You’ll find there are several lee anchorages when you cruise in Long Island.
There are the usual easterly trade winds along the northern half of Long Island, some with sandy beaches and access to the small villages that dot the main highway running the length of the island.
But south of Deadman’s Cay, you will leave the bank, and the shoreline is much more forbidding, with no good stops for the cruising boats.
Cape Santa Maria marks the northwest end of the island. Just a few miles south of the Cape, Calabash Bay is a popular stopping point for boats arriving from the north. There are several entrances through the protecting reef, then a large area suitable for anchoring with a good sand bottom off a gorgeous beach.
The real attraction here is the Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort, which welcomes visiting cruisers to the excellent restaurant, bar, and store. There is plenty of uncrowded beach to enjoy, and the resort grounds are attractive for walking. But if there is a strong northerly or northeast swell on the Atlantic, it will wrap around the Cape and create an uncomfortable surge in this anchorage. In that case, you will likely want to move farther south.
Cruising Destinations
The common destination for cruising boats is Thompson Bay and the village of Salt Pond along its eastern shore. There are no marinas here, but the anchorage is large and offers good protection in most weather. The town is friendly and provides all the services a cruising boat will generally need. Indian Hole Point wraps the western shore of the bay, and some smaller cays give a bit of protection to the south.
Boats commonly weather a frontal passage here, although the initial southwest wind can make it uncomfortable for a while. But when the breeze shifts to the west then northwest, the water settles down nicely. Many boats will move over to the western shore of the bay early, then back to the eastern side when the wind clocks into the northeast.
Thompson Bay Anchorage in Long Island
Gorgeous Views at the Santa Maria Resort and Villas art Calabash Bay
Saint Joseph’s Anglican Church in Long Island.
The Long Island Breeze Resort long served as cruiser central in Salt Pond. Unfortunately, it suffered significant damage during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 and remains closed. Just next door, Long Island Petroleum has completely rebuilt its dock and dredged the approach channel, allowing boats with draft up to six feet to obtain fuel and water at the dock.
Provisioning
Some of the best provisionings in the Out Islands is here in Salt Pond at Hillside Grocery, close by the dinghy dock. Be sure to get there on the weekend when you cruise in Long Island. Every Saturday morning, there is an excellent farmer’s market with a variety of fresh produce and local craft items. While you’re hre, Happy hour at Sou’Side is popular, and there is a new beach bar in the northwest corner of the bay called Tiny’s Hurricane Hole.
There is also a marine supply store and several gift shops. That includes some very nice jewelry at the Visitor Center near Long Island Petroleum, all within easy walking distance. For more local information, check in with the cruiser’s net on VHF16 at 8:15 AM.
Given the size of the island and limited anchorages, it is impossible to navigate entirely by boat. We suggest you rent a car in Salt Pond and explore both north and south. Visit Clarence Town and Dean’s Blue Hole in the south, and the Columbus Monument in the far north. The ocean view and dramatic cliffs and reefs in both areas are stunning.
Just look at the Chart and you will know where the name came from. It may not be very imaginative, but Long Island is certainly descriptive for this, one of the most easily accessible of the Out Islands.
Nearly 80 miles long from northwest to southeast and only a few miles wide, Long Island seems to stretch on forever. The banks on the west side make up an attractive and varied cruising ground for moderate draft vessels. They can be reached from Exuma Sound to the north or across the bank from the George Town area.
The island is about 80 miles long and 4 miles wide at its widest point. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the northern quarter of the island.
The northeast side of is noted for its steep rocky headlands, while the southwest coast is noted for its broad white beaches with soft sand. The terrain ranges widely throughout the island, including white flat expanses from which salt is extracted, swamplands, beaches, and sloping (in the north) and low (in the south) hills.
It is particularly noted for its caves, which have played a major role in the island’s history. Dean’s Blue Hole, located west of Clarence Town, is the world’s second deepest underwater sinkhole, dropping to a depth of about 200 meters, making it more than double the depth of most other large holes.
Hurricane Joaquin was the dominant event this fall in The Bahamas. The brutal, slow-moving hurricane suddenly went from a category one near Mayaguana to a category four and sat over Crooked and Acklins islands for two days with destructive winds and torrential rains. Joaquin then caused major damage in Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador as it moved west, north and northeast out of the region. But as they say in The Bahamas, “Thank God for life,” as the storm did not claim a soul. There are hundreds of stories of heroic action and bravery and later of incredible generosity. One family in Crooked Island had to leave their house through a window as it became flooded to the ceiling. Michael Carroll was able to free one of his boats from its trailer, then he and his family spent 19 hours in the boat tied in the lee of his house.
