Connecticut's Thimble Islands

Technically, "New England" includes all of Connecticut.  From my perspective, however, the southernmost part of New England in Connecticut is the Thimble Islands.  This collection of islands off of Branford, Connecticut (adjacent to Stony Creek) is worth experiencing both for its unique geography and its unique structures and culture.

And for me, it was fun to be back.  I spent a lot of time in my youth sailing with and visiting various friends who had houses on the Thimbles.

When we arrived yesterday morning it was particulary foggy. 

As we came in through the fog, some small craft followed us to make use of our radar.

We went ashore to get some breakfast at the Stony Creek Market. 

As the name suggests, Stony Creek is the home of significant granite production.  Stony Creek Quarry supplied the pink/orange Stony Creek granite for the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, and Columbia University.

Stony Creek Granite is everywhere, from the parks.... 

...to the harbors and seawalls.  Stony Creek had also been from where "the Daddy Boat" launched. In the past, "the Daddy Boat" delivered the fathers to the islands at the end of the day. The Friday night run would deliver the fathers who had spent the weekdays working in the city and would come out each weekend.

As the fog lifted, we headed back out. 

Exactly how many islands there are depends not only on your defintion of island, but also if it is high or low tide. Nonetheless, many have distinctive feels.

• On Money Island, for example, there is almost a “dorm room” feel with some of the houses so close together that everyone just walks in and out of each others houses, and the close relationships have even resulted in inter/intra-island marriages.
• Bear Island which has exported its stone to such constructions as the Lincoln Memorial, Grant's Tomb, and the base of the Statue of Liberty.
• Horse Island, the largest island at 17 acres  is owned by neighboring Yale University and is used for ecological research by Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History.
• Outer Island is used by Southern Connecticut State University and used for their studies.
• Despite their not inconsiderable price tags, they rarely go up for sale.  About thirty of the islands are inhabited.

 

Many of the islands look like coastal Maine except for the color of the bedrock.

There are electrical wires and water pipes for some of the houses.  Others rely on generators, wells and as shown here, solar panels.

The channels can go quickly from very deep...

...to shallow.  This is also why it is preferable to travel when the tide is high.

There is a good variety of shorebirds including this Black-backed Gull...

...and this Cormorant.

Waterside Courts

It may be inevitable that some of the garrishness from today's Greenwich and Westport infiltrates the area. (See the original house here)

It is easy to see why Captain Kidd is rumored to have hidden some of his treasure here.

All types of objects are transported back and forth.

At least one of the crew had a clever way of getting out of the sun.

While my approach was more conventional. 

A Sign of the Quarry Industry

Transport vehicles run day and night, to the occasional chagrin of some new neighbors.