Threading through the Thimble Islands by kayak
A stiff northeast wind whipped up whitecaps and buffeted our boats the other day as we exited the Branford River, rounded Indian Neck Point, squeezed between Jeffrey Rock and Clam Island, and entered the open waters of Long Island Sound.
“I say we aim for Outer Island,” Phil Warner announced, pointing his paddle toward a tree-covered outcrop of pink granite bedrock some three miles east. Never mind that we would be plowing directly into a headwind and that an organized paddle on the Sound that our group of seven initially planned to join had been canceled that morning because of rough conditions.
“Doesn't look too bad out there,” I agreed. “Plus, the water is incredibly warm, must be 75 degrees.”
This was meant as reassurance that, in the unlikely event any of us flipped over, we wouldn't suffer from hypothermia, or worse. All of us have considerable experience in much more challenging seas, plus we wore life jackets and carried marine radios, along with other safety equipment.
Our destination: a distinctively picturesque archipelago known as the Thimble Islands.
This 365-island chain, whose summer residents include “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau and his wife, TV journalist Jane Pauley, once had been home to President William Taft and Tom Thumb of P.T. Barnum fame. Legend has it Capt. Kidd buried pirate treasure there.
A popular sightseeing destination in warm-weather months, the Thimbles attract flotillas of tour vessels that typically launch from the village of Stony Creek less than a mile away, creating crowded, hectic conditions in narrow channels during peak season.
We avoided such chaos by launching after Labor Day some six miles farther west on a chilly, overcast, blustery day, and had the islands virtually to ourselves.
Joining the fun were Robin Francis and Mike Maronich, who were aboard a super-fast, racing tandem surfski; Kurt Hatem, paddling a single racing sufski; and Curt Anderson and Bill Hills, who, like Phil and me, were in single sea kayaks.
Trying to keep pace with surfskis in sea kayaks would
be like attempting to pedal a fat-wheel mountain bike alongside carbon-titanium cycles in the Tour de France, so we agreed to split up and rendezvous in about an hour at Outer Island.
This five-acre island, part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, provides habitat for marine and avian wildlife. Classes from Southern Connecticut State University and local public schools also use Outer Island for nature studies; Yale University owns nearby Horse Island as part of the Peabody Museum of Natural History’s Ecological Laboratory.
According to Branford Historical Society records, granite quarried from another of the Thimbles, Bear Island, was used to build Grant’s Tomb, the base of the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial.
Once visited by Mattabesek Indians who referred to the islands as Kuttomquosh, which means “beautiful sea rocks,” the chain was renamed the Thimble Islands sometime after Dutch explorer Adrian Block became the first European to view them in 1614. By some accounts, the name was derived from the thimbleberry, a type of native black raspberry.
Their history as a tourist destination dates back to the mid-1800s, when local resident William Bryan built a hotel on Pot Island and began offering guided boat trips. By the end of the 19th century, a number of private homes were built on other islands, and the Thimbles gained popularity as a summer retreat.
The Great New England Hurricane that roared across New England in 1938 swept away many buildings and claimed seven lives on the Thimbles, and today only 23 of the islands are inhabited by residents who live in 81 houses that range from tiny, seasonal cottages to stately mansions.
All this information did not mean that much to us the other day — what mattered most was that the islands offered some lee from a relentless wind. We holed up briefly in a small harbor at Outer Island, not bothering to get out of our boats.
By this time, Kurt in the single surfski had joined us sea kayakers, while Robin and Mike let us know by radio that they had paddled their tandem surfski ashore on the mainland to take a short break. That sounded like a good plan, so we steered north in their direction along the chain: Horse Island, Pot Island, Money Island, West Crib, East Crib, Governor Island, Potato Island, Cedar Island and Rogers Island, to name a few, en route to a sandy beach in Hotchkiss Cove.
We tarried only long enough for a snack before climbing back in our boats for the return paddle to the Branford River State Boat Launch. Clouds had thickened and the wind kicked up — mercifully, now at our backs, strong enough to overpower an ebbing tide.
By the time we arrived at the ramp, after having covered 12 miles, raindrops splashed on the river. Good timing, we all agreed. There’s still plenty of time this late summer and fall to enjoy a kayak excursion to the Thimbles. Of course, for those of us who paddle year-round, kayaking is always in season. As friends and I often say, there’s no such thing as bad weather — only inappropriate gear and clothing.