Hotels near (ISP) Long Island MacArthur Airport, Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center, Thimble Islands Brewing Company: Tickets & Tours‎, Old Quarry Olive Oil Company: Tickets & Tours‎, Brandford Antiques & Home Design: Tickets & Tours‎, Regal Cinemas Branford 12: Tickets & Tours‎. Belong anywhere with Airbnb. For years, ferry service was an entrepreneurial venture. Very Reasonably priced, too! Bring your own snacks (none were available on the boat) and - as their web site urges - DEFINITELY use a bathroom before you walk to the dock and get on the boat. Perhaps 25 passengers and great view seats for all: no standing needed. A small ferry,, transports people and goods between the islands and to the mainland harbor dock. Of the Islanders, many of whom he knows well, Milne said the feelings about becoming a taxing district are "mixed.". There are no facilities right at the dock and none on the boat. Thimble Island Brewery started with a lot of inspiration, hard work and was built all by hand. LI Sound, so don't know if it ever really gets rough outside stormy days. Would recommend for out of town guests. Call tour operators for details, or visit the Web sites listed here. Again, guide was great, but the only minor irritation was the repetetive sing-song cadence and 'melody' of most of the guide's phrases. Overall, I'd strongly recommend this tour for a unique and pleasant experience. So when was the ferry business ever booming? The Sea Mist can carry 49 passengers for a Thimble Island sightseeing cruise and 34 for a private charter. DaRos tells, back in the 1950s when he was schlepping coal and ice out to the Islander­s–before electricity was available to the summer homes–ferry riders shared trips with sightseeing tourists. Fun, relaxing, informative 45-minute narrated cruise. Take a trip with Thimble Islands Ferry Service and stare at the gorgeous Connecticut coastline. When you arrive, take … His sense of humor was a good addition. ", The "problem" for some Islanders is figuring out a dependable way in and out. Guide was humorous and very informative but noticeably omitted specific mention of names of the current (probably very wealthy) inhabitants of most of the beautiful homes on the tiny islands. Captain Bob Milne on the Volsunga IV 203-481-3345; thimbleislands.com The Thimble Islands are one of our favorite destinations on Long Island Sound and one of the prime locations where Captain Kidd’s treasure is supposed to be buried, although it doesn’t seem likely anyone could bury much of Welcome to Thimble Islands Ferry Service Reliable, professional transportation to and from the Thimble Islands. The profit, he added, was about $5,000 a year but that didn't account for the time he spent running the boat. He's happy, he said, that the Thimble Islands Association has come up with a solution to support the ferry service. There were five boats running in and out of the harbor, said DaRos, and people were coming and going all the time. Lots of great historical facts, even including Captain Kidd! For nearly sixty years, 1000s of seafarers have enjoyed tours and charters of the Long Island Sound with Thimble Island Cruise. The boat is set up for your party with a large table (4’x 8′) and a large cooler with 2 bags of ice. Tour guide was also captain of the 2 person crew. He said he grew tired of the boat's upkeep and the cost of the businesses. There is a list of suggested caterers provided below. ", Money Can't Buy Everything: Wealthy Offer Cash For Vaccine First, The Best Holiday Gifts For Everyone On Your List, An Enchanted Christmas! Fun, relaxing, informative 45-minute narrated cruise. Foliage cruises, seal watch cruises, party or dinner cruises. The boat is very comfortable and Captain Mike gave a great narrated tour that was informative, educational, and also respectful to the people who own those beautiful homes on the Thimble Islands! Then turn left onto Leetes Island Road and continue 1.6 miles. Join Captains Mike, Justin, Bryan and the crew of the Sea Mist as you tour the famous Thimble Islands off the coast of Branford, Connecticut. Thimble Islands Ferry Service Dock/Boat Phone: 203-483-6659 Office: 203-889-8365 Home Schedule & Fares Logistics Local Services/Rentals About Us Photo … Captain Kidd sailed here in 1665…you can still feel his presence today. Bring a light jacket if you have a doubt about the weather. In the warm season, a small ferry, Thimble Island Ferry Service, transports people and goods between the islands and the Stony Creek harbor on the hour from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. If he calculated the hours,  he said, the business was a loss for him. Instead of making 1,800 trips last summer, he said the number tripled. After seeing the need for service, Milne said he bought boat a six-passenger aluminum launch (boat). Thimble Island boat tours run from May through October. No longer is there room for the tourists and locals to mix. Feel the sea breezes, hear the shore birds and soak in the sights aboard our comfy 48 passenger boat Volsunga IV. Many take the ferry out to the island. Rates are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $ At four-way intersection, continue straight onto Thimble Islands Road and proceed approximately .7 miles. Thimble Islands property owners, in a historic move to shore