Long Island Sound

Since my last post I have been spending time on Long Island Sound.  Believe it or not we owe the existence of Long Island Sound to the Ice Age and glacier activity from 18,000 years ago.  Much of Connecticut, Long Island, and Long Island Sound were covered by thick sheets of ice back then.  The flow and the ultimate melting of the glaciers carved out the sound and deposited their remains on the shores of Connecticut and Long Island.  The Sound is only about 110 miles long and 20 miles wide - stretching from the East River of New York City (to the West) out to Montauk Point where the sound flows to the Atlantic Ocean (and vice versa). The Sound is truly an underrated and beautiful natural resource.  There is a rich history and heritage dating back to revolutionary war times.  And, the Sound has been a major fisheries resource over the years.  It is know for lobster, crab, clams, flounder, and bluefish to name a few.

Several major cities line the shores of the sound.  On the south shore of Connecticut you have cities including Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk, Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London.  On the north shore of Long Island you have Bayside,  Great Neck, Glen Cove, Port Washington, Northport, Port Jefferson, and Orient Point.

In and around all of these cities on both sides of the sound are numerous bays, harbors, inlets, anchorages and islands that offer tons of opportunities for the cruising sailor (me) to explore.  Each day as I decide where to go next I choose one place but have to overlook at least ten other great options.  I could easily spend the entire year of this trip just 'gunkholing' along the the sound.  For those unfamiliar with the term - gunkholing - is a boating term referring to a type of cruising in shallow or shoal water, meandering from place to place, spending the nights in coves.

So, I have been gunkholing in Little Neck Bay,  New Rochelle, Mamaroneck,  Norwalk,  Greenwich,  Northport, Huntington Harbor, Calf Island,  Port Washington, Port Jefferson,  Duck Island, and now Stonington Harbor.

Over the past couple weeks I have visited with several family members who live in this area.  I also took a long weekend off the boat and went home to Chicago to spend time with Janet and Penny!!!

Here's a few photos from the past couple weeks...

Hanging out with Chris/Chris/and Ariana...

Captain Ariana takes over 'Green Ayes'...

Dinner with Aunt Marie and Cousin Lisa:

Teein' 'em up with Cousin Marybeth:

Telling stories and laughing with Donnie and Marybeth

At home with Penny getting soaked in the fountain:

Swinging in the park with Penny

One of the many beautiful and peaceful anchorages I've been in.  This is moon rise over Duck Island

And here's sunset over Port Washington

A storm rolls in over Huntington Harbor

Company at night in a secluded anchorage at Calf Island.

The next phase of the trip will be to Martha's Vineyard where I'll be meeting up with Janet.  We'll spend a week enjoying Martha's Vineyard and the Cape Cod area.  That's all for now!!!