Long Island Pilot Notes
Coastal Summary 72
Stratford Harbor 80
Fishers Island Sound 73
Norwalk, CT 3
Stonington, CT 3
Stamford, CT 3
Mystic, CT 5
City Island, NY 86
Eastern Long Island Sound 75
South Shore Ports 86
New London, CT 7
Greenport, NY 86
Old Saybrook, CT 7
Port Jefferson, NY 9
Northport/Huntington, NY 89
Western Long Island Sound 80
Oyster Bay, NY 89
New Haven, CT 0
Hempstead Harbor, NY 89
Milford Harbor 80
Port Washington, NY 92
Coastal Summary
Pay close attention to traffic, particularly at
Long Island Sound stretches from The Race night. The S route along the Sound from the
about 90nm W to Hell Gate. Both passes Race to the East River is frequented by com-
are subject to hazardous currents and heavy mercial traffic including oil and cement tows,
traffic. The Race is subject to choppy seas deep draft ships and other traffic bound for
when wind and current are opposed. The Bridgeport, New Haven, and New York. A
approaches to the East River and Hell Gate radio watch on VHF 13 is essential.
are covered in more detail in the New York Staying close to the N shore of the Sound
section, beginning on page 95. will keep you out of the way of most com-
The time of tide is nearly simultaneous mercial shipping, but there is substantial tug
throughout Long Island Sound, but the range and barge traffic between the ports of Port
of tide increases from about 2.5ft at the E end Chester, NY; Stamford, CT; Norwalk, CT;
to about 7.3ft at the W end. Bridgeport, CT; New Haven, CT and Port
In the E portion of Long Island Sound the Jefferson, NY.
current turns from .5 to 1.5 hours earlier Excellent heavy weather berths or anchor-
along the N shore than in the middle of the ages may be found in any number of harbors
sound. All of Long Island Sound is subject to on both sides of the Sound.
tidal currents of up to 1kt at max flood and There are numerous shoals, reefs, and islets,
ebb. Consult the Tidal Current Charts for particularly along the N shore; most notable
voyage planning, and consult Tidal Current are:
Tables before entering harbors and bays in Stepping Stones, between Great Neck and City
the sound. Island, marked by a low red brick lighthouse.
The N and S shores are equally subject Execution Rocks, NW of Manhasset Neck,
to fog, except that on spring and summer marked by a white stone tower, with well-
mornings, when there is little or no wind, fog marked channel to the S. Passing N of Ex-
will often hang along the Connecticut shore ecution Rocks is an excellent option if com-
while it is clear offshore and along the is- mercial traffic is dense.
land. Fog is less frequent in the W end of the
Sound than in the E.
72