Moving aboard involved a totally full mini SUV. There was some doubt whether all of our stuff, including two cat carriers full of cats, would fit; but it did. And because we are not setting off for months away this year, the list of things we forgot to bring (including the charts of the waters in which we will be sailing!) will be picked up later this week.
The move was complicated by a medical complication: Lene's brother, Ken, was taken by ambulance and admitted to a hospital in Brooklyn due to extreme weakness and shortness of breath following his discharge on Friday after surgery at NYU Hospital. Lene became the communications hub on Sunday among: (1) his surgeon team at NYU, (2) the hospital in Brooklyn where he was taken, (3) his son Mendy who was with Ken but not in the room with him due to the no-visitors rule caused by Covid, (4) Ken himself, (5) his wife in Canada, (6) his other two kids in Israel and (7) his brother in California. Its a wonder her phone did not catch on fire; it was burning up during the car ride, the launch ride and throughout that day and the next.
But we got here, got ice and after helping Lene get three very full cart loads of boxes and bags aboard from the launch, I left immediately via the same launch that brought us out. I rendezvoused with David, worked on the dink’s outboard and provisioned our two boats at the supermarket in Throgs Neck while Lene put most everything away in a very competent manner.
My 5/8” socket was too short to help with the spark plug; its hexagonal interior could not reach down to the hexagon of the plug. But thankfully David brought his special spark plug tool along. I got the easy-to-reach plug out, but needed to use a box wrench, the next day, on the hex exterior of his socket to get the other one because the space in the housing is to short to admit the ratchet handle.
I was disappointed and hurt by the stream of criticism from Lene as to the condition of the boat. My hard and rather thorough work to prepare ILENE was not satisfactory in her opinion. But we got over it and most of her quibbles will be easily remedied. I think she was just justifiably upset about her brother and took it out on me. That's what husbands are for.
Dinner cooked by caterer Anne was brought out to ILENE by the launch for an exquisite gourmet sunset dining experience in the cockpit.
Rolyness caused by weekend powerboat wakes subsided for a long, calm, cool night’s sleep. In my case from 9 to 5, so must have been tired. The felines seem not at all nonplussed by the transition. The next two nights were also cool and calm.
Next morning, after replacing the spark plugs, another "never did that before" experience for me, the outboard hummed to life on the second pull!
We had guests: Tom and Marie, who we met vacationing by bus out west a few years ago, for the afternoon and evening. This was their fourth sail with us and our 3.5 hours underway around Hart Island after lunch aboard, were very pleasant and easy in light easterlies. But while we averaged close to four knots and never had to turn on the Yanmar except for leaving and taking the mooring, we only made .7 knots SOG for a half hour passing Hart Island on a very broad starboard reach on the way back. Another experience where it was the company that made the sail, not the wind.
Then a home cooked pot luck dinner and desert and our guests stayed with us until about 8:15. Later this summer we have plans to sail with them again, this time down the East River to the Statue of Liberty and back. I have to check the calendar and the tide tables.
And the next day was a nothing burger day. I did clean and polish the dink with Aerospace Protectant 303, which its manufacturer would have us do daily, rather than as I do, once or twice a summer.
Summer is here!
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