June 19 - 25 -- Week Two Aboard -- Some Good Sailing at Last

Three nice sails this week. Sunday started it off when Bob and Judy came for their first sail. Bob had helped me wax two thirds of the freeboard last month and was a pretty good crew. Winds were quite variable but we had some six plus knots of boat speed in addition to sailing most of the time in the 4-5 range. We were out for about four hours. We headed up through Hart Island Sound and out to New Rochelle before turning back, passing close by the USMMA and getting to the Throg's Neck Bridge, where all wind died for a few minutes as per usual, before heading home. Then some Chardonnay before dinner at The Black Whale. Bob and Judy go way back with Lene, long before I knew her. I fell down on my photography duties; they will have to come back for another sail.

Wednesday it was the Old Salts and seven of them joined me on ILENE, followed by six more who came over from Deuce of Hearts for the G and T hour, which included a lot of food and two and a half bottles of wine in addition to the gin. Lene was with us for Act I, the lunch, but went into New York and missed the sailing. Speaking of which, it was great with winds from the North showing 25 to 29 apparent later fading to the mid teens in spots. Off Big Tom 2, I directed a 270 degree tack rather than a jibe, which Bennett handled excellently. When he had had his fill at the helm, he handed it off to Matt, son of  Debra.

Matt, and Debra, shown center between Rhoda and Sandy,

are brand new members of the Harlem, never sailed until now and do not yet own a boat. Matt had helmed, in lighter winds, aboard Deuce of Hearts the week before. He is a recent MLS grad who is planning for law school and he handled his assignment pretty well in all that wind with coaching form me, Bennett and Rhoda. With wind near the beam all the way out and back, we used the small jib and main and averaged well over seven knots, with a few minutes at eight knots. The new additional sheets for the small jib are working great! I served as the trimmer and lookout. I slept very well after cleaning up after they left.
The week's third sail was Saturday with five show biz friends who I know through Lene. We made boat speeds of about four knots on the way our, but by Execution Rocks the wind died so we motored most of the way back and through Hart Island Sound. Rounding Belden Point the wind came back and we zigged and zagged back and forth a few times across Eastchester Bay achieving seven knots to give the newbies a bit of the thrill of sailing, before heading back to the mooring. Here are Jackie (comedienne), Catherine (actress), Lauren (composer), Elliot (opera singer) and Steve (musician) in the launch at the end of a great day.

I drove the three in the middle back to the number 6 train and Jackie and Steve toured the island while I enjoyed Lene's fine shipboard cooking.

But it was not all sailing. Several trips to NY for medical and other appointments. One evening I stopped at "Sousapalooza" in Bryant Park, behind the library, free: about fifty horn and woodwind players showed up and without rehearsal or audition they played a hour of John Phillip's stirring marches. They were a bit heavy on woodwinds relative to horns but terrific anyway

We also finally got the dink fully operational and equipped. At the hot water heater I disconnected a small hose that apparently bypassed the heater and replacd it with brass caps.

Lene reports at least warm water now. I don't think it is right yet. I spent about five hours "detailing" the galley area, making it shine. Thursday, Lene's brother Ken came to City Island with our nephew Mendy for dinner at the Club and Friday we had a delicious dinner at Bennett and Harriett's home in Alpine NJ -- his birthday party.

And the weather has been great. Cool, dry, calm  nights and warm windy days. This can't last forever.