Sea Mist
One of our favorite summer adventures is taking a sightseeing cruise to explore a new area, as for us, there is no better place than to be out on the water on a beautiful summer day. With this in mind, on Saturday, July 15, 2023, we boarded the Sea Mist, with its jaunty Pirate’s flag flying from the upper deck, and Captain Justin at the helm ready for a new adventure. During the 45-minute sightseeing cruise through the islands, Captain Justin narrated the history and pointed out interesting details about the Thimble Islands.
Captain Justin
The 44-foot Carman Boat of Chesapeake Design, 49-passenger Sea Mist has two decks, an enclosed lower deck with large windows for those desiring a more sheltered experience, with a snack bar, and head, and an open upper deck for those wanting to feel the wind in their hair, the sun on their faces, and have unobstructed views that are perfect for photography. We alternated from being on the lower deck to the upper deck to experience the best of both worlds.
The Thimble Islands is an archipelago in Connecticut in Long Island Sound consisting of Horse Island, Money Island, Governor Island, Rogers Island, Bear Island, Davis Island, High Island, Pot Island, Outer Island, Kidd Island, and a few smaller islands.
Horse Island
While some of the islands are inhabited with spectacular summer homes, some with a single home, some have a cluster of well-appointed homes on them to create a small community, and others are uninhabited, for a reason, like Horse Island, the largest of the islands with 17 acres, which is owned by Yale University and is used as an ecological laboratory as three-quarters of the island is covered in poison ivy.
Money Island
Money Island is the next largest island with 12 acres and has a community of 32 homes and a library, followed by Governor Island (10 acres) inhabited with 14 houses, and Rogers Island is also substantial in size with 7.75 acres. Interesting to note about Bear Island is that it has a granite quarry on it, and its claim to fame includes supplying granite for the Lincoln Memorial, Grant’s Tomb, and the base for the Statue of Liberty.
Named for the thimbleberry, the Thimble Islands were first discovered in 1614 by Adrian Block, who also discovered Block Island. This impressive chain of islands has long attracted a celebrated clientele that included the 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft (1857-1930) who established his Summer White House on Davis Island for 2 years. The Privateer (and pirate) Captain William Kidd (1654-1701) also made his way around the Thimble Islands and legend has it that he may have buried his treasures on these islands.
Bridge across Islands once home to General Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb (1838-1883), who performed with the P.T. Barnum Circus out of Bridgeport, Connecticut, made his home on the Thimble Islands, and many other celebrities still have residences here including American cartoonist Garry Trudeau and his wife television host Jane Pauley.
As the Sea Mist made its way around the Thimble Islands, it was interesting to note not only the natural beauty of the landscape and the stunning homes, but also to watch the many birds in action including the black cormorants perched on the rocks with their wings poised and spread outwards to dry them in the sun after coming up from a dive, or the American Oystercatcher, a shorebird distinguishable by its black and white patterned body and long red bill.
It was also interesting to learn about the varying depths of the Long Island Sound as we cruised around the islands, which ranged from a low of 8 feet in certain parts to depths of 28 feet and deeper in others, making a knowledgeable and experienced captain essential when navigating in the Thimble Islands. We thoroughly enjoyed our Thimble Islands Cruise aboard the Sea Mist, and look forward to returning, perhaps before the season ends on October 15, 2023.
First Mate – Nate
Until our next adventure!
Thimble Island Cruises aboard the Sea Mist Information: Tours run from May until October 15, 2023. Tours depart promptly at 15 minutes after the hour.
July and August schedule: Daily with exception of Tuesdays when they are closed. The first cruise of the day departs at 10:15 am, with the last cruise at 4:15 pm. During August on Saturdays and Sundays, there is a Happy Hour Ride at 5:15 pm with light music (no tour).
September schedule: (including Labor Day): Fridays at 10:15 am, 12:15 pm, 2:15 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 10:15 am, 12:15 pm, 2:15 pm, 2:15 pm, and 4:15 pm.
October schedule: cruises run on Saturdays and Sundays only at 12:00 pm, and 2:00 pm. October 15th is the last cruise of the 2023 season.
See you on the next cruise!
Ticket Information: Adults: $16, Seniors: (65+): $15, Children: (Ages 4 – 12): $10. Happy Hour Boat Ride: $20.
Please check their website for additional information and to make a reservation: www.thimbleislandcruise.com.
Sea Mist, LLC
Thimble Island Cruises
4 Indian Point Road
Branford, CT 06405
Telephone: +1-203-488-8905
Email: seamist@thimbleislandcruise.com
Website: www.thimbleislandcruise.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/SeaMistThimbleIslandCruise/
Instagram: @seamistthimbleisland
Read more about our visit to Madison Connecticut in Luxury Experience in the following sections:Destinations,Hotels and Resorts – The Homestead Madison,Restaurants – Café Allegre,Restaurants -La Foresta,Restaurants – The Wharf Restauarnt,Chefs’ Recipes – Chef Brian Warmingham – The Wharf Restaurant,Spas – The Healing Salt Cave and Wellness Spa,Adventures – Riding a Bicycle Built for Two, Madison, CT,Adventures – Thimble Island Cruises aboard the Sea Mist,Liquor Cabinet – Stony Creek Brewery, andWine Cellar – Visting Chamard Vineyards and Bistro.
For more information on visiting Madison, Connecticut, please visit the websites: www.madisonct.com and www.ctvisit.com.
Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.
Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/LuxuryPair @luxurypair
Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair
© August 2023. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com
