August 10 - 18 — Old Salts, Tom and Marie, “Saltatempo”, And Four Folks From My Congregation

Four very different days with different people, one on a VERY different boat.

It looked like no wind at all on the day after we arrived back at the Club from the Eight Day Cruise, but after lunch seven of us Old Salts went out on ILENE (and four more on Lady Kat).Wind was very light but we managed to sail down to the mouth of Little Neck Bay and back, six miles for the round trip, in about 2 1/3 hours, i.e., very slowly. From the left: Don, me, Audrey, Mike, Louise, Phil and Kim.

It was cooler on the water than ashore, in this summer of ceaseless excess heat. One “innovation” that I’m not sure I like is that instead of libations aboard once back on the moorings, we have begun to congregate in the Club’s lovely, friendly and air conditioned bar. Here is the photographer of the day, David. Thank you.

Lene and I attended a wedding at a former golf course on a hilltop up near Fishkill, New York. Not a water related activity at all except for the wide view of the Hudson Valley, with glimpses of the beautiful river we had sailed a couple of summers ago. We were guests of the bride’s mom, Ellen, widow of Ricky. Ricky was part of the crew on ILENE’s first passage into Long Island Sound (from Baltimore) back in June of 2006. We were five men including Ricky. He was the only one who knew nothing of sailing at the start. Eager and willing to learn and do all that he could; he was a star. At the reception a man I did not know approached me, introduced himself to me as Ricky’s son, and told me that Ricky had several times told him about that pre-blog passage and called it a highlight of his life. That was a high for me and brought back memories of the cruise. 

I love being married but weddings are a nuisance that have been weaponized by the “Wedding Industrial Complex” into events that extract what should be the down payments on their homes from couples to be lavished on a party. But as they go, this one was a lovely one. Ellen is second from left; Lene on the right.

Next day was with Tom and Marie. After lunching aboard, we raised the main and set off at three pm, again in zero wind. Outside the mooring field very light air allowed us, with main and small jib, to creep across Eastchester Bay, tack and sail part way up through Hart Island Sound through a group of racers who were also creeping along and assured us we were not in their way.  I changed the jib for the Genoa for another half a knot. But then the wind died completely, we furled the headsail and motored up to The Blauses, the rocks off the far end of Hart Island. There a mild breeze came up which permitted us to turn 180, unfurl the Genoa again and make it to five knots on a beam reach back through Hart Island Sound and sail most of the way back to the mooring. Tom told me how much he liked seeing his picture in this blog after prior excursions, probably pulling my leg, but making me feel bad because of my failure to shoot him this time. Sorry Tom! He said that he loved the no-drama serenity and tranquility of this day (which two knots of boat speed will give you). Dinner at Artie’s finished the day.

Andrew, a relatively new member of the Harlem, had invited me and others to sail with him. I had a delightful sail on a very different boat on Monday. “Saltatempo”, new to him this year, is a 27 foot 96 year old wooden S Class sloop built by the famous Herreshoffs in Bristol RI — in 1926!

She is a beauty, her brightwork gleaming under five coats of freshly laid varnish,

her fittings bronze,

Her Captain and his crew both happy.

The boat has no 12 volt battery. The bilge pump is operated by hand, to pump out the water that will rain into the cockpit. She has no refrigeration, running water,  and no running lights yet. A tiller rather than a wheel, which was fun after all those years. No autopilot, no built in Multifunction Display. She is elegant yet rugged. And with a bit of wind, she is fast.

I have a lot to learn about how to sail her, such as her running back stays that are needed when sailing downwind. We never used her outboard, sailing off and back onto her mooring. Between those events we were underway for about three hours getting to the east side of Manhasset Bay and back, slower in light winds outbound and at about six knots once the wind came up on the return. 

Andrew has a very neat app on his cell phone which provides data on the day’s trip that I do not know how to obtain from the Raymarine MFD on ILENE.

These pictures shows the day’s track, and minute by minute her course and speed plus average speed. I will not have to take notes and guess with this system.

Four people from my congregation joined me on Thursday. We sailed deeply into Littleneck Bay under main and Genoa. Tacking brought us through the passage off Kings Point and through Hart Island Sound before rounding that island. Two tacks using the small jib brought us back to the mooring. Underway three hours (24 minutes of that time with engine, half of those minutes on the mooring before and after) and we tracked 14 NM.

The Star of the show was Dana, from Romania via France, who had the helm about 95 percent of the time. She had done some sailing out of Cannes and loved the experience of ILENE. I had the wheel only while she cast off and picked up the stick and while on a dead run in the Kings Point Channel.

Some of the voyage was slow and stately, but as you can see from the horizon behind Dana’s head, we got up to speed. Dana gleefully noted a moment of 7.8 knots.

Dana had said she would “bring lunch” and I told her we had full kitchen equipment, beverages and ice. I did not expect the champagne, or the huge varied full course dinner. We met at one pm and did not get off the mooring until 3. Her generosity embarrassed me! Dr. Professor Dana as also an artist. As you know, I like to give every guest a shot at the helm, but the others, seeing Dana’s enthusiasm, declined. 

The others among our happy lot were Dana’s husband, Tom, who does admiralty law, Sue, who sailed with me (with her late husband and my ex) on my first boat, the 28’ Pearson, “Just Cause” about 30 years ago, and Bette, also a long time member of the our congregation, a first time sailor.

Not all is perfect in paradise however. Our seven month cruise to Florida and the Abacos, scheduled to begin this October has been adjourned, at least for this winter. My mate’s mutiny, was of the most gentle sort, I will not go without her. Solo sailing is not just difficult but unfulfilling to me. A two week vacation in Spain by air is the consolation prize. I really must quit crying in my beer over the minor disappointments in life and count my blessings. I have a lot to be grateful for.