Recently I wrote of Brenda’s and my last cruise but something that I didn’t mention is that we saw a beautiful classic schooner as well as two beautiful old Trumpy yachts, all within three days, three for three.

As we headed down the CT river on our way to Sag Harbor, the beautiful Trumpy, Enticer, launched in 1935, one of the three “sightings”, passed us heading up the river.   I wish I had taken a photo of her.   She is a familiar site as we have passed her when underway many times over the years, when on the Intra Coastal Waterway, and once as we headed to Key Largo in the Hawk Channel, south of Miami.  It’s always a real treat to see such a beautiful boat in top shape.

In 2009 Brenda and I were able to tour Enticer.    Unfortunately, we weren’t “official” guests, as she was on display and open to visitors at the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport.   At that time, I wrote about our time aboard, not knowing that sometime later, years later, I’d again be aboard her, and this time as an official guest for “sundowners”.

Being aboard Enticer as a guest was amazing while I was on the NY Yacht Club cruise last summer, a visit that even included “valet parking” for my dink.  I was included as Pandora was invited to join the cruise as “tender” to a member’s boat that was participating as a racer.    I wrote about that visit in a post.  She’s a beautiful boat and was being chartered by several NYYC members and came complete with a 12 meter that was tied up along side.  Nice package deal…In 2015 she underwent yet another major restoration, although she looked pretty amazing when Brenda and I saw her years before that.  Now she is better than ever.  She has been “restored” a number of times, as is the case with all well maintained classic wooden yachts.  Her prior restoration, in 2002 was done at the Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine, known for doing some of the most magnificent rebuilds of classics as well as new builds in wood composite construction.

Her glamor shot after emerging from the shop shop in Brooklin. Hankering to get out on her yourself?  She is part of a program where, you can own a share as part of a fractional ownership plan.  Wouldn’t it be fun to put your feet up in the salon after a long day on the water?  “Garson, please fetch me a dram of rum.”  No, no, that’s not up to snuf.  “Garson, a Pims, if you will, and be snappy about it.”Too nice to stay inside?  Not to worry, you can enjoy your Pims on the aft deck.  And, it’s a nice place, trust me.  Been there, done that.  Although, for me, a G&T if I recall. Not up to your standards?  How about Enticer’s sister ship, Freedom?  A fractional program is available for her too for $350,000.   And for that fee, you will bask in the glow of 5% ownership and 10 days of annual usage.  Want to use her for a single day?  That will set you back $4,800 plus provisions, fuel and crew gratuity.

We saw Freedom when we were in Sag Harbor.   What a sight passing by at sunset. As you can imagine, buying, crewing and maintaining such a yacht is not for the faint of heart and a lot goes into keeping her up to snuff.  However, with fractional ownership, you will never have to pick up a varnish brush.

It takes a massive amount of work to keep a boat like Freedom in proper shape.  Check out this video on her restoration.  The video is about 5 minutes long and gives some very interesting history and what went into getting her where she is today.  Now, in the foreground of the image above of Freedom is a lovely schooner, number three on our three-sightings weekend.   Yes, she’s in the photo above, but she deserves a shot of her own.  Meet Kelpie, a 1928 schooner built at the Harvey Gamage yard in Maine.  This video shows her underway and in a race win in Falmouth, UK, shortly after her recent rebuild before making her way “across the pond” to Sag Harbor.  The video includes some shots of other really spectacular yachts, some of which I have seen in Antigua over the years.  As they set various sails, you really get a feel for just how big everything is on a yacht of this scale.
In order to own such a boat, her owner must have a long attention span and a very healthy checkbook.  Her current owner. Breakfast is ready…  Well,almost. Now Kelpie is under new management and ownership and is being actively chartered out of Sag Harbor.  She was still in the neighborhood when Brenda and I were there last weekend.  I wonder where she will be this winter.  It would be a shame to see her out of the water for the winter.  Kelpie?  Looking for a delivery crew?  I’d work for food.

So, there you go, three for three.  Three days and three beautiful classic yachts and it’s a wrap for this season.

It’s worth noting that that Pandora’s season ran from last fall when she went back in the water and headed south to Antigua, to South Florida, the Chesapeake and back home to New England where she will be hauled for the long New England winter.

