captain dave's thimble island cruises

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.

Boat Tour / Cruise

Kayak rental, restaurants.

• Hotel / B&B

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.

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/

Stanton House Inn

76 Maple Avenue Greenwich, CT

(203) 869-2110 or (203) 307-0217

https://stantonhouseinn.com/

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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About the business.

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Business Owner

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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Overall rating

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.

See all photos from Genie M. for The Islander -Thimble Island Tours

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.

3 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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