thimble islands tour branford ct

ThimbleIslands.com

Located off the coast of Stony Creek village (in the city of Branford, CT), the Thimble Islands are an archipelago of 25 small rocky, wooded islands topped with Victorian-era summer cottages (replete with ginger bread trimming). The area is a boating paradise where kayakers, fishing boats, ferry boats, paddle boarders, islanders, & home owners all co-exist to enjoy this picture perfect sanctuary.

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photo credit: slack12

Did you know? The Thimble Islands are named after the thimbleberry bush that grows throughout the island area, and are not a reference to their petite size.

https://www.thimbleislandslobsterbakes.com/

Stony Creek Brewery

5 Indian Neck Ave Branford, CT

203-433-4545

https://www.stonycreekbeer.com/

Stony Creek Market

178 Thimble Islands Road, Branford, CT

203-488-0145

https://stonycreekmarket.com/

The Thimbleberry

~ seasonal, opens in April ~

2 Indian Point Rd, Branford, CT

203-481-2836

https://www.facebook.com/TheThimbleberry/

Volsunga IV

4 Indian Point Rd, Branford, CT

203-481-3345

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/volsungacruises/

The Islander

203-433-2233

http://www.thimbleislander.com

Sea Mist - Thimble Islands Cruise

203-488-8905

https://thimbleislandcruise.com/

Thimble Island Kayak Rental

203-859-0546

https://thimbleislandkayak.com/

Branford River Paddlesports

203-980-8451

https://branfordriverpaddlesports.com/

Hotels / B&Bs

Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast

28 West Point Road Stony Creek ~ Branford, CT

203-488-3693

https://thimbleislandsbb.com/

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Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise

Volsunga IV makes 45-minute tours of the Thimble Islands daily. Captain provides lively narration of history and pirate legends. Available for private charter, groups.

Tour time: 45 minutes

Dates of Operation

Departs from Stony Creek Town Dock. Indian Point Rd. Branford , CT 06405 United States

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Travel planning assistance 888-CTvisit (288-4748)

Connecticut Office of Tourism

450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 5 Hartford, CT 06103

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Thimble Island Cruise

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Thimble Island Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Captain Dave's Thimble Island Cruises

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Captain Dave's Thimble Island Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Thimble Island Cruise

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Thimble Island Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

The Islander -Thimble Island Tours

Review Highlights

“ Captain Dave is a local who grew up on Kidd Island (yes, as in Captain Kidd) in the Thimbles. ” in 2 reviews

“ Dave's boat, The Islander, hold 14 passengers and is much smaller than the Sea Mist . ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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30 Indian Point Rd

Stoney Creek Dock

Branford, CT 06405

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Margo D. said "I'm not usually one to leave reviews, however the service I have received from this company deserves abundant praise. I have to give a particular shoutout to Terri for the excellent service she provided me this week. Terri helped me…" read more

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The Islander tours provides a local, small boat tour of the Thimble Islands. Our smaller vessel allows us to go where the bigger boats can't, and Captain Matt is a true "islander," having spent every summer of his life on the islands, so he is able to provide a feel for what it is like to grow up there. …

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It was a phenomenal day for a boat ride, and as usual the Thimble Islands were as spectacular as the weather. The views of the homes and the rock formations are breathtaking. Our charming captain, who is very animated, delighted in telling us the various stories behind some of the homes since she has spent her summers there as a child. It is always a pleasure to be around people who truly love their jobs. After decades of time spent in this area, the waves were the most dazzling three and four footers I had ever seen here. The boat was clean, and the other passengers were friendly and very well behaved, including many children.

Thimble island

Fantastic cruise yesterday!! Thank you Captain Lee for the great stories about many of the islands! You really know your stuff having grown up there. The whole experience was excellent!! I highly recommend it to anyone.

Captain Lee's stories were really fun!!

A couple of the smaller islands.

I've taken this tour 3 times this summer with visitors. This boat which is smaller than the other tour group is more intimate and more fun. All the captains are knowledgeable and grew up on the island. This is the #1 tourist activity in the area.

Was visiting Milford and was offered to check out the Thimble islands. The temperature was in the 90's so we sat in the back on the main level we were covered and protected from the sun by the upper level. The breeze was awesome. The tour lasted about 45 minutes. It was informative and enjoyable. Jake, the first mate was working the bar as well as bringing beverages for purchase. It was there that I tasted the Thimble islands beer and was inspired to go check out the brewery which is about 10 minutes away from the ferry station. If you're in the area highly recommend checking out these unique islands.

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Absolutely awesome had a great time with my family . We all loved it. The captain was very knowledgeable and a great story teller. Seems to know everyone on the water. The boat was cozy and comfortable.

The tour was informative, the guide interesting, and the trip delightful. Well worth the trip time to the area.

It was a beautiful Sunday toward the end of summer and we decided to take a ride to Branford for sThimble Island Cruise. I looked on the website for information after googling and planned to take the larger boat Sea Mist. The 3 boats that provide boat tours are all located at the town dock in Stony Creek and set off at different times all without reservations unless you are a group of 10 or more. We saw that the Sea Mist was still boarding when we arrived ( parked at church across from town beach $5 on the honor system) and tried to catch that tour but it was filled with one other group of 3 in front of us also turned away. They pointed out the other options would arrive in 20 min. Dave's boat, The Islander, hold 14 passengers and is much smaller than the Sea Mist. This might be worth noting if seas look rough . There were 11 onboard including one child. I'll note that since a few other reviews of Dave imply he doesn't like kids. The little girl was quiet and well behaved. Other than being out on the water and enjoying the views, it's really not a " kid" activity. Captain Dave is a Thimble Island local who was born on Kidd Island and offers a personal perspective of the Thimbles, which are a group of over 100 small islands off the coast of Branford, CT, several with only one home and many uninhabited. Kidd island is prob the most well known with a tie to the infamous captain Kidd! Captain Dave's boat The Islander, being small can navigate much closer to the islands and into some inlets the larger tour boat cannot. There is no bar or snack bar but it is covered providing shade for about half the seating. There are life jackets. Cost is $13 adults, $12 seniors (65+) and $8 children. The trip is about 45 min though longer if you're on the last tour at 340. It wasn't the most polished narration but Captain Dave had some great local stories and info on the small islands and their owners. It was an enjoyable hour on the water and well worth the cost! Footnote: head over to Stoney Creek Brewery after your boat tour... always happening with lots of outdoor seating and a great summer vibe!