Pandora covered nearly 5,00o miles over the last year and was commissioned for 13 months since her last layup.   In all honesty, with the whole virus thing and the months of lockdown in the Caribbean Brenda and I had to endure, it wasn’t all that idyllic a season.  However, I’m counting on next fall and winter being terrific so there is something to look forward to.   Given how terribly the virus has been managed here in the US, experts are now predicting that things won’t be under control until mid 2023, which would be horrible and put’s next season’s cruising plans at risk for us.

What a nice way to end the season, three for three.  Three days and three classics.  Check, check and time to haul.

So, here we will be, stuck in the frozen north this winter.  I sure hope that we will at least be to snow and lots of it so it will feel like a real winter.

I guess it’s time to begin working on that winterizing list and beginning to tackle the many projects planned to make sure she is in top form come spring.

I’ll be looking forward to a nice sundowner aboard Pandora next summer and winter.  Unlike these three beautiful yachts, Enticer, Freedom and Kelpie, I guess I’ll have to serve myself.

At least the view will be nice.Yes, it feels like winter, cold and rainy.  Time to put on a sweater.

Brenda likes sweaters.

Winter is on it’s way and a few days ago I moved Pandora to the yard in Deep River CT where she will be hauled.  It pains me to have her out of commission for the “season” but that’s how it will be.

As I ran her up the river, it was a beautiful fall afternoon and I couldn’t resist and asked Brenda if she would be willing to head out one more time for a short run  to Sag Harbor.  She agreed so I put off the haul date a bit and here we are again in Sag Harbor, where I write this.

We had an easy run here yesterday and were able to sail at least part of the way, a nice way to end the season.  We will head back to the marina in Deep River tomorrow where I will prepare her for being hauled.  It’s nice to have at least one more outing before the season is officially over.

The harbor here is much more empty than when we were here only a few short weeks ago with all but two of the big yachts gone for the season.

As Brenda and I sat in the cockpit last evening enjoying a G&T we were treated to the view of Patriot, a beautifully maintained classic Trumpy yacht steaming by.  It  seems that she is for sale and at $350k, if you are interested.  And, at that price, she won’t break the bank.

However, anyone who knows what it costs to maintain a classic yacht, will realize that the purchase price is only the beginning as I expect that it’s a multi six figure yearly commitment to keep her going which would surely break our bank.  It’s expensive enough to maintain Pandora and I can only imagine the complexities keeping a near 100 year old yacht in proper trim.

And, maintenance is only the beginning and assumes that no major work needs attention.  She was built in 1926 and has been heavily rebuilt over the years, most recently over a 5 year period ending in 2009.   I expect that she’s ready for yet another round of major work about now.   One way or the other, what a sight as she passed by a lovely schooner in the waning light.   The schooner is Kelpie, built in 1928 in Maine.  She too underwent a major rebuild, as is the case with all older yachts, in Maine in 2014 so she is in terrific condition.  She now calls Sag Harbor her home and is available for charter.  I wonder if she will be here over the winter.   Want to go sailing on a classic schooner?  Check out her website here.

Anyway, with the season at an end I continue to think about what life is going to be like here in New England this winter, wondering how bad things will get as people move indoors and tire of coping with the seeming never-ending restrictions required to stay safe.

On a daily basis experts are making predictions of what will happen in the coming months.  It’s hard to know what to believe when reports from medical experts suggest that the worse is yet to come, and others suggesting that the worse is behind us and that the virus will just magically fade away.

And, to add to uncertainty, the questions about vaccines in development and a growing fear that many will not trust them as safe or even protect us from infection.  One way or the other, it’s going to be a long winter.

And, speaking of winter and our missed run south, I have been working hard to arrange plans to celebrate the arrival of the Salty Dawg fleet in Antigua.  Unlike here in New England, it is fairly easy to stay “safe” as just about everything you might want to do in Antigua will be outdoors and with a fresh breeze to further minimize risk.

Last year we had nearly 40 boats make the run to Antigua in the rally and in spite of the world being in the clutches of the Pandemic, it looks like we will have a similar number of boats, perhaps a few more than last year, making the run this year.  Interestingly, two thirds of the fleet this year are first-timers, about double the fraction of what the rally sees in a “normal” year, suggesting that “veterans” either left their boats in the Caribbean last summer or have opted to sit the season out, given all of the uncertainty.

