Long Island Sound

Sunday evening we returned to the boat to learn that the pump out boat at Liberty Landing Marina was broken. This sent us into a tizzy because it had been 13 days since we last pumped out and we had had guests for 3 nights which meant we were pretty full of poop! Many people advised us to just pump overboard and empty the holding tank into the East River the next day while traveling to Long Island Sound. Although some boat owners pump out closer than 3 mi. to shore which is the law, we just could not do it! Scott frantically called ahead to places near Rye, NY and Port Washington, our next destinations, but no one was pumping out in the next couple of days. Just prior to untying our lines on Monday morning, Scott went to the pump out boat himself and learned that the problem was just a leak in the tubing. No problem…Scott fixed the leak by taping it up! What a relief! Happiness is an empty holding tank!

On Monday as we traveled up the East River I asked Captain Scott how far it was to Hell Gate? He looked at the chart and realized that was exactly where we were. Hell Gate is a tidal driven strait where currents from the Harlem River, Long Island Sound and East River coming from New York Harbor converge. I had heard many scary stories about the churning water and intense tides at this location and none of that was occurring.  Capt. Scott had done his homework well and had timed the passage just right so that we got a 2 kn. boost from the tidal flow giving us an easy ride to the American Yacht Club in Rye, NY.

Why the American Yacht Club in Rye, NY? A dear client (Dee) from the Pilates and Yoga Studio that I owned had passed along our blog to her daughter in Connecticut. She (Lea Ann) and her husband (Jeff) are considering purchasing a Kadey-Krogen so they invited us to moor at their yacht club. It was an beautiful traditional club with a thriving membership of all ages. Scott swam twice in the pool with actual lap lanes. The buildings and grounds were gorgeous and there were so many activities. This yacht club was not only for socializing but extremely dedicated to sailing.

The mooring didn’t go too well…it was our first time mooring in this boat which is much higher off the water than our old one. I had only moored once in the old boat and really didn’t remember much about it. A mooring is often a floating ball that is attached to the bottom where there’s a 1000# concrete block.  On the top there are 2 lines that can reach to the front of the boat. I did manage to grab the eye of the line with our mooring pole but our brand new hook broke! The mooring wasn’t appropriate for our size boat anyway as it only had a 6-8′ line and we needed a 10-12′ line. So, we were quite happy to simply anchor. Jeff and Lea Ann joined us for cocktails then took us to dinner in the charming town of Rye. What a fun evening! We were so thrilled to make new friends and talk “boat talk” with them. The next morning while Scott swam, Lea Ann and I walked 1 hr. then she graciously took me to Whole Foods…super exciting! We can’t thank them enough for their hospitality!

In the afternon we had a short route across Long Island Sound to Port Washington where we had our second attempt at mooring. This time we switched roles: I drove and Scott caught the line. We had 18 kt. winds and it was quite difficult, luckily there were no boats next to us. He may always be in charge of catching the mooring ball and me doing the driving. This was the first time in boating that I felt worried about my ability to handle the situation.

That evening we had a beautiful storm which meant all the phones, computers, i-pad, e-pirb, portable radio, portable GPS, electronic flare, went into the microwave to protect them from lightning strikes. This can also be done in the oven but we’ve heard stories of other boaters that forgot about their electronics and baked them! We had some big sustained winds of 32 kt. along with a stunning lightning show. This happened again the following night around 2:30 a.m.

The following day we took the train into the city to shop at Macy’s in Times Square. We were shocked at how busy it was on all 9 floors! I can’t imagine what it’s like at Christmas time! There were 15 restaurants of various sizes throughout the store including a food court in the basement. There were at least 2 eating establishments on each floor with a McDonald’s and Auntie Ann’s on the children’s floor. We hit the sales for new bathing suits.

We attended son-in-law Chris’ 40th birthday party at Under Balls which is in the lower level of The Meatball Shop in Chelsea. It’s a fun place that specializes in what else but meatballs?

The next day was a bit sad for me. A challenge of full-time traveling is fitting in dentist and doctor visits. Scott found a dentist that could take both of us for cleaning. The hygienist told me what a great job I had done keeping my teeth clean then the dentist said I had a small cavity in one of my front teeth. That totally bummed me out. He said I should be glad that I still have all of my teeth! Ha! That did not make me feel better. He happened to have an opening to do the filling and I felt quite pressured about making the decision on when and where to do it. So, I allowed him to do the work. I will not do that again. I will not make such quick decisions about my health care. Medical check-ups and dental cleanings on the road are fine but from now on I will take my time choosing the right doctor and the right time to have any medical issues addressed. I was also mad at myself for getting a cavity.

On Friday son Tom, his girlfriend Amy and her daughter, Bailey came to visit for the weekend. We ate some great seafood and explored the town of Port Washington, unfortunately in the rain. Thank goodness for Bonine the anti-nausea medication and the wrist bands as they had trouble adjusting to the movement of the boat. Of course, right after they left on Sunday the storm clouds passed and it was a gorgeous day!

That afternoon my old modeling buddy, Sherri, her husband Michael, and their son, Easton visited from CT. We enjoyed a nice long dinghy ride and Easton got to swim. The best part was when Easton caught a fish with just a tiny bit of help from dad!

It’s been a fun and busy week with family, old friends and new friends. It’s hard to believe that schools are starting back in session and summer is almost over. Tomorrow we start our trek southward back to Chesapeake Bay.