Leaving a boat east coast USA for summer 2021

[gertha]

Have a little plan to sail to a port close to NewYork arriving end of May.
Have another little plan to sail USA east coast to Carib end of November
Anyone any recommendations of good place ,poss on the hard for this time.

Simon

 

[Laser310]

There are many great boat yards within an hour or two of NYC on Long Island Sound, but storage near NYC is a little expensive, compared with, say, further NE - Rhode Island to Maine. It happens that Rhode Island to Maine is some of the best cruising grounds in the USA - so maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to end up there. South from NYC, NJ has a few yards too, but it's more of a motor boat area.

Also, when heading to the Caribbean, in say late fall to early winter it's actually better to leave from further east - Newport is better than New York.., because you will begin with a bit more of the easting completed.

If you want more details, perhaps mention a little about your boat - how big.., what is the draft.., will you need any work done, or are you just looking for storage..?

 

[michael_w]

Remember it get very cold in New England. I know of an experienced owner who forgot this fact. Boat stored at Wayfarer Marine in Camden, Maine. When he returned in the spring he discovered that his extensive wine cellar had frozen and the bilge was full of rather expensive vinegar and broken glass.

Friends have stored boats in Deltaville MD. IRRC there is a very helpful customs office here who suspends your cruising permit whilst the boat is laid up. I've stored boats at Cracker Boy Boatworks in Ft Pierce Florida, They are a DIY yard.

 

[Laser310]

Remember it get very cold in New England. I know of an experienced owner who forgot this fact.

He forgot that it goes below freezing in Maine?

Anyway, yards up there know how to winterize a boat.., but if the owner leaves wine on the boat without telling the yard, that's their own fault.

Climate-controlled indoor storage is available.

 

[RobbieW]

Friends have stored boats in Deltaville MD. IRRC there is a very helpful customs office here who suspends your cruising permit whilst the boat is laid up.

Now you remind me of the town (though I'm pretty sure its VA not MD), I have friends laid up there at the moment. Its cheap too

 

[gertha]

There are many great boat yards within an hour or two of NYC on Long Island Sound, but storage near NYC is a little expensive, compared with, say, further NE - Rhode Island to Maine. It happens that Rhode Island to Maine is some of the best cruising grounds in the USA - so maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to end up there. South from NYC, NJ has a few yards too, but it's more of a motor boat area.

Also, when heading to the Caribbean, in say late fall to early winter it's actually better to leave from further east - Newport is better than New York.., because you will begin with a bit more of the easting completed.

If you want more details, perhaps mention a little about your boat - how big.., what is the draft.., will you need any work done, or are you just looking for storage..?

Boat is Swan 46
she is 47ft long 8ft deep12 ft wide.
hopfully it will be straight storage, I can normaly do own repairs .

 

[Laser310]

Boat is Swan 46

Many of the local Swans are kept at Pilot's Point Marina, in Westbrook CT. I think it is some kind of authorized Swan yard.

A friend has a 66, and it's often there - along with another 66. These big boats don't usually winter there, as they go south. This year is different.

Another friend has a 54, and it has wintered there. Yet another friend had a 45 and it wintered there when he owned it.

Pilots Point was an independent boat yard until a few years ago, when it became part of the Safe Harbor group of marinas - Safe Harbor now owns _many_ of the marinas in the US northeast (and probably elsewhere). I guess their prices are a bit higher than whatever independent marinas still remain. They typically have swimming pools and a bunch of things you probably don't care about. None of the owners I know are using any of that - their boats are at the yacht club, when they are using them, and just go to Pilots between regattas or when they won't be used for a while.

Still, this is considered a great yard - a large percentage of the better race boats between New York and Newport use this yard. Many boats I have raced on use this yard.

I think that in terms of the price, it's a little less expensive than yards closer to NYC (it's probably a 1.5-2hr drive from manhattan), but not by much, and maybe a bit more than some other yards nearby.., but probably not by much.

This particular yard is divided in to two adjacent yards with separate entrances - I think the one where most of the Swans go (especially the cruising Swans) is the "south yard" - but I always forget which is which.

Safe Harbor Marinas – Pilots Point| Westbrook, Connecticut

 

[Laser310]

I just remembered - I know another guy with a either 56 or 53 an he keeps it there too.

 

[michael_w]

Consolidated Yachts on City Island were very helpful on two occasions, several years apart. One problem was a boom that needed reinforcing, the other an alternator problem.

In any event, City Island is one of my favorite ports of call. A slightly weird mixture of boatyards, bohemia and vast fish and chip emporia, Short bus ride to the subway terminal and the rest of NYC.

If arriving via the East River, watch out for the Stepping Stones, boats hitting them provide a lot of work for the local yards.

 

[Walther]

City Island is one of my favorite ports of call. A slightly weird mixture of boatyards, bohemia and vast fish and chip emporia

Plenty of seafood restaurants, mostly specializing in lobster ... but Americans have absolutely no idea how to do decent fish and chips.