One question is if it will be safer in the Caribbean than here at home, and I find it very distressing that here in the US, we have the highest death rate of any industrialized nation at nearly 70 per 100,000.  On the other hand, the death rate per 100,000 in Antigua is a fraction of that at 3.  These are sobering numbers with our death rate more than 20x worse.  So, who’s the third world country?  As Trump would say “sad”.

Earlier in the week, Brenda and I went out for lunch, on a patio overlooking the CT River.  It was a beautiful day and really brought home just how different it will be here in a month when we are no longer able to sit outside to enjoy a meal.  It’s going to be very different and I can say with certainty that there is no way that I will be comfortable dining indoors, social distancing or not, once it’s cold, as there is ample evidence that being inside, in a public place, social distancing or not, as it is much more risky.

While we have more hospital beds here in the US, the to care for us if we get sick, the government of Antigua has been taking a very aggressive approach in keeping the virus at bay by having forced quarantine in government facilities.

They realize that if things get out of control, they just won’t be able to cope.  Or, to put it another way, “In God we trust, all positives go into quarantine where we can keep an eye on you!”.  I doubt that would fly here in the US, land of “don’t tread on my liberties”.  So, where would we be safer?  In the US with 20x the infection rate and lots of hospital beds or in Antigua with minimal healthcare risk but less risk of infection?  It’s a tough call.

One of the best parts of visiting Antigua is the availability of other islands to visit only a short sail away.  However, this year there are still a lot of questions about what will be involved in moving from island to island, with the likely need to take  a PCR test at $100 per person, just to move to another island.   That could really add up over the course of a season where a cruiser might visit as many as 10 countries over the course of the season.

Some of the islands, basically the non-French islands, have formed a sort of “bubble”.   The idea is that residents of those islands can move more freely between their home and others in the group with a minimum of effort.  However, for cruisers, non-nationals, it’s not all that clear with evidence seeming to suggest that cruisers will need to show a negative test, in or outside of the bubble islands.  At this writing, those wishing to travel within the “bubble” will still have to provide proof of a negative PCR test, regardless of where they are traveling from.

There is indeed a lot of question as to how things will evolve in the coming months and if it will be better to remain close to medical care here in the US or to bail for warmer climes.  I guess only time will tell which approach proves to be correct.

On a brighter note, recently our son Chris and his partner Melody, who have moved in with us for the winter (and yes, it’s going very well, thankyou) were aboard for an evening cruise and were witness to an amazing spectacle,  the swarming of swallows over the marsh.  What begins, as the sun sets, as hundreds of black specks…Turns into swirling clouds of hundreds of thousands…They swoop and dive in elegant sweeping clouds before diving down into the marsh for the night.  Soon they will head south and in spite of all of the uncertainty about what the coming winter will bring, seeing this natural wonder offers hope that as time marches on seasons will come and go and we too will eventually find a new beginning with life returning to some sort of normal.

Yes, time will tell but for the time being, tropical or frozen, it’s going to indeed be a Coronavirus winter.

God help us.

As I write this, Brenda and I are aboard Pandora in Sag Harbor.  This is perhaps our favorite place to visit and being so close to home, it’s a double treat.  In particular, as members of our yacht club, we are able to use a mooring here for free.  And, that’s saying a lot as moorings in Sag are perhaps the most expensive of any place we have visited at $2/ft, nearly $100/day for Pandora.

Contrast that to the $20-$25/day that we have paid in the Caribbean for the rare times we opt to use a mooring.  And, at $375/month for the slip we were on in Annapolis, just picking up a mooring here is nearly $3,000/month.  Crazy!

I guess the town fathers, if they are all men, would take the position “if you can’t afford it, we don’t want you here”.   Clearly, as the best harbor in the Hamptons, there is plenty of money to go around so they don’t need folks like us.  Some of the yachts, and there are dozens in the harbor, are pretty amazing.   I have always had a soft spot for yachts painted black.  What a beautiful shape.I often wonder what it takes to accumulate enough wealth to buy such a large “toy”.   Perhaps the name of this one, Indiscretion, offers a clue. Brenda and I have at least one thing in common with the owners.  They keep a  Mini Cooper on deck. “Oh Reginald, can I have a Mini?  They re just so cute.”, “Of course, what a lovely idea Chrystal,  have James order one post haste!”In order to fit a Mini in board Pandora, it would have to be a really mini Mini.  A “micro, mini, Mini” perhaps.  Note the white stripe on the side announcing the name of the Mother Ship.

