I always liked the idea of camp cruising; it has so many things going for it for those with a sense of adventure. Camp cruising lends itself to people who just want to get out on the water. It combines boating with travel on a budget, and New England waters are the perfect playground for it.
Imagine you want to go on vacation to a national park or a pleasant beach town somewhere. Have you looked at the cost of airfare, car rental, and hotel lately, not to mention the cost of eating out three meals a day? You could buy an inexpensive boat for what it would cost you for a week.
The web defines a camp cruiser as a small, trailerable boat, often a compact sailboat or light powerboat designed for shallow water exploration, beaching, and simple overnight camping aboard. Where it says camping aboard, I take that to mean the boat has no large cabin with a galley and head because then you’re cruising, not camp cruising.
Almost any boat can be used for camp cruising, such as a Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, or Bayliner, although I prefer aluminum or wood over fiberglass because they are much lighter and easier to drag up a beach. You can use either paddle, sail, or power depending on your preferences. Now, I love to sail, but for camp cruising I prefer a powerboat. The main reason is that they are easier to set up, and I can get farther quicker. So, for a weekend trip, a boat with a cruising speed of, say, 20 knots, opens more possibilities in the limited time I have. But if sailing is your thing, knock yourself out
Most of my camp cruising was done in either a 16-foot flat-bottom wooden skiff or a 14-foot aluminum boat such as the Muskie shown in the photo behind my nephew Danny (on the right) and my son Brendon. This photo was taken many years ago on Sheffield Island in Norwalk, Connecticut. The Norwalk Islands were one of our favorite places to camp.
Nowadays, it can be a bit more complicated to camp cruise depending on your area. There are a lot more boats now, and many anchorages have restrictions and regulations. Heading out without doing your research could be a problem; start by getting the New England Cruising Guide and putting a plan together. In many anchorages, camping aboard is possible, but camping ashore is not.
The Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile recreational water trail connecting 220 islands and 240 sites spanning the entire coast of Maine from Kittery to Lubec. It is fully accessible to small powerboats, sailboats, and human-powered craft. While famous among sea kayakers, a significant portion of the trail and its overnight camping sites can be safely navigated and visited using powerboats. Anyone interested in exploring the trail should get the 350-page guide available at https://mita.org/explore-the-trail/
If you are into human-powered craft, Maine’s got you covered again with the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. It’s a 92-mile ribbon of pristine lakes, rivers, and streams in northern Maine that offers one of America’s most famous backcountry canoe trips. A Waterway trip includes moose sightings, 5 mph currents pushing you down the river, and over 80 primitive campsites. There are also guided trips available, which I would suggest. Maine also has many other state-managed Public Reserved Lands where you can camp for free, including Maine’s largest lake, Moosehead Lake. All the information you need is available at VisitMaine.com.
A little closer to home, cruising and anchoring out on Long Island Sound offers a protected 90-nautical-mile coastal route filled with scenic harbors, historic maritime villages, and peaceful anchorages. On the North Shore of Long Island Sound, you will find large natural harbors with ample facilities and room to anchor. Hempstead Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Huntington Harbor offer complete cruising grounds for small boats that never have to leave the mouth of the harbor.
On the Connecticut shore, frequent small harbors cover the coast along with numerous islands, rock outcroppings, and river entrances. The harbors of the western end are more complicated to enter and more tightly packed. Marinas are ample but are normally crowded with local boats. If you are planning to cruise Long Island Sound, there are a couple of cruising guides available on Amazon. This is a link to the Waterway Guide Long Island Sound edition: https://www.waterwayguide.com/knowledge-center/news-post/12226/cruising-long-island-sound
There are many great cruising areas worth visiting in New England, all with unique features and attractions; Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket to name a few. Some areas have places you can camp, but others do not, so research is the key here.
With a bit of planning and good seamanship, you and your family could have a great vacation which won’t cost you an arm and a leg. I would much rather be sitting by a crackling fire watching the sunset with a sundowner in my hand than sitting in a room at the Holiday Inn. So, put away the TV remote and pull out a waterway guide. Enjoy the great outdoors on your own boat.