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August 31, 2009
Fishers Island, NY to Block Island, RI
Sunset, Block Island
The winds picked up in the early morning, and the first of two neighbouring boats in the anchorage pulled up to take advantage of the wind. We were close on their heels. We had a beautiful sail out Watch Hill Passage to Block Island Sound. About half way across, the wind completely died. This is sailing! If the wind isn’t on the nose, it isn’t blowing at all.
We motored into Great Salt Pond on Block Island and found the anchorage relatively empty. Maybe everyone was exhausted by Danny and fled? We picked a spot that looked good, and settled in. We decided to rest and relax, now that the sun was shining and Danny was a distant memory. I put up the hammock and grabbed my book – “Wolf at the Table” by Augusten Buroughs. Heavy stuff, and a little too close to home for me. And not gut-wrenching hilarious like his other books.
The sunsets are glorious on this favourite island of ours. In true style, it did not disappoint.
In the morning, we took the dinghy ashore. We walked the beach out to the bluffs, and walked back to Old Harbour to have lunch at the Mohegan Café. It always seems to be full of locals, which we always consider to be a good sign. The porch at the National Hotel is fun, too, but way more tourists and a touristy menu. After lunch, we wandered the shops, and I scored an awesome new pair of shorts for $25. I am such a sucker for a bargain – I am my grandfather’s grandson. Chis got a great t-shirt with a sailboat, above which it says “Relax”. Indeed.
We hit the grocery store for fresh fruit and vegetables, then the Depot for the New York Times. On our way back to the dinghy we stopped to have a drink on the lawn in front of the Oar. We tried a Firefly – sweet tea vodka and lemonade. Super sweet but very refreshing.
Back in the dinghy to the boat for more reading, hammock swinging, sunset watching, and dinner. A truly blissful day. There is something about Block Island that gets us. Maybe it’s the large anchorage and the fact that everyone is transient. It reminds us of our days on Platina in Georgetown, Exuma where there were dozens of boats all on the go somewhere. The nicest part about it was that everyone talks about sailing adventures, and not about what you do for a living. It’s an escape from the world that we try to get away from, and completely removes you from the day-to-day grind, the rut we all fall into. It puts you in a completely different element where the only care seems to be whether you should have red or white wine with dinner. It is a simple, uncomplicated existence in a finite space with lots to go wrong, none of which seems even remotely important at any given moment.
Posted by dave at 09:40 AM | Comments (0)
August 30, 2009
Stonington, CT to Fishers Island, NY
Cormorants & a seal, East Clump off Fishers Island
Chis woke to my crankiness, caused by the obnoxious rolling. It had thrown my balance off completely. I was dropping things, bumping into everything and stumbling all over the place. Bizarre.
We called the launch on the VHF radio and went ashore for an early morning walk. Danny was now to the northeast, leaving overcast skies, very light wind, and southerly swells that were still working their way through Stonington’s breakwaters. We went to Noah’s for a delightful brunch, picked up the New York Times and walked down to the lighthouse and back.
I doubt we were back on the boat for more than 3 minutes before we dropped the mooring and headed to West Harbour on Fishers Island. Dinner with the Fowlers had been rescheduled, and while we were backtracking a little bit, it was worth seeing our friends. The forecast was light northerly winds, exposing us to the potential of a rough night on anchor. As it turned out, the winds were light enough giving us no grief at all.
Posted by dave at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2009
Westbrook, CT to Fishers Island, NY. Umm… Stonington, CT
Stonington, Tropical Depression Danny passing
We woke to steady rain, but still no wind. Danny was still meandering offshore and looking less and less threatening. Now downgraded to a tropical depression, Danny was looking like a rain event with less wind. Still, the forecast was for stronger winds in the eastern end of Long Island Sound. We decided to head east.
We filled our water tanks, walked the beach in the rain, showered and shaved. We left in light drizzle. We had a fantastic sail, tacking into easterly winds. The wind and rain were steadily building. We were both in full foul weather gear, soaking wet and getting cold. We had lost sight of land in the heavy rain. By the time we entered Fishers Island Sound, the winds backed to the north and starting gusting to 25 knots. West Harbour on Fishers Island was no place to be in these conditions. We had planned to join the Fowlers for dinner at their home on Fishers Island, but we called to say that the weather was not cooperating. We decided to head to Stonington and pick up a mooring.
