My Father's Day (June 19) was one of the best ever. Great cards and gift (Great Courses CDs on the Civil War), and then, a great day on the boat.

We packed a lunch and some snacks, and then left the dock at noon. The day was mostly sunny, but the clouds were enough to keep it from getting too hot. Before heading out to the boat, I stopped off at Sears and bought a new deep cycle battery.

In deference to Dan and Lily, we only unfurled the genny, which still got us up close to five knots. Winds were from the southeast at about 10 knots. Once into the Sound, we set a course almost due east, and sailed all the way out to the Thimble Islands. We thought about anchoring there, but I had less than a half tank of gas, and I was concerned that the wind would die out later in the afternoon and we would have trouble getting back. So we turned around and sailed back to the harbor. Of course, the breeze steadied and even strengthened as the afternoon wore on.

We picked up an empty mooring (the ball looked brand new) just behind the Mermaid, and Patti and Dan went for a quick swim. Lily went to the foredeck and relaxed (although she did worry about what would happen if the mooring owner showed up), and I sat back and watched the boats go by with my binocs. A great day for boat watching, and we were perfectly situated. We headed back to the dock at about 3:30, then to Mom and Dad's to meet Dave/Jill and the gang for a Father's Day cookout.

A really great day.