up ferry service that has connected the rocky, windswept islands to the Stony Creek mainland for well over a … With many of Branford's neighborhoods already acting as their own taxing districts– the aforementioned Stony Creek, Short Beach, Pawson Park and East Indian Neck–it seems odd that the Thimble Islands is just now coming to this resolution. Check here for this year's schedule. DaRos said he intends to hold the meeting in Stony Creek on July 2 (check back for details). Great fun on a beautiful day . Take a 45 minute cruise around the mauve-colored Thimble Islands (named for the prolific Thimble Berry, not their size.) During an average summer, aboard his 25-passenger ferry vessel, Milne said he would make about 1,800 trips to the islands and back. The Thimble Islands Cruise on the Sea Mist in Stony Creek, Branford was fantastic! The owner from Guilford, said Milne, operated the boat for a short time and then took off with the vessel. Picturesque and charming, Pot Island is noted in history for pirate & indian lore. "The ferry," said Milne, "is the shepherd of the islands. He sold the boat to sightseeing competition Captain Mike Infantino who runs the Sea Mist Thimble Islands Cruise. We took family visiting from out of town and that was the highlight for them. The money raised from taxes would be used to support a ferry service. Very close to shore in the protected. According to DaRos,, this is the biggest reason the ferry business has struggled to stay afloat. It's estimated that about 100 families inhabit about 30 of the Thimble Islands during the summer months. Very informative and interesting . During an average summer, aboard his 25 … The Volsunga does not have a bar on board but alcohol is permitted. The businesses, he lamented, is less profitable than ever and continues to be so as it presently runs. In recent years, shared Captain Bob Milne who now mans the Thimble Island Ferry and who is also the famed captain of the tour boat, the Volsunga IV, he makes about 32 cents an hour running the ferry service from spring to fall. We currently offer 9 staple products as well as numerous seasonal and specialty products in draft, bottles and cans. BRANFORD — Thimble Islands residents, having bit the bullet and voted to form their own special tax district to support the Thimble Islands ferry service, are questioning what some call a “sweetheart deal” that grants three tour boat operators space on the Town Dock, free street parking for customers and exclusive rights to carry sightseers for an annual payment of just $500. From the late 1980s until the early 2000s, Bob Milne operated the Thimble Island Ferry in addition to running his sightseeing ferry. "It's their solution to keep the ferry working." Took a very enjoyable sightseeing cruise of the Thimble Islands aboard the Sea Mist. "I think it's a good thing," said Milne. The tour was informative and a great value for the price. He ran the ferry through 2009 and then sold it to a man in Guilford, reported Milne. Bussmann still owns the former Thimble Islands ferry boat, Gowrie said. I'm grateful to various local residents (mostly relatives) for urging us to check it out. It has not yet been determined who will run the ferry service, though Milne said he has no intention to continue to do so in future years. We have 24 tap lines and are bound to have something you like. DaRos said, the thing the thing that kept them from becoming their own tax district: 'They didn't have a common problem. Groups are also responsible for making reservations with the island ferry service to get to the island. Located off the coast of Branford, Connecticut, eight islets in the Thimble Islands archipelago that hit the market in July 2016 for $78 million were recently reduced to $50 million. While some families have lived there for decades, historical text reveals that Branford residents have been going out to the islands for more than 200 years. Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 191 countries. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel (CBBT) is a 17.6-mile (28.3 km) bridge–tunnel crossing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the Hampton Roads harbor, and nearby mouths of the James and Elizabeth rivers in the U.S. state of Virginia. Daily 45-minute narrated sightseeing cruise of the Thimble Islands aboard the Sea Mist. Not really bad, but just a little tiring and a bit distracting from all the great info. Do not make the mistake of taking one of the tour boats; you need to hop aboard the Thimble Island Ferry Service located on the opposite side of the dock. more, This is a very nice place to visit in nice sonny day.Very informative about the houses and owners,origin of the islands. And obviously, close sailing right next to the multiple islands is much more interesting than a cruise far offshore with only long view of a featureless land mass on a horizon. A boat, or "ferry," would take sheep out to the islands to graze during the summer months. The Thimble Islands are a chain of 365 islands in Stony Creek Harbor off the southeast coast of Branford in Long Island Sound. Since the ferry has been in service (Captain Dwight Carter and Captain Dick Howd), passengers have enjoyed swift trips to and from the town dock in Stony Creek for a reasonable price (current price is $5 one way). The ferry service may be contacted by phone (203.889.8365) or via the Thimble Islands Ferry website. Thimble Island House is located on Pot Island, one of the major Thimble Islands, close to the Stony Creek, CT shore. State Representative's Pat Widlitz (D-Guilford, Branford) and Lonnie Reed (D-Branford) along with State Senator Ed Meyer (D-Guilford) for the Thimble Islands Association, which passed both the House and the Senate., in order to help restore the ferry service The legislation, as per Connecticut code section 7-325, will allow the Thimble Islands to become their own taxing district. Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge/Facebook The trip only costs $7.50 each way, and it's packed with astonishing sights. Would definitely take this cruise again. This is the same ferry that takes residents back and forth to their homes and can make stops at the docks of the islands. The highest they can tax is four mills, though DaRos thinks they will be taxing one tenth of a mill. From Memorial Day weekend through the end of July of 2010, there was no ferry operating to the Thimbles (read the New Haven Register story about it here). Dec 17, 2020 - Rent from people in Thimble Islands, CT from $20/night. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Captain Mike was knowledgeable and entertaining. The boat is very comfortable and Captain Mike gave a great narrated tour that was informative, educational, and also respectful to the people who own those beautiful homes on the Thimble Islands! If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. From the late 1980s until the early 2000s, Bob Milne operated the Thimble Island Ferry in addition to running his sightseeing ferry. The Thimble Islands are included in the Stony Creek–Thimble Islands Historic District, a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. In order for the legislation to be valid, 15 island residents have to sign a petition and the First Selectman has to hold a meeting where the island residents vote to become a taxing district. Top-rated vacation rentals in Thimble Islands Guests agree: these Prior to telephones, islanders hung a red flag on Songs of The Season - A Virtual Concert, Branford Weather Forecast For The Week Ahead, COVID-19 Victim Chronicles Final Days; News Anchor Tests Positive, 7 Stories From America’s Coronavirus Graveyard: Deaths Pass 300K, Obituary: Christine M. Caraglio, 36, of Branford. Trained Island Keepers and/or a CSU faculty coordinator/representative will supervise educational programming on the island. Tours depart the quarter past each hour. A smaller population on the islands, the use of personal boats and a town ordinance have all contributed to the down fall of the ferry businesses. Created in the 1980s, the town ordinance, said DaRos, limited the number of sightseeing boats that could run to the Thimbles from its robust number to three. Captain Bob Milne and the crew at Thimble Islands Cruise welcome you aboard for a 45 minute narrated tour (or private charter) while he maneuvers you through the enchanted Thimble Islands. Sea Mist Thimble Islands Cruise NEW: November 2019 Cruise / Seal Watch 10 persons minimum 34 persons maximum We are offering two days of a Boat cruise / … Like the Stony Creek Association, one of the oldest associations in Connecticut, the Thimble Island Association can now collect taxes based on a  mill rate and the town grand list. He even recalls the 6:45 a.m. ferry as the "Daddy Boat"–the early trip that transported men from their summer homes to the mainland so they could take the train to New Haven or New York for work. Call tour operators for details, or visit the Web sites listed here. While much has changed­ and the sheep have been replaced by summer dwellers, there is still a need for ferry service, yet according to Anthony "Unk" DaRos, there is not enough traffic to keep the ferry business lucrative. The Thimble Islands Ferry Company provides daily ferry service for visitors to the island during the season and times the island is open. The host is responsible for providing food and drink for their invitees. We offer regularly scheduled trips between April and October, privately reserved trips for island events or off-schedule requests, and delivery services. Would be wonderful if she could vary the presentation somewhat more to avoid sounding like a 'canned' recording with tones more like you'd hear on a kid's show. The Thimble Islands will have the benefit of a new public service ferry-basically, a commuter bus to and from the islands-under the jurisdiction of MENU According Archibald Hanna's A Glimpse of the Thimble Islands published on the town website, the islands were used as pasture for livestock back in the 1700s. This was perfect. This archipelago was first recorded as “Thimble Islands” in Branford town records in 1739 but earlier Even though windy our day, no major waves. Our ride was slightly cloudy with a bit of a chill breeze: September afternoon. The Thimble Islands Cruise on the Sea Mist in Stony Creek, Branford was fantastic! Definitely worth a visit on a nice day! This collection of over a hundred islands of various dimensions (only twenty five being inhabited islands) – some no bigger than a breadbox, others large enough for 32 houses – is home to star-studded history galore. 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