Has anyone on this list done any sailing with a Hobie 16 or it's equal going thru "Plum Gut" off Orient Point? Next year I would like to sail from North Sea in Peconic Bay...along the West side of Shelter Island...then it's north side...out thru the Gut...and head about 12 miles across the sound to Duck Island! I am very concerned about the Gut! Always a heavy tide there with heavy chop! Be a bad place to turtle or get shaken apart! If anyone has experience here on certain wind and tide conditions,please write me!
Marty
Hi, Marty,
Smallest boat I ever took through the gut was a 26' sloop. Took longer than I planned to get there from Shelter Isl. so I missed slack water... tried to fight an outgoing (southbound) tide anyway... under sail (bad motor) ... in light air. This was 15 years ago. I remember large formations in the water, which resembled 'standing waves' like in white water canoeing... except there was less foam, but *much* larger, smoother waves, with holes bigger than my sloop between 'em ... tacking and tacking, trying not to drift sideways into, literally into one of these monsters... eventually, unable to make any headway, we turned around, or maybe just eased off and slid backwards into calm water in Gardiners' Bay. 3 or 4 hrs later it was a different story.. calm and easy...
The previous weekend, we were up in port Judith, getting the motor allegedly repaired, we almost sailed out of that harbor with plans to shoot the gut... but didn't... weather just too rough. We heard later on the VHF that a cabin cruiser of some sort was fishing in the gut, and *pitchpoled* with fatalities.
So, check your tide tables. If I'd had your hobie, who knows, mighta shot upstream through the Gut much easier than my old tub. Might be fun!
hey
I sailed to long island from CT a couple times this past summer but never made it as far east as orient point... could see it visibly though... made it over very fast on the h-18 w/ spin
anyways... if you sail over you are more than welcome to stop by our hobie beach in Madison, CT it is a few miles west of Duck Island. You could even crash at our beach and we could accomodate you somehow. We have about 30 cats (28 hobies, 1 nacra, 1 prindle). If you need any more info don't hesistate to email me.
I've thought about organizing a fleet group sail to long island (greenport possibly?) staying the night and sailing back in the morning. But there aren't many cat sailors I could find to contact in the area. Maybe we could set up an inter- fleet thing.
-Todd Riccardi
Vice Commodore Fleet 136