While some of the yachts, many actually, are mega, some are exclusive in their own way.  This one surely shouts “I don’t care what it costs, mine is the only one”.
The Hamptons have long been the playground of the rich and famous.  Many are merely rich but some, like the owner of Alexa, are both.  She is one of Billy Joel’s boats, named after his daughter.   Alexa, the boat at least, has been a fixture on the Sag Harbor waterfront for years.    She’s quite a looker with classic lines. In addition to beautiful yachts, the town of Sag Harbor has some beautiful buildings, many dating back to a time when this was a major whaling port.    This elaborately decorated gem, is now a store.  I’ll bet that the bill for the silk flowers surrounding the entrance alone would set you back thousands.  Very tastefully arranged.  Love the yellow chairs.  I wonder what would happen if I plunked myself down with a cup of coffee there.  “Sir, can I please seem some form of identification documenting that you are “sheltering legally” in Sag Harbor.”
Speaking of Sag Harbor and whaling, that brings me to the highlight of Brenda’s and my time aboard Pandora,  so read on…

A few days ago, we decided to head from Block Island to Sag and headed out in nearly windless conditions.  We had hoped for a nice breeze to move us along but instead motored the entire distance.   As we passed Montauk and approached Gardner’s Island, I saw a huge splash a few miles off.  At first I thought it might be a wave breaking on the reef off of Gull Island, on the eastern end of Plum Island.

It was hard to tell what was going on but as we got closer, a geyser of foam leapt up again and again.  Finally, I realized it was a breaching whale when I saw this enormous dark bulk shoot up nearly clear of the water, only to land with an enormous splash.

As she/he? came closer, there were a few more leaps out of the water and then she continued her slow trek toward Pandora.I took dozens of photos as she came closer and  closer.  We never changed course but were careful to slow down to a crawl and stay out of her way.   Perhaps she was feeding as her mouth was agape as she rose up.  You can be certain that we were seeing a Humpback because of the long black and white pectoral fins, unique to this species.We never changed course but she came closer and closer, passing within about 100′ of Pandora.   She wacked her fin hard on the water, making a loud slapping sound, again and again.  We were awestruck.   I could hear her breathing.   What a moment. From start to finish, we were with her for perhaps 20-30 minutes.    And, all of a sudden, she was gone. It is very unusual to see a whale in Block Island Sound as for much of the summer, they congregate in the Gulf of Maine.  I do wonder if she was lost as this area isn’t known as a good place to feed.  They eat tons of plankton every day, and that sort of food is much more common in the colder waters north of here.

There is so much boat traffic here that the risk of collision is high.  These beautiful creatures swim very slowly and are often struck by ships, causing perhaps more deaths than by most any other cause.    I called the USCG to report her position which they repeated as a notice to mariners.

In the 40 years that Brenda and I have spent cruising this area, it’s the first time we have ever encountered a whale together and while I have seen quite a few off of Provincetown over the years, this was Brenda’s first time to see such a show.

Setting aside the fact that a sighting in our home waters is so rare, to see a breaching whale from the deck of our own boat, with no other boats for miles in every direction, was an experience that we will remember for many years.

So, there you have it, visiting Sag Harbor, once a major whaling port and now the final stop on what may very well be our last cruise of the season before Pandora goes on the hard until next spring, and a whale sighting.

When we arrived in Wickford about a week ago, it really felt like winter was coming and with a cold front coming through on Wednesday, I guess it’s time to head home tomorrow.

The good news is that while it’s pretty cloudy today, it’s warm and a nice day to eat outside on the patio of a lovely spot we have been wanting to try for a while.

While our cruise is nearly over, one way or the other, Brenda and I will have something to talk about as seeing a whale in Block Island Sound, now that’s something you just don’t see every day.

Perhaps I’ll close with a shot of Pandora, snug on her mooring here in Sag Harbor.  I’ll sign off for now.  It’s time to head ashore to lunch.   Socially distanced, of course.

