The night was warm, calm and dry. The night winds that had been forecast absented themselves. Cabin fans cooled the air, somewhat. Heat is a problem this summer on land and afloat.
In the morning, Gypsy Jake said that they would like to follow us and they did. But it was another “all motor” day and Serge said that GJ’s Yanmar runs best at five knots. This is s bit slow for us but it was fun to lead, and I know the fun they had of entering a new harbor for the first time. Visiting an old friend again, while great, is just not quite as thrilling. Here is GJ following us through the upraised bascule railroad bridge at Old Saybrook.
I was hailed twice during the passage. Both by yells. The first was out in the Sound by a sailboat passing us port to port. I could not make out what she said so hailed on Channel 16 and we switched to 72. It was “Sha Ka Ree” (phonetic) with our intermediate member whose name I do not yet know but who recognized “ILENE”. She was heading west in the last few days of a two week cruise in the Sound with her other Club. So the way I see it, another Harlem boat did “join” the cruise, if only for a pleasant few seconds.
The five knot speed was diminished in the Connecticut River due to strong adverse tidal and river current.
The narrow channel between the river and the Cove, well marked by small red and green buoys, was the site of the second yell of the day. This one was helpful rather than social. We were in the channel passing the port side of a sailboat anchored to starboard, or so I thought!. The depth meter was showing less water, down to just a bit more than seven feet. A yell from a stranger on a power boat on our port side: “Turn to port; that boat is aground!” We did; she was. But she just waited and floated off the sand when the tide came up.
None of the four of us wanted to see the sights of “downtown” Hamburg Cove. It’s one store having closed during Covid. The waters of the outer cove where we were moored were quite warm, not like a bathtub but cool with no chilling effect. Everyone enjoyed a leisurely swim and boat visitation before dinner on Gypsy Jake. Her huge cockpit made a lovely setting and what a dinner it was. We provided the appetizers and some wine and some of the chops: Serge grilled all of the chops and Julia put out potatoes, salad, marinated Russian eggplant and a excellent zucchini with dill and garlic dish etc. I haven’t eaten that much at any meal on this cruise and it was all good. Here is ILENE, in the evening, from Gypsy Jake, with the passage from the Cove to the Connecticut River to the left. The small buoys can be seen in the Chanel if you look carefully. Up close they are much easier to see.
At the end of the dinner we all looked up the data again, together, to confirm my preliminary evaluation of the tidal situation for the next day: leave at about 11 so we will not arrive at Guilford before 3:30, when the tide will be half way up and rising, giving us enough water under our keels to safely get to the docks.
Another hot, calm night.
No comments:
Post a Comment