The long rebuilding of the southern islands has begun, and their citizens are showing amazing resilience and determination.
Recovery
Some areas are recovering from Joaquin a lot faster than others. In Long Island, Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina opened soon after Joaquin’s passage. Flying Fish Marina reported some slight damage to its docks yet was expected to be fully operative within weeks of the hurricane’s landfall. Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort on the north tip of the island had a bit of beach erosion but is completely open. Long Island Petroleum is pumping fuel in Salt Pond. Services in Salt Pond will be fairly normal by Christmas though many of their fishing boats were destroyed.
In San Salvador, Club Med and Riding Rock Resort & Marina are working on repairs. Club Med hopes to be open by December 20th. Rum Cay’s recovery efforts are a bit slower as the loss of government docks hampered equipment delivery.
Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay are in various stages of reconstruction, but they sustained the most damage and full recovery will take time. Be sure to be full of fuel, water and supplies if you sail to Rum Cay and the southeast islands. Phone lines are expected to be back in service so call ahead to your destination.
A house near Mangrove Bush, Long Island, is in dire need of repairs post Joaquin.
Giving a hand
December is known as a season for giving, so what can the cruising community do to help the southern islands? The best answer is to carry on and bring business to the islands. Cruise down to the southeast and purchase groceries and fuel where available. Eat ashore if there is a restaurant open. Hire a bonefish guide. If you want to get involved, look around to see where help is needed and ask the local people. Offer whatever skills you have, or simply start working alongside someone. Remember also that cash is good.
El Faro
There was loss of life at sea—a reminder of nature’s wrath and the importance to be prepared for the worst. The 790-foot cargo ship El Faro (“the lighthouse”) went down with all 33 crew members on board in an area near the southeastern Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin’s passage. The nearly 40-year-old El Faro was on its regular run from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it lost power and began taking on water in heavy seas. It is the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S. flagged vessel in more than 30 years.
Navtours
A good charter company is operating crewed and bareboat charters out of Nassau, Staniel Cay and Great Exuma. Navtours is a French Canadian company with years of experience in the business, and they are the first to offer extensive services in the Exumas. Skipper your own boat, or charter one with a captain, mate and cook.
Charter companies have been operating in the Sea of Abaco for years because it is a safe, enclosed area where visitors can cruise for weeks and anchor in a different location every night. The Exumas are more difficult because there are fewer good harbors in westerly winds, but this island chain is definitely worth it with the support of a good charter company. With the variety of departure and return locations and with its backup and safety services, Navtours provides a wonderful way to enjoy the finest cruising in the Bahamian region. navtours.com
Crewed or bareboat charters are now available in the Exumas with Navtours.
Navigation notes:
There were few aids to navigation that could have been affected by Hurricane Joaquin in the southeast islands none of which are essential. Proceed with caution and call ahead to marinas before making way to storm affected areas.
by Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine, December 2015
GOING GATSBY
This Long Island, New York, stopover is a must for summertime cruisers exploring the Northeast.
If you’re cruising east of New York City this summer, think about a stopover at Port Washington on Long Island’s North Shore. With its large marinas and mooring fields, waterfront restaurants and marine services, “Port,” as locals know it, is one of the major boating destinations on the East Coast. It’s worth a visit whether just for an overnight if you’re heading farther east, say to Newport, or even up to Maine, or as a destination in its own right. And it’s easy to get to. In fact, Port Washington is only about four miles east of the Throgs Neck Bridge, marking the entrance to Long Island Sound. “We like to say we’re Exit One on the Sound,” says Steve Wachter, the general manager of Brewer Capri Marina, a massive full-service waterfront complex in Port Washington.
An affluent, commuter suburb, Port Washington has a lot going for it. For openers, it’s a pretty spot where stately waterfront homes with long, sloping greenswards grace the shoreline, particularly on the western—or Great Neck—shoreline. When I lived there many years ago, we used to enjoy sailing by one that had his-and-hers seaplanes out in front. If Gatsby comes to mind, there’s a reason. Indeed, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his classic while staying in Great Neck, which he called West Egg, looking across the bay to Sands Point—the most affluent section of Port Washington—where his Daisy was staying in East Egg. If you want to indulge your Gatsby-type impulses today, there’s Rodeo Drive-type shopping only 15 minutes away by car, while Manhattan itself is only 36 minutes away by train.