It’s only been a week since I was last in Block Island when I was here with my friend Craig.  Yesterday, after waiting a few days in Wickford for the strong north winds to settle, Brenda and I made a run here, our second stop on the “twilight cruise”, our last for this season.  Sure, we may still make a short evening run or two on the CT River, perhaps to see the swallows gathering before their run south, but it won’t be long until Pandora is out and on the hard for the winter.

Yesterday I hosted a Zoom meeting as part of the Salty Dawg Webinar series, with the Director of National Parks in Antigua, Ann-Marie Martin.  She was joined by Paul Deeth, owner of the Admiral’s Inn, also in the Dockyard.

They spoke to captains making the trip there this fall as well as others considering Antigua as a destination in the future.  There were questions about how the island is handling the virus and what cruisers could expect as the season unfolds.

While there is much uncertainty, one thing for sure is that being in Antigua, with the warm weather and the opportunity to continue to live life outdoors, will be a lot safer than life here in the Northeast US where everyone is bracing for a resurgence of the virus.  To that point, we are expecting that a record number of boats in the rally will head to Antigua.  I find that very rewarding given all the work that goes into preparing for the fleet’s arrival.   This will be the first year that I won’t be there to welcome them.  Next year…

Here in the US, as winter approaches, experts are reminding us that what is coming won’t be a “second wave” as there was never a reduction, with infections near an all time high so we are still in the clutches of the first wave.   Scary stuff.

Brenda read this morning that doctors are seeing many more patients than normal complaining of hair loss and their best explanation is stress, perhaps associated with the pandemic.   I’ve often heard dog owners speak of their stressed dog as “blowing a coat” to explain why their upset dog was loosing much more hair than usual.

Perfect.  One more thing to worry about, as if having a president who is suggesting he won’t leave the Whitehouse, even if he looses the election, isn’t enough.  Now we can look forward to being part of a nation of “coat blowers”,  going bald on top of everything else.

So, here we are, me and Brenda, back in Block Island, a place we have been visiting for nearly 40 years.  Much has changed since our first visit, so long ago, in our very first boat, a 20′ Cape Cod catboat, Tao.

We were reminded of those times yesterday when this little Marshall catboat, 18′, arrived and pick up a mooring nearby.  I could not resist the temptation to stop and say Hi.  Brenda could not resist taking a picture.  Hard to believe that Pandora’s dink is half the length of our first boat.

Also near by, a lovely yawl, I think an Invicta, sister ship to our own Artemis, one of 11 built in the 60s.   Her lines are beautiful.  Alas, not such a fast boat.  When Craig and I sailed from Block Island to Newport last week, we had a wonderful downwind sail and after days of strong north winds in Wickford, wouldn’t you know that Brenda and I had to motor directly into a south wind?  Such is life.

Brenda and I arrived in Wickford, where I had left Pandora for a few days, to head home to visit.   You know, the lawn does need to be cut.  When we returned to Pandora it was really chilly for the first few days and very windy.  Good thing our diesel heater was working as it kept the outside low 40s temperatures at a bay.  Down below we were warm and comfortable.

Wickford is a place we have enjoyed visiting for as many years as we have been boating although I don’t think we took Tao there.  I do recall at least one departure from Newport aboard Tao that, like yesterday, had us motoring directly into the wind, trying to get out of Narraganset Bay and around Point Judith on our way home from a vacation.  For sure, yesterday’s trip was a lot more pleasant.  Brenda still remembers that trip, and not in a good way.  She does have a very long memory.

Back in those days, when the weather cooled in the Fall, our only solution to stay warm was to invert a clay flowerpot over our tiny kerosene burner.   These days time aboard, complete with central heating, is a bit more civilized.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is the size of the yachts in Newport.  They are huge.   How about this monster speedster?  I expect that he burns more fuel in an hour than we burn in a whole year.  And I mean more even if you combine all that we use in our cars, boat and at home.  With a burn rate, of as much as 1,000 gallons per hour when she’s speeding along at 30+ kts, a lot more.  Talk about a carbon footprint.

A powerboat owner once quipped to me, in response to a question by me about how much fuel he burned in an hour,  “8 gallons an hour but I can afford it”.  Ok, but some might suggest that isn’t really the point.