The winds gusted from the north to 30 knots until late evening. This was okay, because we didn’t sense the southerly swells rolling straight into the harbour. When the winds died, we started to roll. By 2am, I couldn’t sleep anymore. I got up and instantly felt nauseous. I don’t normally get seasick, but this was obnoxious – on a mooring in harbour! I patiently waited for the sun to rise and Chis to wake up, wanting to leave sooner rather than later. I dug through our medical kit and found a pill for motion sickness. I took it. One of the side effects is drowsiness. I felt no side effects, and started to count the ripples on the water.
Posted by dave at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2009
Thimble Islands, CT to Westbrook, CT
Foul weather pants drying out
With Tropical Storm Danny approaching, we decided that Westbrook, Connecticut would be a good place to find safety. We had heard great things about the marina there.
But first, we decided to take the ferry to Stony Creek. Shortly after we arrived in town, the rain came. We grabbed breakfast at Creekers, wandered town a bit, then headed back to the boat. The ferry dropped off others, and Chis was gracious to help an elderly lady onto the dock with her bags, and her one-eyed wiener dog. The rain was steady when we left the Thimble Islands. We put on full foul weather gear.
We arrived in Westbrook mid-afternoon. The channel was very narrow and we seemed to be able to reach out and touch the beach but the depth sounder said there was 7 feet under the keel. Whew. The wind was very light, but the rain was steady. We had a beer at Boom, then returned to the boat to wait out the rain. And the rain was heavy. We watched movies (Black Swan, Naked Gun 2.5, and Corrina Corrina). We were safe and dry.
That night, the rain was deafening. But still, no wind.
Posted by dave at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2009
Stamford, CT to Thimble Islands, CT
Chis "Relaxing"
Chis left the office around midnight, scrambled home to shed his suit, then hopped on the train to Stamford. He arrived at the boat around 2:30am. I was sound asleep.
We had lost our genneker halyard a few weeks ago, and I had arranged to take the boat over to the rigging dock so that the yard could use the crane to put it back up. Like a trouper, Chis got up around 9 and we headed over to the riggers. About an hour later, we were on our way to the Thimble Islands with a new genneker halyard.
We were heading east in light southeast winds, but the seas were a bit rough. It was a longish trip and our latish getaway meant that we were not going to tack upwind – this would add about 40% to our distance (and time). So we motored, hoping for a wind shift to the south. Gradually, the wind clocked to the south, and then to the west. The sails went up and the engine went off. Yay!
The Coast Guard began broadcasting warnings about Hurricane Danny, which they later corrected and referred to as Tropical Storm Danny. Good correction. At 4pm, a gale warning was issued for Long Island Sound within 48 hours. Friends in New York were emailing begging us not to head east.
It wouldn’t be sailing without the wind on the nose and scary weather forecasts.
Nevertheless, we are cautious, and will continue east and make sure we are in a safe place to weather the worst of what Danny has in store. We weathered Hurricane Dennis in Fort Lauderdale, sailed through a gale at Cape Hatteras, and sat on anchor at Great Sail Cay in the Bahamas for 3 days in 30-40 knots winds and horizontal rain. We’ll be fine.
Posted by dave at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2009
Prepare to Cruise
Hurricane Bill threatened our sailing plans last weekend. His bark was bigger than his bite. We decided to have a workday around the boat on Saturday and enjoy dinner with Steve and Fern in Stamford on Saturday night, followed by a sail on Sunday on Sirena. Despite the fact that Prana never left the dock, we had a really wonderful weekend.
Our 10-day cruise was rapidly approaching, and I had called a scuba diver to scrub Prana’s bottom, replace the sacrificial zinc anode on the propeller, and check the bow thruster. Late last night he called and said he could meet me this morning at 10 on Steve’s mooring out in the harbour (the marina will not let him scrub our ablative paint at the dock).
Hmmm. Chis couldn’t get the day off, so away I went. I got away from the dock on my own without issue, and picked up Steve’s mooring without issue, all by myself. The scuba diver came and did the job. I dropped the mooring and decided to head out into the sound to calibrate our boat speed and wind speed instruments. Sure enough, the wind picked up so I decided to sail. It was awesome.