The Port Washington peninsula was settled in the 17th century by Dutch traders and English farmers who originally called it Cow Bay, a name that didn’t sit well with residents as the town morphed into one of the most desirable sections of Long Island’s Gold Coast. Cow Bay became Manhasset Bay long ago, the entrance of which is wide, well-marked and easy to find. After cruising under the Throgs Neck Bridge, stay in the ship channel but keep an eye out for commercial traffic; there are a lot of large tugs and barges. Leave City Island on your port side and Stepping Stones light (46-feet-high) to starboard; in fact, stay well north and west of the light. Then pass north of G29 off Hewlett Point (it marks the tip of Great Neck), make a wide turn south and you’ll be the middle of the channel for Manhasset Bay. After about a mile you’ll pass G1, the entrance to Manhasset Bay, with Plum Point on your port side; that’s the tip of Sands Point (Gatsby’s East Egg). The waterfront section of Port Washington will now stretch out on your left side; the right side is Great Neck, and is almost all residential. Downtown Port Washington is straight ahead, with an eight-foot channel carrying all the way up to the large Town Dock.
The Brewer Capri Marinas, East and West, come first, and they form one of the largest waterfront facilities on the Sound. The two adjoining Capri East and West marinas have a total of 350 slips and welcome transients up to 175 feet. For information, call them on Channel 9 or 71. These are first-class, full-service marinas with high-speed fuel pumps for gas and diesel, four Travelifts, pump-out facilities, showers and laundry, and mechanics for all types of repairs. For casual dining, Capri West has Butler’s Clam Shack and a snack bar by the pool; Capri East offers waterfront dining on the pier at Marino’s, one of the best restaurants in port. They also offer golf carts and limo and car rentals for guests.
Heading farther into the bay, as you approach Toms Point watch for seaplanes; their landing area is clearly marked on charts. On summer weekends they come in low and often. Just past Toms Point you’ll see Manhasset Bay Marina, another large full-service facility with 285 slips; it too, welcomes transients and can handle yachts up to 110 feet. Contact them on Channel 9. Manhasset Bay Marina has a 75-ton Travelift and offers all repair services; it has the only other gas and diesel fuel dock on the bay, plus showers, laundry, pump-out, a ship’s store, and 24-hour security. Overlooking the marina is LaMotta’s Waterfront Restaurant for lunch and dinner, with live music on Friday nights during the summer and free dockage if you’re dining there.
Across from Toms Point is downtown Port Washington, with the large town dock. The water taxi is based there; call it on Channel 9 or (516) 767-1691. It offers launch service throughout the bay; one way costs $5 or $8 roundtrip from 8AM to midnight in season. In addition to a fleet of launches, the water taxi has a 47-foot Crosby for sunset or lighthouse cruises. If you’re in Port on a Saturday morning, check out the Farmers’ Market at the Town Dock from 8AM to noon for fresh organic foods, baked goods, flowers, and whatever else turns up.
Just south of the Town Dock is Louie’s Oyster Bar and Grille, one of the best-known waterfront restaurants (seafood specialties, but everything else, too) on Long Island. Louie’s opened in 1905 on a barge accessible only by boat under the name “Kare Killer.” Louie’s also has its own dock and can hold boats up to 50 feet with free dockage while dining there. Plan at least one lunch or dinner there, either inside or on the deck. Call on Channel 68.
Inspiration Wharf is just south of Louie’s, with some transient slips and moorings. You can rent kayaks there at Atlantic outfitters, pick up some handmade ice cream at Douglas & James, or enjoy a fine Chinese lunch or dinner at Dynasty. The Manhasset Bay Shipyard and the Manhasset Bay and Port Washington Yacht Clubs are a bit farther south.
If you just want to relax on shore, take in a free summer concert at the John Philip Sousa (a Port native) bandstand in Sunset Park on the waterfront downtown. Or visit the Sands Point Preserve, a 209-acre county park with nature trails and views of the Sound. Not to be missed is Falaise, which Harry Guggenheim (the philanthropist and former publisher of Newsday) built in 1923 based on a 13th-century French manor house.
There are small shops all along Main Street in Port, but if you’re a serious shopper get a cab and head for the Americana Mall—“The Miracle Mile”—just 15 minutes away in Manhasset. Think high-end Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, among many others. Gatsby would feel right at home. CRUISER RESOURCES
