Norwalk Islands, Connecticut · Long Island Sound · 41°04.7′N 73°24.9′W · VHF Ch 09
The Norwalk Islands make a proper little cruising ground an hour from the city — a string of low, wooded islands you can tuck behind for a surprisingly quiet night on a busy Sound.
Come in on the marked channel and mind the shoaling between the islands — the Sound's 7-foot tide changes the picture fast, so read the ranges and don't cut corners at low water. Best holding is in sand-over-mud on the north sides of the islands in 8–12 ft; set well and you'll sit through the usual afternoon sea breeze.
The catch is exposure: anything with south in it opens you to fetch up the Sound and it gets rolly. In a settled northwesterly it's idyllic. Hail Norwalk YC on Ch 09 for a launch or a guest mooring, and run the dinghy into the Cove for dinner ashore.
Hazards & cautions. The Sound's big 7-foot tide changes the picture fast — read the ranges and don't cut corners between the islands at low water, where it shoals. Anything with south in it opens you to fetch up the Sound and gets rolly; the afternoon southwesterly builds a chop.
Coast Pilot notes the Norwalk Islands provide anchorage in their lee with shoaling between the islands; the local tidal range is large for the Sound.
No cruiser reports yet. If you've anchored here, be the first — your note helps the next boat in.
Augusto ratings and editorial are our own synthesis of public-domain sources and cruiser reports. Always verify against current charts and local knowledge before you rely on them.