Sept 16 Cruise 2, Day 10 — Mattituck, LI to Price Bend Anchorage in Huntington Bay, LI, 44NM

Tide was lower on the way out of Mattituck Inlet to the Sound, but enough water all the way. This picture reminds me, in a way, of the ICW in the Carolinas.

 

Boating along the bayou:

But the egrets were not home today.

After three spectacular sailing days: Pawcatuck to Block, Block to Stonington and Stonington to Mattituck, today’s passage was a disappointment. Not enough wind and too close to the bow.

Once in the Sound we had the Main up throughout the 8 1/4 hour passage, and the Genoa or jib deployed during parts of it, but the motor was on almost all the way — 8.1 engine hours. We pulled anchor at 8:15 and dropped it again at 4:30. A long day’s drive to cover 44 miles, compared to perhaps 500 miles if we had been driving a car. Our course was west and in the morning the wind had enough north in it to let us motor sail. But around noon the wind died and it came back from due east so no headsail could be used.

We have been to several ports in Huntington Bay: Lloyds Harbor to the west, Huntington Harbor to the south and the Northport and Centerport YCs to the east. Today we tried the wide open anchorage of Price Bend, in the north, snuggled behind Easton’s Neck. I’ve never been there before. Poor protection in winds from the south, but the forecast said NW. There’s even a small cove further in with its own marked channel, full of smaller boats.

The area, with 7 to 10 feet of water at low, is huge and we anchored about 100 yards from shore, near our neighbor’s home.

There was good enough protection from the light winds.  The drawback, as predicted by the Cruising Guides, is the wakes created by large motor boats passing in and out of the eastern yacht clubs. But all quiet at night. 

No cooking needed for tonight’s dinner; let’s see if green propane canister number one can last through tomorrow’s breakfast. We have to go home tomorrow.