{"id":3111,"date":"2014-05-12T13:12:03","date_gmt":"2014-05-12T13:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=3111"},"modified":"2014-05-12T13:12:03","modified_gmt":"2014-05-12T13:12:03","slug":"into-the-final-stretch-and-entering-new-york-nearly-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=3111","title":{"rendered":"Into the final stretch and entering New York… Nearly home"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Monday morning, biscuits are in the oven and the sun is peaking over the eastern horizon.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good day aboard Pandora.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last night was uneventful as we motored past the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River.\u00a0 As the moon set we were passing Atlantic City.\u00a0 Let me tell you, you can\u2019t miss it as the rest of the coastline of NJ is black at night.\u00a0 Atlantic City, not so dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have spent much of the time since rounding Hatteras under power as the wind hasn’t been strong enough to sail.\u00a0 The light wind we have been experiencing, or “not experiencing” as it were, is a result of the whole area being under the influence of a high pressure weather system.\u00a0 However, along with bringing nice weather, the \u201chigh\u201d has brought very light winds and the motor or “iron wind” is purring away, keeping us on the move. \u00a0\u00a0As my dad used to say, \u201cthat\u2019s why God invented engines\u201d.\u00a0 And, happily, we have one of those to keep Pandora moving along when the \u201cwind don\u2019t blow\u201d.<\/p>\n

It looks like we will be rounding Sandy Hook, and entering the lower harbor of New York late this afternoon and will enjoy a fair flooding tide to carry us up through the harbor, the East River and into western Long Island Sound.\u00a0 It will be good to be back in \u201chome\u201d waters after so many months away.<\/p>\n

I left CT way back in late September to begin my run south, going from Essex to Annapolis. \u00a0 It seems like another lifetime. \u00a0 Given the winter that everyone experienced up in CT, I am so thankful that we were somewhere warmer. \u00a0I don’t like the image of myself being found frozen stiff with one hand clutching a bill from the oil company as I tried to make my way back inside during one of the many storms those who were tougher than I endured over the last few months.<\/p>\n

I’s prefer not to think about ice (except in a rum punch) right now so back to the present…<\/p>\n

Our plan is for us to stop in Norwalk CT late this evening so that Jim, that’s “crew Jim”, can get off the boat and catch an overnight train back to Williamsburg VA.\u00a0\u00a0 That works well as I can drop him at Norwalk Yacht Club, where I used to be a member.\u00a0 Getting a cab to the train is very convenient from there.<\/p>\n

Before Jim jumps ship, I think I’d better post a photo of Pandora’s crew, Jim and Rich, who gave up a week of their lives to help me bring Pandora home. \u00a0Thanks guys. \u00a0I made sure that both Jim and Rich cleaned up as best as they could to sit for this photo. Looking a bit shabby? \u00a0I guess it’s the best they can do after being underway aboard a small boat for a week. \u00a0Well, they were at least well fed if now “well cleansed”. \u00a0 \u00a0Please don’t read into the “arm around Jim thing”. \u00a0It’s not what it seems, really. \u00a0 Pandora’s a happy ship but not that happy. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>After dropping Jim in Norwalk we’ll likely take “nap” and get going at first light to resume our run down the Sound for the short 60 mile run to Essex and home.\u00a0 It\u2019s funny to think about that run as “short” as I have made it so many times over the years.\u00a0 Back in \u201canother lifetime\u201d making a run of that distance would have seemed like a lot but after putting some 4,000 miles on Pandora going down to the Bahamas and back , since September, a 60 mile run seems pitifully short.\u00a0\u00a0 Funny how perspectives change.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a great run for the last week from Nassau even if the last few days have provided less wind than I would have liked for sailing. \u00a0Romping along, with all sails flying, is certainly better than motoring for hours, no make that days, at a time.<\/p>\n

I guess that expecting to spend a week on the water with fair winds the entire time is probably asking too much.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Even more important than the question of \u201cwind or no wind\u201d, is that what wind there has been was behind us for the entire time. \u00a0That’s good. \u00a0Sailing down wind is vastly more enjoyable, that\u2019s for certain.\u00a0 \u00a0As is often said, \u201cgentlemen do not sail to windward\u201d, and I agree.\u00a0 Bashing into the waves is not my idea of fun.\u00a0 I\u2019d much prefer to \u201chave the wind at my back\u201d any day. \u00a0Or, to put it another way, downhill is easier than uphill.<\/p>\n

I am really excited about being home after so many months away.\u00a0 To that point, even such as little thing as activating my phone so I can make some calls and check e- mail was quite a thrill after months of having those basic conveniences well, not so convenient. \u00a0 I won’t talk about how many calls to tech support at Verizon that took. \u00a0All better now.<\/p>\n

Another thrill, and I am easily amused, \u00a0is putting up this post myself with that much coveted Internet access via my phone. \u00a0 Brenda has been terrific about posting for me over the last week but it\u2019s so convoluted to write the post, send the file over the SSB radio so that Brenda can log into my site and make the post. \u00a0 Today, just log into my site and post. \u00a0Instant gratification!!!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so funny how addicted we, well at least me, have become to being \u201conline\u201d 24\/7 over the last few years.\u00a0 Me?\u00a0 I love it and am thrilled to have \u201cinstant access\u201d again.<\/p>\n

It was great to be in the Bahamas enjoying sun and warmth while others were up in the “frozen north”. \u00a0 However, with all that hedonistic stuff came many “hardships” such as limited access to FaceBook. \u00a0 Pitty me? \u00a0Perhaps not.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I am happy to be nearly home and can’t wait to cut the lawn again. \u00a0Did I mention that we have a BIG lawn? \u00a0Ah, the smell of freshly cut grass… \u00a0I am sure that the thrill of dragging out the mower will wear off soon enough.<\/p>\n

Of course, there’s always next winter to look forward to.<\/p>\n

I suppose that I should close with a photo of the little guy that joined us a few days ago and camped out in the head. \u00a0 Alas, sniffle sniffle, he didn’t make it and was buried at sea. \u00a0Perhaps if he’d sampled some of my cooking it might have turned out differently. \u00a0 \u00a0I guess I’ll never know…<\/p>\n

“Bob, Bob, stop being so &%$@#% maudlin. \u00a0It’s depressing. \u00a0Besides, you are nearly home.”\"\"<\/a>OK, OK. \u00a0Thanks, I needed that. \u00a0He really was a very cute birdy…<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s all for now…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Monday morning, biscuits are in the oven and the sun is peaking over the eastern horizon.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good day aboard Pandora.\u00a0 Last night was uneventful as we motored past the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River.\u00a0 As the moon set we were passing Atlantic City.\u00a0 Let me tell you, you can\u2019t miss it as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3111"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3116,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3111\/revisions\/3116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}