Finally!

Essex, Connecticut. We journeyed up the Connecticut River to anchor just off the town in the "flats", a shallow area east of the river (out of the current) and just west of marshland (off the bottom, we hope). Since the low descended on us last night, and especially during our sail today, we have battled north to northeast winds accompanied by decent gusts; at least here we're getting some wind protection from the surrounding hills.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. What have we been doing since the last post 10 days ago? Basically, having a lot of fun. Even the overnight, with 3 hours on 3 hours off watches throughout, was no problem at all. And there were even fireworks to enjoy from our 3 mile distance from the New Jersey shore on the Saturday evening of the Memorial Day weekend. The only slightly off moment occurred when I took watch again at 3 am and shortly afterwards answered a VHF request from a fellow cruiser a half mile ahead heading the same direction as we were and who wanted to know which side of her boat I would pass on. At that point I wasn't prepared to answer as her boat was 60 boat lengths ahead of ours and I told her so. She was unnerved enough by my lack of an answer to veer off 15 degrees to starboard onto her own particular track north. I'm sure she was happier to have no one on her stern.

As we were motor/sailing so smoothly during this overnight passage from Cape May north, and because the tide and current were favorable, we kept going, not stopping at our planned anchorage at Staten Island. At 9+ knots we sped past New York City via the East River and ended at City Island, a part of the Bronx and just north of the Throgs Neck Bridge where we picked up a mooring of the Harlem Yacht Club.

We've read a bit about the nautical history of City Island. Through the years this island has been home to oyster fishermen and shipbuilders who built not only minesweepers, landing craft, and tugboats, but also seven America's Cup winners. Currently there is little recognition of its maritime past outside of a few museums and the abundance of seafood restaurants. Instead, its streets on this Sunday night of the long holiday weekend were teaming with couples strolling hand-in-hand down to these restaurants at the southern end of town while families gathered on their shady porches out of the heat, cooking on their grills. I think that even Thomas Rockwell would have difficulty deciding which scene of middle class America to memorialize first.

It was an easy few hours' motor (where is that wind???) over to Northport on Long Island's north shore the next day. The town was bedecked with American flags as this was the day of the long weekend. It's a cute town with active main street businesses and a few restaurants (all charging a minimum of $8 for a sandwich), but the whole effect is marred by the presence of 4 towering (600') smokestacks, painted alternately with red and white stripes, from a nearby power plant. At least William K. Vanderbilt II, who summered across the bay, was spared the eyesore as he had been deceased for quite a few years prior to their construction.

Speaking of the Vanderbilts, we toured their estate - Eagle's Nest - and had a wonderful time. Suffolk County took over the property with the death of Willie Vanderbilt's second - and last - wife around 1950. We feel it's rare to walk away from touring a celebrity's home with a feeling that we really got to know what made him "tick". However, in this case, through the cases exhibiting items brought back from his travels around the world, his home furnishings, and especially by the highly informed tour guides we had a really good feel for the man. He may have been one of the idle rich, but at least he worked hard at that role. For example, he sailed magnificently, winning many races, including the Lipton Cup. He loved automobiles and speed and set a new record at Daytona in 1909 of more than 93 mph. With a few other investors, he constructed one of the first paved roads in the nation (the predecessor to the Long Island Parkway) which he used to race against the best Europe had to offer. And, during various worldwide voyages he collected a variety of artifacts from African and Polynesian tribes, as well as many fauna samples. Needless to say we were very glad we made the walk up to his estate.

After Northport it was time to go back into Larry's past to his alma mater, Yale, for his 40th reunion. We moored the boat at nearby Pequonnock Yacht Club and reveled for 3 nights at his old college, Branford, with his roommates and other friends. What a wonderful time, but what a reminder that this life is passing way too quickly. We can recall, at his 10th reunion, poking modest fun at the gray heads walking around for their 40th, 45th, 50th, etc., but now we are the ones on the downward slope. Not so funny anymore. But at least, with this sabbatical, we have lived gamely and fully.

Last night saw us in the Thimble Islands, an archipelago about 10 miles east of New Haven. Instantly we were reminded of the Stonington, Maine area by the exposed granite slopes of the islands but without the lobster buoys to navigate around. We picked up a vacant mooring just minutes before the front with its rain bursts and squalls hit us, and hid down below. Because we had feasted so well and so thoroughly for 3 days back in New Haven we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in our own style, with popcorn for dinner!

Now, in Essex, we are still hunkered within the boat, trying to keep warm and out of the sharp northerly breeze. Perhaps we'll make it ashore tomorrow to see the historical sights, perhaps we won't. We'll let you know.