Very informative! He grew up on the islands so has a lot of information, I liked the smaller boat as it allowed for us to be in the sun but had a cozy feel. It seems like he has his spiel down so there isn't any time for questions but I didn't have any. He was a dollar cheaper then the other 2 tours and starts at 10:40 and goes out every hour. Not sure how the other tours are but definitely wasn't disappointed.

Captain Dave is a local who grew up on Kidd Island (yes, as in Captain Kidd) in the Thimbles. His smaller boat can get navigate the inlets better than the bigger Sea Mist. And Captain Dave gives a colorful and often hilarious history and commentary of the islands. He reminded me of "the dude" from Big Lebowski meets Jimmy Buffet. Highly recommend Captain Dave if your looking for a more personal and less touristy cruise. Great trip.

Caption dave runs a tight ship. He made several comments to the boat about keeping kids quiet, " I do 7 tours a day and I can't do them with all the chatter and side conversations". The boat only holds 13 people, which was 3 families, so 6 adults and 7 kids (all under 8). No one was being especially noisy. Just kids excited to be on a boat. If you want an authentic crusty sea captain look no further.

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Thimble Islands

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Thimble islands: all you need to know before you go (with photos).

• (0.21 mi) Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast
• (0.32 mi) Unique, refined-rustic suite in Stony Creek village.
• (0.39 mi) Pet-Friendly Branford Apt - 10 Min Walk to Beach!
• (7.16 mi) The Homestead Bed & Breakfast
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• (0.16 mi) Stony Creek Market
• (3.18 mi) The Lobster Shack
• (0.78 mi) Sky Diner
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• (0.01 mi) Thimble Island Cruise
• (0.44 mi) Stony Creek Museum
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• (9.76 mi) Yale University Art Gallery
• (9.70 mi) Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

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You are here, a glimpse of the thimble islands.

by Archibald Hanna

The largest group of islands in Connecticut is Branford’s Thimble Islands. Tour boat captains have been heard to claim that there are “three hundred and sixty five of them-one for every day of the year.” But even counting every rock that shows above low tide the count will hardly reach more than a hundred, thirty of which are inhabited in summer. They take their name from the “thimbleberries” or black raspberries which once grew wild on them.

The Stony Creek area, in which the Thimbles lie, seems to have been a favorite summer camping ground for the Mattabesec Indians. It was not until the fifth division in 1716 that the colonists made land grants of the islands. Since Branford was a farming community, the islands had little value except as a source for seaweed, used as fertilizer. The larger islands could be used in the summer pasture for sheep. Consequently, it was not until 1773 that the last of the islands were handed over to individual owners.

In the 1840’s tremendous changes, social and economic, were taking place as the nation was becoming industrialized. Money and leisure were becoming available to large numbers of people. In the summer of 1846 a steamboat excursion from New Haven to “Kidd Island” in the Thimbles was advertised as “a fine opportunity for those fond of fishing and for invalids to enjoy fresh sea air.” Earlier that same year William Bryan of Branford had built a hotel on pot Island, which he renamed for the famous pirate Captain Kidd, promoting, if not creating the legend of possible buried treasure.

During the next few years steamboat excursions became more frequent, stopping not only in the Thimbles but also at other shore points. The completion of the New Haven and New London railroad in 1852 brought Stony Creek within easy reach of the city. Other hotels and boarding houses opened, not only on the islands but on shore, and guests lengthened their stay to days, and even weeks. By the 1870’s people were building their own summer cottages on the shore and on the islands.

It was not only vacationers who were attracted to the Thimbles. Lobstermen and commercial fishermen found a profitable harvest in their waters, but it was oysters that produced the real bonanza. The islands provided sheltered waters and the freshwater streams entering from the mainland produced the exact temperatures and salinity the shellfish needed. Stony Creek oysters became highly prized by connoisseurs. The roughly 25 years from 1890 to the outbreak of World War I were a golden age for the Thimbles. The town was finally persuaded to build a public dock for the convenience of the islanders. This was the great era of yachting. Long Island Sound offered room enough for an extended cruise without the dangers of open ocean and plenty of snug harbors in which to end the day. The Thimbles were a favorite anchorage and on one August day in 1910 no less than 50 yachts from three New York clubs anchored there.

Since WWI, changes have come to the islands. There is no longer a hotel on any of them; water pipes and telephone cables have been laid; there are fewer sailboats, more motor boats and water skiers instead of rowing races. Islands change hands, but many of the same families come back year after year, one generation succeeding another. The ferry and tour boats that leave the town dock have different names and different captains, but as you go from island to island you will be told many of the same stories of people and events that were told nearly 50 years ago.

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Last Updated: Thu, 06/20/2019 - 12:10pm

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Thimble Islands Cruise

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Sea Mist, LLC. Thimble Islands Cruise PO Box 3138 Stony Creek,Ct. 06405 Phone 203-488-8905