Some might suggest that burning that amount of fuel is wasteful.  However, if I could afford it, I’d probably find a way to rationalize it and have a big beautiful yacht myself.  Perhaps something like this.  Or, if I couldn’t stand the idea of a power boat, something like this beauty.  Call me a carbon footprint hypocrite but I do love beautiful yachts and if I had the coin…

It’s always interesting to see some of the same yachts, year after year.  This is Spartan, the last remaining of the NY 50s class, built in Bristol RI by the famous builder Herreshoff, one of several built for members of the NY Yacht Club, launched in the spring of 1913.  Her current owner spent millions having her restored during a project that began in 1981 and took 8 years.  It appears that she is, once again, having major work done.  Here’s Spartan under sail.  I first saw her when she was on display at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic a number of years ago.  For some reason, I can’t find that photo?   Pretty remarkable and at more than 70′ long, she is primarily a day sailor and a big one at that.  However, by today’s standards, a small yacht.

As Craig and I made our way from Newport to Wickford, we were passed by the Oliver Hazard Perry, a reproduction tall ship berthed at Fort Adams in Newport.  She was conducting man overboard drills.   When the breeze picked up and she put out all her sails, Pandora still passed her easily.  The Perry isn’t great in light air, it seems. She is quite a contrast to Pandora but an even greater contrast in designs was when Enterprise, one of the 12 meter yachts built to compete for the America’s Cup.  She is still sailed out of Newport as one of a number of 12s that have been kept in sailing trim.  She passed us like we were standing still. What a contrast to see her and the Perry in the same frame.  Escapees from such different times.And speaking of yacht racing,  Brenda and I got a kick out of this boat load of guys heading out with their RC boats for an evening of racing.  Love the dual engine pontoon boat.  Actually, the motor on the left is on a “chase boat”, I guess to retrieve errant yachts.    They seemed to be having a very nice time, no doubt helped along with cans of beer. I was struck by this Buddha, guarding Wickford harbor, a sort of silent guardian of the people of Wickford.   I’ll go with that.  In these days of pandemic and the polarization of our country, we need all the help we can get.  Unfortunately, during a particularly high tide, while were there, the water was right up to his chin, yet another metaphor for what many of us are feeling these days as we all work hard to keep our heads above high water.

At least we can take solace in the fact that the sun continues to rise and fall every day, always predictable.    Our neighbor, the catboat, nicely framed by yet another beautiful sunset.  Yes, the sun will come up again but I fear that there are going to be a number of nasty gales along the way.

Batten down the hatches…

By any measure, this year’s boating season has been unique.  In a socially distant world many have turned to boating as a way to spend time with family and yet avoid infection.   Anecdotally, I have heard that boats, both new and used, have been selling like hotcakes and in spite of some pretty daunting requirements, with testing, quarantine and huge complexities for entering the islands, registrations for the Salty Dawg Rally to Antigua are running nearly the same as last year.

As I write this I am aboard Pandora in Block Island, cruising with my friend Craig for a week.    This is the first time I have been here so late in the season and it’s pretty clear that the season is over.   There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of open moorings.  We used an Essex Yacht Club mooring, free for our use.  It’s not uncommon, during the high season, for every mooring to be occupied.  Not so now. Champlins Marina, a very popular spot had only a single boat.   I am told that if you want a spot on the dock during their busy time you have to book and pay by March.  Even with a reservation, you had better be prepared to raft up with other boats on the dock. At another marina, nearly all of the floating docks were already out of the water, and it’s only one week past Labor Day. Craig and I sat out on a patio on the dock overlooking a sparsely occupied marina.  I was impressed with all of the safety precautions in place.  At the Oar, a popular spot, we had to sign our names and list phone numbers in the event that any infection broke out and they had to trace who’d been there.  The place was very lightly attended and tables were widely spaced in a fresh breeze.  We felt safe.  So many open moorings.  No surprise given the fact we are well into cooler weather.  These same moorings, during high season, are so scarce that anxious boaters hover nearby with a dink every morning so that they can race to claim a mooring when someone drops off. We went for a walk and while there were plenty of tourists around, it was not crowded at all and we only saw a few mopeds, the usual scourge of summer.  The constant buzzing of racing mopeds, was nowhere to be seen.

