We're heading down the LI Sound to Mt. Sinai Yacht Club, on the final leg of this portion of the journey. We will be land based for a month, with the wonderful wedding celebration for Gerry and Robyn to highlight the month.
Long Island Sound is welcoming us with a gentle chop in 10 kt E wind and pea soup fog, although I do not know why any one would refer to fog a pea soup-like, if it's got to be soup-like, it is more like thick, creamy New England Clam Chowder!
Yesterday brought us from Atlantic City, up the NJ coast, under the Verrazano Bridge, up the East River, past the Freedom Tower/ One World Trade Center, the construction cranes on top at 1,271' shrouded in fog. A power symbol of the resilience and tenacity of our great Country, a sad reminder of all those who were lost on 9-11, just 10 years ago. A symbolic hi to Kurt Jr and Daniele who were at their respective places of employment on Manhattan, passing under the Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges into the LI Sound and to Oyster Bay. We stayed on a mooring at the Sewanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (a mouthful when hailing them on the radio) and enjoyed a phenomenally delicious dinner at the club (note to self, jackets are required attire.)
The weekend of April 29 found me flying to NY where I was privileged to partake in a bridal shower for Robyn, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law. The event was hosted at the Country House in Stony Brook; the atmosphere was old country charming, the food delicious and the company wonderful. I'm so happy that Robyn is going be Jerry's wife.
During my absence last weekend Kurt moved the boat form Coinjock to Portsmouth where he entertained himself, enjoying the companionship of Bob who owns Mile Marker Zero Marine Supplies, and eating at the local German Bier Garden. After his little mishap on the motor bile (or should I say off the bike) while in FL., he correctly perceived that I would not be a willing rider on the scooter so he "off-loaded" the scooter and left it for Bob to sell in his marring store. Before we depart for the "Great Loop" passage we will look for a couple of bicycles to add to the "stuff" on the top deck of the boat.
Upon departing Portsmouth, VA we decided on an "outside" run with the duration of that run to be determined by the weather and the availability of a navigable inlet. The weather Gods cooperated and we enjoyed moderate winds form the SW (behind up therefore a "following" sea.) Late afternoon found us deciding on an overnighter, we enjoyed a surprise, unlabeled dinner of turkey chili that I expected to be peppers and sausage.....always an adventure dining from my onboard freezer. The overnight passage was peaceful, with a half waning moon, scattered clouds, moderate seas, literally no other boat traffic; I thoroughly enjoyed the solitary peaceful passage. By 3:30a.m. when Kurt took the watch the seas were responding to the 15-20 kt of NE wind that arrived at midnight, my slumber was analogous to sleeping in a dryer placed on a see-saw. By 7 a.m. it was obvious that sea conditions were only going to worsen so angled for Atlantic City the nearest inlet arriving there at 11:30 a.m. The day was cold and blustery, a great day for a cup of soup and nap after washing the salt and dead flies (another story) from our little ship.
Apparently our departure form the Chesapeake from Portsmouth was a welcome relief to several hundred biting black flies that were intent on hitching a ride with us as we motored North. We spent much of the our ocean passage smacking at flies with our two fly swatters that we procured on our first passage through the Chesapeake when we stopped at Swan Creek. Chesapeake flies are like the black flies that terrorize folks in Maine, but these are on steroids. I think that we are now down to half a dozen of the cheeky bastards. Hopefully they will not follow us when we drive to Patchogue!
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