Catalina Sunshine

New York New York

September 2015, at about 0700 hours, we turned from the relatively protected waters of Gardiners Bay between the prongs of the "fork" at the north east end of Long Island, into Long Island Sound. We turned through Plum Gut, between Orient Point and Plum Island. The wind had been forecasted from the west, our direction of travel, at 20 nmph, with 3 to 5 foot seas at 7 seconds. What we found was 30 nmph plus winds with 7 to 12 foot 4 second seas. What I had not counted on in addition to the incorrect Buoy Weather forecast, was the effect of the current on wave height in the Sound. We had an incoming tide and were at maximum current when we turned into the sound. Like the north moving current with a wind from the north in the Gulf Stream the wave heights were significantly increased in the Sound with wind and current apposing. Our course was directly into the steep seas. After 5 hours of getting beat up we turned into Port Jefferson to recover. The next day we again turned west in the Sound, it was warmer, sunny and the wind was under 10 nmph.

We arrive at our anchorage between the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island about 1700 hours. This was the second time we had anchored in this location. There were no other boats the first time 5 years earlier, and only one other boat this time. Although we were a fair distance from the ferry traffic between the City and Staten Island we felt their wake. Fortunately out guests Rich and Sandy are Corsairs, as we are, and use to boat wake which Corsairs frequently experience at their moorings in Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. We had a great dinner aboard, hard to image better scenery, and watched the City lights off our stern.

Our plan had been to see the 9/11 memorial the next day and we had made reservations at North Cove Marina, next to the memorial, several months earlier. About two weeks before we arrived our reservations were cancelled because the City had scheduled construction which impacted the slip we had reserved. Fortunately they allowed us to land our dingy at the Marina, and we left our boat anchored between the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

I can't imagine a more approximate memorial then the disappearing fountains, weeping wall, twisted steel beams, and the names and pictures of the victims, and those brave fireman and policeman that tried to save them. Freedom Tower, which was built to withstand an attack from an airplane, now stands proudly near where the World Trade Center buildings once stood.

After lunch on a plaza next to the North Cove Marina, Rich and Sandy left us to head to the airport.

During our time in Newport Rhode Island, we drove down to New York City to see a show at the David Koch Theater in the Lincoln Center. Our daughter, Kelley, was the Assistant Director and an Associate Producer for the Show called Pearl. Pearl, was "An evocative and abstract multi-visual interpretation of the life and times do Pulitzer price winner Pearl S. Buck". The Director, who we meet at lunch before the Show, was very complementary of Kelley's contribution to the Show. The Show was terrific.

Boats on moorings with upper Manhattan residential towers in background

Art-deco styled Chrysler building in the background

Manhattan Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge completed 1883

Statue of Liberty

The Statue with lower Manhattan in the background

Dinner behind the Statue of Liberty with our friends

City lights from our stern

Freedom Tower with North Cove Marina at base

North Cove Marina, our dingy on the right

New Transportation Center for lower east side, under construction

Disappearing waterfall on the site of one of the World Trade Center towers

Waterfall at edge of monument

Names of those that died around the perimeter of each water fall monument

The Weeping Wall, the original foundation of one of the towers

Pictures of the fallen

Formal picture of each of the fallen

The remains of one of the responding fire trucks

Twisted steel beam that supported a portion of one of the towers

Twisted steel beam

Rich, Sandy, Beth having lunch on Plaza next to North Cove Marina

David H. Koch theater Lincoln Center

Our daughter Kelley with proud parents at Lincoln Center

Advertisement for Pearl at the Lincoln Center

September 2015, we anchored in Sag Harbor, the super yacht harbor for the Hamptons. The Hamptons include most of the southern fork of the east end of Long Island. Sag Harbor is located on the sheltered waters between the prongs of the "fork".

Although all of the Hamptons are upscaled the highest end residential properties are along the Atlantic Coast which we did not visit. However, a number of the homes we saw on the north shore and the adjacent Shelter Island, were large and designed by skillful architects. We did visit the charming Village of Sag Harbor which was founded in the 1600s as a whaling town. As we were at the end of the season everything was on sale.

Super yacht marina at Sag Harbor

Sag Harbor village

North Shore Hampton Home

National golf links of America Golf course

Block Island

September 2015, we entered the Great Salt Pond. The Pond provides room for anchorage, or mooring with 360 degree protection, for several hundred boats.

The history of Block Island dates back to 1524. The original harbor was developed on the eastern side of the Island. An entrance was not dredged into the Great Salt Pond until 1899. The Islands downtown remains today on the East side of the Island next to the original harbor, about a mile hike from docks at the south east edge of the Pond. Most of the Island's buildings are covered with grayed shingles like the buildings on Nantucket and Cuttyhunk.

The Narragansett Inn on the shore of The Great Salt Pond

Rich, Sandy and Jackie join Greg on the flybridge

One of the many ponds on Block Island

Downtown

One of the churches on Block Island

Typical Block Island house

Houses on shore of Great Salt Pond

Coast Guard Station at entrance to the Pond

Navy Homecoming in Newport

September 2015, we arrived at the Navy Marina in front of the Naval War College, on the Naval Station Newport. The Naval War College sits on a hill above the Marina, which looks south toward the James Town Bridge and the Town of Newport Rhode Island beyond.

I spent two summers at the Officers Candidate School, on the Naval Station Newport, one in 1965 and the second in 1967. At the completion of the second summer I was commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Civil Engineer Corps. Being on the base again brought back a lot of memories.

While in Newport I had a chance to sail with a Navy friend and former business partner Rear Admiral Bill Heine. Bill and his wife Yolanda live in Newport in the summer and Bill keeps his sail boat in the Navy Marina, down the dock from where we were. They also invited us for a great dinner at the New York Yacht Club's Newport Club House which overlooks Newport Harbor.

While in Newport we were treated to the the Navy's End Of Summer Celebration on the lawn in front of the Was College. This is a yearly event where the Navy invites the community to join them. The best part of the Celebration was the spectacular fireworks.

Downtown Newport has some great shops and restaurants along the waterfront most with a colorful New England architecturally styled buildings. In the Harbor we saw Infinity, a new 2015, 270 foot plus super yacht built by Oceanco in the Netherlands. A beautifully designed and exquisitely built boat. Directly across Narragansett Bay from Newport is James Town a small and charming New England village.

At the end of our Newport visit Rich and Sandy Lewis joined us. They are members of the yacht club Corsair, with its its facilities on Catalina Island on the West Coast. We are cruising members of this same club. Together we visited the Breakers and the Marble House, both 19th century Gilted age summer "cottages" of the Vanderbilts. We ended this tour of opulence with lunch at the Castle Hill Inn, overlooking the entrance to Narragansett Bay and Newport Harbor.