a dinghy. After a chat on Sibelius we were given a private tour of the island by the boys who led us by hand to their favorite secret locations including a cave in which Captain Kidd allegedly buried his treasure. During our tour another resident on the island became a celebrity when she, a 6 year old girl, landed a 34 inch striper. There was a buzz of excitement across the tiny island and everyone raced to inspect the fish. It was nearly as big as the two boys! We left the scene to continue our tour which ended with a reading from a book about the closely guarded secrets of famous pirates and a showing of a meticulously curated sea glass collection.
After our grand tour we were ferried to the mainland with our gear in the family’s Boston Whaler where we promptly demolished two pizzas at the only local eatery. Marking the end of a perfect trip we said our goodbyes and I made my way to Union Station in New Haven along with another member of the crew, Shyah. We hopped on the Amtrak bound for Boston at 2116. Once aboard we quickly found the bar car and procured a couple of beers and it wasn’t long before the motion of the train lulled us to sleep, dreaming of the next adventure.
Cheers to the crew and thanks to Captain Kyle for a safe and memorable journey!
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