August 7 - HYC/CIYC Eight Day Cruise — Day 6 Guilford to Charles Island Anchorage, 24 NM

 An early start at 8 a.m. today, before the tide ebbed any lower. At one point on the way out the depth meter showed only about one inch under ILENE’s keel. (5.9’ of water v. 5’ 10” keel) Once out in the Sound, that same ebbing tide created an adverse current. Our choices were to head west along the Connecticut coast, or to head south and pass east of Faulkner Island and its outlying reefs before heading west. The wind was the prevailing one in this area — from the southwest. Serge preferred the later option and why not— to gain more “sea room” before being pressed against the coast. ILENE flew main and small jib and was doing about four knots on the southbound starboard tack. But after the tack I found that the waves, the wind, my own doing something wrong and especially the adverse tidal current made for only two knots over the bottom with great difficulty in holding her head close hauled. 

At two knots we would not get there until dark and though I knew that the tide would turn favorable, eventually, I motorsailed for a couple hours at about four knots. Then I sailed the last eight miles, on a strait line directly into the anchorage, starting at about two knots and building to over seven. And again, though on a close reach, not much wave action or heeling.

The anchorage had many small power boats on anchor for a nice Sunday afternoon in or on the water. The top view shows the boats closer to the island, it’s west end to the left, and the bottom shows the boats further from the island. To the right, north of its east end the island has a shoal which protects anchored boats from waves from the west.

But there was plenty of room for us. We dropped directly north of the eastern side of the Island in 18 feet of water. The chart plotter says we are about a thousand feet from the shore; we could have gotten closer.

Gypsy Jake got here about an hour later, the crowd having already thinned out a bit, and anchored well off our starboard side. I have been here half a dozen times, always in calmer seas. Today it was rough, causing pitching. Serge suggested prudence could call for letting out more scope and it was a good suggestion. After dinner but before dark I increased to 100 feet of snubbed chain. Here is Serge on Gypsy Jake’s bow.

These storm clouds are dropping rain, the darker vertical orange bands are sunset rain. But it most all passed on land, behind us and the farmers need the rain more than we do.

 The dark threatening grey bands are rain waiting to fall. Before nine a squall passed with much stronger winds. They turned all the boats, briefly; we were headed north. We closed up hatches but only one drop of rain fell! And then calmer winds from the southwest again.