Christmas Cruise: Winter Sailing Pt. Judith, RI to Westbrook, CT

ByNancy

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013
Brewer Pilot’s Point Marina
Westbrook, CT

And so we continue on with the winter sailing adventure. Left Point Judith at 6:45 AM in the dark. Navigating with only my Navionics iPhone app and no visual aids. We had to go early in order to get to The Race at exactly the right time. And it worked. We’d heard horror stories about the current at this narrow channel between the tip of Long Island and Fisher’s Island, but Tom had timed our passage through The Race so perfectly we saw hardly a ripple.

race rock lighthouse
Race Rock Lighthouse, yes that’s snow on the roof

 

high five on sailboat
High five to Cap’n Tom for timing the current perfectly

But the wind came up when we were into Long Island Sound proper and we were bashing into waves all day. Which resulted in a freaked out cat and severely tangled hair for me. I think that was also the day we knocked the bell off the wall. I’ll bet that’s all kinds of bad luck in traditional sailing circles. But now there’s a very handy angry octopus coat hook where the bell used to be, so we’re good.

winter sailing long island sound
Bundled up at the helm

 

Angry octopus fights wet foulies beside the companionway
Angry octopus fights wet foulies beside the companionway

Brewer’s Pilot Point Marina

Michael again arranged for us to pull in to a Brewer yard, this time Brewer Pilot’s Point Marina at Westbrook, and we cruised in about 4:00 just as the sun was getting low over the marsh grasses. It’s a beautiful yard carved out of the marsh, with facilities for working on huge sailboats. It’s seen more America’s Cup boats than almost any marina. The famous Stars and Stripes now sails out of Pilot’s Point. But when we arrived the yard was completely shut down except for a few liveaboards lined up in a sheltered back channel.

sailboat at Brewer's dock, Westbrook, CT
At Brewer’s dock, Westbrook, CT

Our friends Jesse and Stacey called to say they were just coming back from visiting family in Yonkers, so they picked us up at the marina and we went for one last goodbye drink. I brushed the major snarls out of my hair in the back seat on the way to the restaurant, apologizing for getting hair all over their upholstery. We ended up at the bar in a pretty swanky resort called Water’s Edge. I asked if my hair looked okay. Jesse laughed at my fussing about grooming: “That’s the most I’ve ever heard you talk about chick stuff,” he said.

It was a short evening as they needed to get on the road home to Boston and we had to get to bed early  – because, winter sailing – we had to prepare for our now customary dawn departure. But we were really glad to see them one last time. We seem always to be leaving wonderful people. But then we go off and meet more wonderful people. Our families all say they’re coming to visit when we reach warmer lands. And we hope to see Jesse and Stacey next year, when they sail south on their own cruising adventure.

The next leg of the southward journey – Westbrook to Stamford

 

Read the whole story of our winter sailing Escape from New England

Narragansett Bay

Warren RI to Point Judith RI

Long Island Sound

Christmas Cruise: Point Judith to Westbrook

Christmas Cruise: Westbrook to Stamford

Christmas Cruise: Stamford to Mamaroneck

Christmas Cruise: Mamaroneck, NY to Jersey City, NJ

New Jersey Coast

Jersey City to Manasquan: Christmas Day on the ocean with dolphins!

Chutes and Ladders in Atlantic City

Red Nun 2CM I think I love you

The ICW

Winter on the Intracoastal Waterway: The Big Bays

Winter on the Intracoastal: Swamps & Canals

Winter on the Intracoastal: Creeks & Rivers

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