Huck Finn Redux

[sv Lorelei]

So we've (the Commodear and I) determined to launch the Islay Skiff at the Bissell Bridge launch on the Connecticut river and proceed southward to the mouth thereof during a suitable weekend this spring.

Myself, son Harrison (13) and Liam (10) for a two day adventure down the length of the river. A nourishing victual to be delivered at our first nights terminus by the Commodear...and serious trailer toting. Optimistically returning to Clinton Harbor, but more realistically probably to Great Island Boat Launching Ramp at the mouth of the CT River. (some ironic justice in that as the place where me own Da took me camping out on Griswold Point).

It's a slightly different cruise from what they're used to. No indoor plumbing as they have on Lorelei, no snug berths. Should be a good time if it don't kill me ;-) Thank God for adversity, if it 'twernt for that we'd learn nothin'.

Should be a grand tour!

[Thorne]

Any good links to charts? Camping on shore? Sounds wonderful...

[Thad]

Waiting 'til after the flood? It will be very interesting and should be very nice. The view from the water is always interesting and that used to be an active commercial waterway. You will be starting below Waterbury, but Hartford used to radiate up from the river as did many another city and town, from times when waterways were the highways. Then there are the forests and fields that in most places seem to leave the river alone.

[Canoez]

No personal interest here, but a friend and her husband have recently published The Connecticut River Boating Guide : Source to Sea by Elizabeth Farnsworth, John Sinton and Wendy Sinton. I believe it is published by the Connecticut River Watershed Council (http://www.ctriver.org/index.html)

A good book with great insight into the river.

[sv Lorelei]

Thad, definitely. It's an open boat and I think it'd be too chilly that early in the spring. I'm figuring May sometime. We did an overnight aboard Lorelei once when the night-time temps got down to 40 and that's cold enough for my middle aged bones.

NOAA Charts I think go as far north as the head of navigation in Hartford and the channel is marked that far north anyway. They got Amistad up that far so I don't think the skiff will be a problem. We'll be putting in a town or so north of Hartford at one of the State launching ramps. Above that the river has some really shallow sections and there's not much scenic variation and we're shooting for a two day passage. I'm figuring on something like 30 mile days and if we do better, then that's great.

One of my wife's clients works for the DEP in the Fisheries Department and he said they have maps available that show the whole CT part of the river with launching ramps and car top launch sites.

Canoez, there's a lot of the CT river as it goes all the way up to the Canadian border IIRC. It's a great river for shallow water craft if you don't mind portaging around the dams.

As it is, this'll be a different kind of cruise for us, but if it turns out well, it may be one that bears some repeating throughout New England. One of the purposes for building the skiff was to have a boat we could really gunkhole with.

[Canoez]

Canoez, there's a lot of the CT river as it goes all the way up to the Canadian border IIRC. It's a great river for shallow water craft if you don't mind portaging around the dams.

As it is, this'll be a different kind of cruise for us, but if it turns out well, it may be one that bears some repeating throughout New England. One of the purposes for building the skiff was to have a boat we could really gunkhole with.

I've paddled sections of the river from about Hartland, Vermont down to Holyoke, and just below Enfield to down below Hartford. The cool thing is that you don't need to portage around the dams - because it's considered a navigable waterway, the power companies that dam up the river have to transport you to the next navigable spot on either side of the dams.

With your skiff, you'd probably enjoy the section from the Northfield, MA boatramp down to Barton's Cove near Turner's falls. The power company maintains a camping area along the river in Northfield with lean-tos, water, toilets and tables. It is a good Huck Finn experience. Best to do it before in late May and early June before the power-boaters get out there. Either that or stick to shallow water.

[sv Lorelei]

My folks were from Springfield MA and we still have a bit of family in the area. I grew up to 13 YO in Enfield and there used to be a little flood plain just below the Enfield dam where you could park and car-top and get in to do some fishing. We used to put in there and paddle around just below the dam. Pretty boney, and AFAIK the Enfield dam wasn't hydro so you'd have to portage around it. There was a sluice canal around the far side but I'm not sure if it still exists or what kind of repair it was in. I was thinking about the upper section too, but also we could probably get a few weekends in just doing some of the backwaters of the lower river. Seldens creek, Hamburg cove and some of those spots.

We have friends who have a summer place in Cotuit and I wouldn't mind blasting around there for a few days. Lots of options with a small trailerable boat.

[raycon]

Fall and early winter is a good time to be on lower stretch of the CT river.
April is probably peak high water on the CT river. End of May should see it back to normal levels.

I'm near Whale bone creek 1/2 mile North of Seldens inlet.

[sv Lorelei]

We're over in Killingworth but I lived in Old Lyme off and on from 74 to the early 90's. I work upriver in Portland so I know the flooding pretty well. The only boating I've done on the lower CT was either a short canoe trip from Essex to Lords Island in the early spring when the Bald Eagles were nesting, or years ago with Dad's power boat, fishing from the sound up as high as the Salmon river. Kinda want to see the stuff in between!

I agree late May may be the time to go, but I'd consider a freakishly warm weekend before that if one should pop up. With the way it's raining today I may be swimming home from work anyway!

[Kevin G]

Before you go, you might want to read"The Voyage of the Ant". Tells of building a canoe without modern tools, and a trip on the Conn. upstream. Not a long book, but interesting.

KG

[raycon]

Eagle festival is this weekend on the CT river centered around Essex. Some of the neighboring towns will be having chilli and chowder contests worth a pop in for some kettle corn & chowder if you're in the area.
Rivers moving fast but the ice has broken up nicely. Last year I was tempted to attend in the Cruiser not this year.Stickering,stacking and milling till noon after that headed over with the kids. WBRF restoration class gathering Sat&Sun as well worth a FYI visit.