Our four-day journey down the Connecticut River was coming to a close with a fairly easy paddle from Selden Neck to the mouth of the river. We packed up camp with our sights on the Connecticut River Museum in Essex and Old Saybrook as our final destination.
This portion of the river, heading South, is very busy with boat traffic. Seeing that it is a holiday week and after the experiences we already encountered, it’s important to get on the water early. The morning traffic was much lighter than what we would have faced in the afternoon.
The Onrust
The river bends after Deep River, CT. As we came around the bend, the Connecticut River Museum appeared on the West riverbank. A number of kayakers were all around. They worked their way upriver or explored a nearby cove. The museum is set along the banks of the river in an 1878 steamboat warehouse. Tony has worked with the museum on school programs and we had recently attended their annual Shad Bake event. Docked outside the museum is the Onrust, a replica of Adriaen Block’s ship, the first to sail up the Connecticut River.
Don’t miss Lord’s Cove
After getting a closer look at the Onrust and bobbing through a number of anchored boats, we continue down the river towards Goose Island. Goose Island is on the eastern side of the river and marks the entrance to Lord’s Cove. This is yet another wonderous area on the river. A majority of our morning was spent winding through the preserve, which is a great space to lose yourself in for a little while. Instead of being a loop that’s fully connected, some paths end. I imagine the tide has a major impact on this area. It is definitely a spot we’ll be back to experience again.
The sun was bright and the winds were picking up as we exit the cove and head toward the I-95 bridge in Old Saybrook. Boat traffic is increasing, with a number of folks making their exit from the Connecticut River into Long Island Sound. The water is choppy as you get closer to the mouth of the river so it is important to keep our focus as we cut clear across the river at a slight angle. This was definitely a day of weaving across the river to see different points of interest.
Old Saybrook: find your dock
In Old Saybrook, there are a number of exit points for the Connecticut River. The town dock at the end of Sheffield Street and the South Cove boat launch is for cartop boats only. The town boat launch can be used by motorized boats. We opted for the town dock, located in the North Cover and right next to the North Cove Yacht Club. Beware of children taking sailing lessons in this area! We kept a good distance between our canoe and the kids. That’s where our trip ends. Four days on the river have come to a close and my mom was there with our car, ready to load up and head home, but not before a little dockside reunion with Rigby!
