July 28 - Noyack Bay to Smith Cove, The Long Way Round --19 NM

I have circumnavigated Shelter Island before -- before I knew ILENE or Lene. And having passed its east and south sides yesterday, we decided to complete the clockwise loop today with Smith Cove as the destination. Smith Cove is shown on the chart included in yesterday's post. Why circle an island? Because it is there! Smith Cove provided shelter from the  forecast nighttime Southwesterlies. That shelter, though, can be a mixed blessing, also eliminating the wind that provides forced draft "air conditioning" in this heat. We have a heat exchange air conditioning unit but it has not been used for several years because (1) it requires us to be at a dock for electricity and (2) when not docked we face the wind which blows through the open hatches to cool the boat. This summer though, we have had to rethink the issue with the near constant heatwave. Without wind the boat heats up and holds the heat. The feline members of our crew are suffering -- off their feed -- and Lene is not happy either.
During our three and a half hour passage we beat up to and on the west side of  Shelter Island. But the wind was largely blocked off in the broad reaches in the passages on the Island's north side and then blocked by the Island itself while we passed down its east side before we beat back east along its SW and South shores to Smith Cove. I had anchored in Smith Cove with the Club Cruise more than 25 years ago and it is mostly the same -- a nice big anchorage with no shoreside or other commercial activities. There are some houses on its west side and some moorings with boats on them that I did not recall. We anchored well behind them toward the NW corner, with the gigantic "Majestic", which we had seen there when passing the day before, anchored in the  NE corner.

More than 200 feet long, we can see her name on AIS or by looking at her side.

Whether its owner has jetted away to another continent or is partying in Sag Harbor, nearby is a matter of total speculation on my part but the crew is saving him a lot of money by anchoring here instead of docking in town.
We chatted with some folks kayaking by and then lowered the dink for a swim.
A problem, however: We somehow ran out of water. Well not "somehow" but my fault for not wanting to fill both tanks, thinking that the sulpherization process will not occur if we use it up fast enough. But I misguessed. Tomorrow we will try to start the watermaker and failing that, go to a marina for a bit more fuel, but mostly for water.
Lene has been unhappy because of the heat and wanting to go home a few days sooner than planned. She could take the train with the kitties and I could sail home alone in a few days time but I think that if we get water and I clean the boat, or if the weather breaks she will hang in with me for a few more days.