Sunday, September 6th, 2009, Block Island, Rhode Island

last update, August 30th, New York, New York

 

     Nine days in Manhattan might sound like a long time, but we barely scratched the surface of what this island city has to offer.  We never would have stayed for so long had we not been able to anchor out off the 79th Street Boat Basin absolutely free of charge.  We bragged about paying $29 a night for a place on the Upper West Side when we were here four years ago and couldn't imagine finding a better deal.  Sadly, the circumstances which led to this discovery were rather unfortunate.  Our friends on Cenou took a mooring ball here earlier this summer and wound up dragging and damaging their boat during a violent thunderstorm.  During the same storm, another catamaran suffered even worse damage, dragging into a barge and becoming wedged beneath its protruding bow.  After these events, the Boat Basin instituted the "no catamaran" policy.  Looking for another option, we happened upon an internet site that talked about anchoring here instead, so we decided to try it out. 

 

     It also helped to have the weather working in our favor.  We had just one day of rain right after the girls got back from Seattle.  We spent it with the Moscarellas, exploring The Met.  The rest of the time it alternated between a little steamy and absolutely gorgeous early fall temperatures. 

Where better to pass such days than romping around Central Park?  The girls insisted on hiring a peddle cab to escort us through portions of the park. 

Watching the roller bladers skating around inspired us to pull out our own the next day.  We made it an afternoon treat after their first day back at school.

 

     Yes, like the rest of the country, we too are back to school.  We've completed our first five lessons.  The girls are always much more cooperative after a break from the every-day tedium of lessons.  I keep looking for ways to nurture this attitude and carry it further into the year.  Sometimes it is easy to forget the obvious: praise and positive reinforcement go so far! 

 

     We couldn't leave New York without seeing a play on Broadway.  Joe managed to secure us some great seats for the Wednesday night performance of "Wicked."  The show was spellbinding, made even more so by the delight of Cassie and Juliana.  They loved the story, the music, the characters; the whole experience.  Every time I glanced over at them their faces were lit by radiant smiles.  They didn't even complain about the subway ride/walk home at 11:30pm. 

 

     I also have to mention our chance encounter with another catamaran called "Panorama."  We had seen them in August anchored in Block Island.  While we were sailing from Cuttyhunk to Saybrook on our way to the city, we saw them out sailing as well.  Remembering the boat and being the friendly guy that he is, Joe called them on the radio.  It turns out they recognized our boat from one of the articles Joe had written for Blue Water Sailing.  Scott and Lara have two young girls (2 and 5) and are hoping to break away to go cruising sometime in the next few years.  Before long, we had dinner plans with them at their Manhattan apartment only a few blocks away from the 79th Street Boat Basin.  We love being part of the cruising community - always so friendly and helpful, eager to swap stories and learn from each other's experiences.

 

     While the cruising community is as friendly in New England as anywhere, the same can't be said of boaters in general.  Never have I heard so many jerks abusing the radio!  When we are out sailing we have our VHF radio on Channel 16 continuously.  This is the hailing channel.  If there are any boats in your vicinity that want to call you, they do so on 16.  Hardly an hour goes by when I don't hear some disgruntled, opinionated boater calling some other boater any variety of colorful names.  It is absolutely ridiculous.  Somehow the anonymity of the radio liberates these repressed souls.  Dropping all inhibitions and usually any semblance of decorum, they don't hesitate to verbally abuse their fellow sailors for the slightest perceived wrong, justified or not.  I much prefer the European version of radio abuse.  They play their favorite songs, whistle a tune, or do their own rendition of Meg Ryan in the famous scene from "When Harry Met Sally."  I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about. 

 

     Leaving New York on Friday, we had a quick trip to Sea Cliff with nearly four knots of current pushing us up the East River and through Hell Gate.  We were stopping off to see Tom, Adriana, Aria and Tristan.  Adriana had promised to take me to her local Bottle Buys to restock Zia's depleted bilges with wine, saving us from paying the outrageous prices in the city.  Of course, this was just the minor perk of the afternoon.  We enjoyed the glorious weather in their backyard, grilling steaks and salmon and red peppers and feasting on numerous other delicacies.  We finished the night under a full moon on Zia.  Spectacular.

 

     With Joe heading back to Albuquerque to celebrate his mom's 85th next weekend, we are debating where the girls and I will stay on the boat while he is gone.  We aren't ready to go back to Annapolis yet, hoping for some more nice weather through the end of the month to cruise and kite around New England.  Saturday was another spectacular day, although the wind was light.  We wound up motor-sailing thirteen hours all the way to Block Island.  It's a good thing we didn't break the trip into two days like we had originally planned.  The wind is howling out of the northeast this morning, which would have made a passage today mostly upwind.  Plus, if we were on passage today, we wouldn't be able to go out kiting!

 

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