On my way back to the marina, I stopped at the fuel dock. Then back to Prana’s berth. I was amazed how easily I could handle the boat on my own. The experience served to significantly enhance my comfort in handling the boat, which will now be even easier with Chis at my side. I couldn’t ask for or want a better mate.
Posted by dave at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2009
Happy Birthday
Everything in life is either a blessing or an offering. Sometimes they are both.
I was on may way home from doing some shopping at Whole Foods. A heavy backpack on my back, a full canvas bag hanging from the crook of my left arm, and a fruit smoothie in my left hand. A classic New York scene. I was standing at the corner of 7th Avenue and 23rd Street waiting for the light to change. The woman next to me, shouted “EXCUSE ME!” She appeared to be shouting at the whole city. I hadn’t seen her in my periphery, but that’s part of living in New York. Usually I shrug my eyes and say to my inside self “Ehh, another crackpot New Yorker”. But this time something struck me. I turned to discover that I was the only one who acknowledged her cry, and she was clearly deprived of eyesight and was walking with a white cane.
I asked her if I could help. She said yes, and I grabbed her arm to help her cross the street.
“No dear, this is how we do it. Fold your arm at the elbow and let me grab your forearm.” We linked.
I started across the street. She stopped me instantly. “No dear, we must wait for the light.”
I shared her pause, and said “The light is green, and the red hand is not flashing yet. We are safe to go”. We started to cross.
“No, no, dear, not like that. Relax your arm.” I didn’t even realize that I was so tense. I tried to relax.
“No, walk normally” she said. “Walk like you didn’t have a blind person hanging onto you”. Umm, I said to my inner self, I am this woman’s eyes. I suddenly didn’t know what walking normally was.
Then I realized that she was leaning her body weight into me. This is an odd feeling, especially with a stranger. We reached the east side of 7th Avenue, and I suggested that she start using her feet to find the curb. She did it with such grace. I can’t tell you how many times I have tripped up a curb because I was not paying attention.
Once on the sidewalk, she asked if I knew where the Malibu Diner was. I told her that we were only a few doors away and I would help her to find a nice table. As we walked, I asked her name. “Gwenn”, she replied. I introduced myself. I asked if she enjoyed the thunderstorm Tuesday night (the one that took down 100 trees in Central Park) and she must have slept right through it. “I’m a light sleeper, you know.”
We reached the Malibu Diner and I took her inside. She thanked me for being her eyes and helping her to see. I said “you see more than you know”. She went quiet, and then she said that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. I helped her into the table, and she asked me to join her for lunch. I thanked her, but said I had a commitment to practice yoga with my favourite teacher. I said that we would run into each other again, and then we would have lunch together. The waiter came over to the table, and I asked him to take care of Gwenn. “She’s a very special lady”. I told her that she had the best seat in the house, right in front the window overlooking busy 23rd Street. She said it didn’t matter where she sat because she couldn’t see anything. I suggested that she use the sounds to imagine what she might see, and that was probably more than most New Yorkers saw in a year. She smiled.
I left her sitting in the window of the Malibu Diner. Gwenn touched me in a way I am only beginning to comprehend. Meeting Gwenn was a true blessing. And I surfaced an offering that surprised me.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every blessing, there is an offering. Thank you, Gwenn, for a beautiful birthday gift. You gave me courage. You showed me the beauty of the human spirit. You gave me hope. Namaste.
Posted by dave at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2009
Heat Advisory
Okay, I'm just in from errands and it is effing hot here in New York. The worst thing about hot in New York with no breeze is that the pee, poo, barf and trash start to cook. I'm not kidding. I'd like to think that the dogs are responsible for the smell, but, alas, this is New York. This heat advisory was issued at 4 this morning by the National Weather Service. I'm going cycling!
Heat Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
358 AM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009
...HEAT ADVISORY FOR NEW YORK CITY THIS AFTERNOON...
.FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW...HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB TO AROUND 95 DEGREES ACROSS THE CITY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING.
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE LOWER 90S ACROSS NEW YORK CITY TODAY... WITH HEAT INDICES REACHING 95 DEGREES FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW DURING THIS AFTERNOON. A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THIS HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL MOVE IN ON WEDNESDAY WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES FORECAST TO BE IN THE UPPER 80S.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN HIGH HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE WITH HOT TEMPERATURES TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 95 DEGREES OR GREATER FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS IN A ROW. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR- CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.
Posted by dave at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)