I had remembered that there was a petting zoo near Old Harbor, on the other side of the island, where most of the old hotels and shops are located.  They have quite a collection including a Yak.  I think that’s how it’s spelled.  He’s the big black guy on the right.   Quite the menagerie. I have always loved turtles and this one is a big boy, upwards of 40lbs.    He was quite interested in getting some sort of handout and raced, as much as a tortoise can race, over to greet me.   How about these horns? Reminds me of one of the characters in the movie by Monty Python.   Not sure but I seem to recall his name as Kim.  Of course, what zoo is complete without a camel?Or a lama?   Or is this an Alpaca?  Whatever…Unfortunately,  all is not peaches and cream at the zoo.  This crane, was being tormented by a particularly aggressive goose who kept bugging him, squawked and flapped noisily. Later, a much happier egret, checking us out on the dock. When Craig and I headed out earlier in the week, the wind was strong and directly from the SE, which didn’t leave much choice of where to go.  We opted to head to Mattituck, a tiny harbor at the end of a 1.5 mile twisting channel on the North Fork of Long Island.   I had not been there for years and never with Pandora.  The channel has some very shallow parts so we were sure to head there at high tide.  No problem, and we never saw less than about 8-9′.  However, at low tide, I am certain that we would have run aground.  There is a small anchorage at the end of the channel that is kept open for anchoring boats.   It was disappointing to see that a few moorings have been placed, limiting room for anchoring but we were able to find a spot.

A short walk brought us into town.   Not a lot of action but we did have to wait for coffee and a muffin that we ate outside on the sidewalk, socially distanced of course.   I was impressed that everyone we encountered was wearing a mask.   It was encouraging.   There was a terrific grocery and also well stocked cheese shop.   Eating out didn’t seem like a good idea but we ate well aboard. Years ago Brenda and I had “discovered” nearby Shinn Vineyards, about a 1.5 mile walk outside of town on lovely country roads.   We have visited the vineyard by boat a few times.  We also stayed in their B&B for a long weekend during a snowstorm once, taking advantage of a winter special, complete with wine, of course, and wonderful food.  The vineyard has changed hands now and much has been done to make it even nicer.   Craig and I ordered a bottle of wine, cheese and bread.  All the basic food groups. I thought that these chairs were pretty neat.  Wonder how they keep them from getting filthy on the lawn. The rows of grape vines were meticulously trimmed and shielded with webbing from marauding birds.  The amount of labor that goes into producing wine is remarkable.    And, to make things even more complicated, Shinn is an organic vineyard.   Having  seen so many vineyards in CA that had no grass or weeds at all between the vines, everything burned out by herbicide, made me appreciate the difference here. Nothing quite says clean like glistening stainless steel.  Tonight Newport and Thursday off to Wickford and a mooring at the Wickford Yacht Club where I will leave Pandora while we head home in a rental car.  On Monday, Brenda and I will head back to Pandora for the last hurrah before Pandora is hauled for the winter.  I have written in past posts about all the projects that are lined up for the winter, both aboard Pandora and at home.   It’s going to be a busy winter.

And that’s good as my mother used to quote, allegedly from Mao, “busy people are happy people”, and busy I’ll be.  And that’s good, as I really don’t want to have time to think about the warm weather of the Caribbean that I’ll be trading for what I hope won’t be a harsh New England winter.

The good news though, is that our son Chris, his partner Melody and their dog Mila are settling in nicely at our home with everyone sharing in the housework, cooking and grocery shopping.  Mila isn’t much of a cook and is spending much of her time on the back deck, concentrating on keeping all the birds and squirrels in their place.

Hopefully after a winter with us they will decide that moving back to California isn’t a good idea.  With wild fires raging everywhere, the ever present risk of earthquakes and, these days, pestilence, perhaps they will decide that boring New England might seem like a good place to stay.  It would be nice to have them nearby.  One can always hope.

One thing that is certain though… summer is over.   Here in Block Island, the crowds have gone and the harbor is nearly empty.  It’s hard to believe that only a few weeks ago this place was hopping.

If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the iron gates of summer slamming shut…

Me, I really want to do what I can to wring a bit more time out of this season. I sure hope I don’t get bruised by that slamming gate.