Yesterday (Sunday, the last day of September) was a very, very dull day. A respite in the tedium was given by two visitors from a boat anchored nearby. Susan and Mark have lived on their boats for 42(!) years but mostly stay at their berth across the sound in Connecticut or tour New England. They admired our boat. During conversation, we learned that Mark had worked for years constructing boat hatches and windows, and he provided Peter with a wealth of information and tips in just a short period of time (while Susan and I talked about where we had visited and family).
After they left, we got the dinghy motor on board, tidied up and pulled up anchor in order to travel just a few miles to Northport Harbor to the east. We motored out into the sound and then attempted to sail, but 6 knots of wind quickly became 3-4 knots, and with a boat speed of 1 knot we had no steerage, so we had to go back to the engine (which, fortunately, is very quiet, although not as tranquil as sailing).
Two hours later, we had dropped anchor behind hundreds of moored boats. Long Island's Gold Coast "summer cottages" (i.e., mansions with manicured lawns, beaches and boathouses and other outbuildings) lined the shore or hid among the verdant foliage of the woods. (There is no fall color yet.) After the sun dropped behind the western hills fairly undramatically, the sky blushed shades of magenta, rose and gold as darkness fell.
Today, Peter got the smaller outboard engine out of the forepeak, sure that he was going to love it compared to the heavier one we have been using. (Yes, there are at least two of many things on this boat!) Unfortunately, the carburator seems to be fouled, so we had to haul out the heavier one and use it until Peter or someone else can repair the little one.
We dinghied into the town dock. We have found that Long Island Sound does not really seem to cater to blue water cruising vessels at anchor and their dinghies. There have not been any free, public dinghy docks in the towns we have visited with the exception of Oyster Bay (although there was only room for a couple of dinghies). We had to pay $10 in Cold Spring Harbor, and in Northport, there is not even one available for a fee. No one seems to anchor. The bays and harbors are full of rows of mooring balls, and the marinas or yacht clubs that maintain them offer launch service. I was not sure what this meant when I read about it being available in some of the listings in our guide book, but now I realize that the people on the moored boats do not use dinghies but rely on the marina or club to take them to and from their vessels in a small open motor boat. I suppose this is very civilized, but I like the freedom of having a dinghy for exploration. I had also heard that it was common for boats to raft up in Long Island Sound and New England, particularly when it is crowded. We saw three boats do this in Oyster Bay on Sunday for a while, apparently just to socialize for the afternoon. So, the boating culture here is a bit different than what we have been used to in the Caribbean; it is more about day sailing and racing.
In the town of Northport, we learned a little bit about its history (a main goal for me everyplace I visit) and had an excellent lunch on the patio at Tim's Shipwreck Diner. After our meal, we were offered (and accepted!) complimentary pumpkin pie, which was a delicious treat. Afterwards, we bought milk at a small organic foods store. (There are no groceries or convenience stores within walking distance of the town dock, where we left our dinghy when a couple local men on a docked boat offered to keep an eye on it.) Then we bought ice for our still non-functioning refrigerator (although the unit has been shipped from California today!!!!) and enjoyed chatting with the proprietors of the small delicatessen where we found it. Importantly, we picked up four cans of Diet Coke, which should keep me happy for a couple of days.
About the history of this town: Originally the home of the Matinecocks, the area of Northport was first seen by a white man scouting from New Amsterdam in 1650. He reported "good fishing, fine meadowlands and mostly level ground suitable for farms and cattle." Five years later, three Englishmen purchased the land for seven quarts of liquor, two coats, four shirts and eleven ounces of powder. The small colony flourished with an economic base in agriculture and shell fishing. Some of the existing homes date back to the 18th century and many of the brick edifices lining the business section of Main Street are from the 19th century and are now occupied by small restaurants and cafes, galleries, boutiques as well as a small drug store and a hardware store that probably has a good inventory but has the look of the one in the town in which I grew up a half century ago.
Peter is now working to repair the spinnaker with various tools, large and small (including an enormous pair of wire cutters). The array of tools that are on this boat is one of the things he loves about it.
Tomorrow we visit the Vanderbilt Museum, one of the former homes of a great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made the family fortune. The next day we sail further east in the sound, but predicted light winds may require the spinnaker to get enough speed.
After they left, we got the dinghy motor on board, tidied up and pulled up anchor in order to travel just a few miles to Northport Harbor to the east. We motored out into the sound and then attempted to sail, but 6 knots of wind quickly became 3-4 knots, and with a boat speed of 1 knot we had no steerage, so we had to go back to the engine (which, fortunately, is very quiet, although not as tranquil as sailing).
Two hours later, we had dropped anchor behind hundreds of moored boats. Long Island's Gold Coast "summer cottages" (i.e., mansions with manicured lawns, beaches and boathouses and other outbuildings) lined the shore or hid among the verdant foliage of the woods. (There is no fall color yet.) After the sun dropped behind the western hills fairly undramatically, the sky blushed shades of magenta, rose and gold as darkness fell.
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| Sunset, Oyster Bay |
We dinghied into the town dock. We have found that Long Island Sound does not really seem to cater to blue water cruising vessels at anchor and their dinghies. There have not been any free, public dinghy docks in the towns we have visited with the exception of Oyster Bay (although there was only room for a couple of dinghies). We had to pay $10 in Cold Spring Harbor, and in Northport, there is not even one available for a fee. No one seems to anchor. The bays and harbors are full of rows of mooring balls, and the marinas or yacht clubs that maintain them offer launch service. I was not sure what this meant when I read about it being available in some of the listings in our guide book, but now I realize that the people on the moored boats do not use dinghies but rely on the marina or club to take them to and from their vessels in a small open motor boat. I suppose this is very civilized, but I like the freedom of having a dinghy for exploration. I had also heard that it was common for boats to raft up in Long Island Sound and New England, particularly when it is crowded. We saw three boats do this in Oyster Bay on Sunday for a while, apparently just to socialize for the afternoon. So, the boating culture here is a bit different than what we have been used to in the Caribbean; it is more about day sailing and racing.
In the town of Northport, we learned a little bit about its history (a main goal for me everyplace I visit) and had an excellent lunch on the patio at Tim's Shipwreck Diner. After our meal, we were offered (and accepted!) complimentary pumpkin pie, which was a delicious treat. Afterwards, we bought milk at a small organic foods store. (There are no groceries or convenience stores within walking distance of the town dock, where we left our dinghy when a couple local men on a docked boat offered to keep an eye on it.) Then we bought ice for our still non-functioning refrigerator (although the unit has been shipped from California today!!!!) and enjoyed chatting with the proprietors of the small delicatessen where we found it. Importantly, we picked up four cans of Diet Coke, which should keep me happy for a couple of days.
About the history of this town: Originally the home of the Matinecocks, the area of Northport was first seen by a white man scouting from New Amsterdam in 1650. He reported "good fishing, fine meadowlands and mostly level ground suitable for farms and cattle." Five years later, three Englishmen purchased the land for seven quarts of liquor, two coats, four shirts and eleven ounces of powder. The small colony flourished with an economic base in agriculture and shell fishing. Some of the existing homes date back to the 18th century and many of the brick edifices lining the business section of Main Street are from the 19th century and are now occupied by small restaurants and cafes, galleries, boutiques as well as a small drug store and a hardware store that probably has a good inventory but has the look of the one in the town in which I grew up a half century ago.
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| Main Street in Northport, Long Island |
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| Peter and Fun with Tools |
Careful with those bolt cutters, Peter!
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