We usually begin the boating season, casually and slowly by getting the boat into the water sometime in May and then taking short little trips of 1-3 days for a couple of weeks to work out the kinks from a long winter spent on the hard. This year was different. Our friends, the Bakers on Magnolia, live-aboard folks, asked us to join them in June as they cruised up the Hudson River to the Great Lakes and back, their own “Mini- Loop.” We decided that a new direction with good friends would be a lot of fun, so we agreed to meet them at the Statue of Liberty and spend a couple of weeks on the Hudson with them. I guess our version would be a “Micro-Loop” without the loop.
Between the weather, medical appointments, so-so weather and Al’s boat projects, May passed quickly as we found ourselves in the last week of the month and only days to get ready for the Hudson. Memorial Day weekend was the first time Kindred Spirit had a test run, out to Ledge Light and back. After two years on our mooring my docking skills are rusty to non-existent and this time we were backed into the slip. First time this season and I had to do it in reverse of my usual method. Ugh. Backing in is much harder than bow forward. Good news – Nothing was damaged.
Friday, June 1stdawned foggy and dreary, but we left anyway around 8:30 am, with a very good current. Most of the day we traveled at 8.5-9 knots at 1700 rpms which is good for this little trawler.
And so it went for 52 nautical miles. See how the view changed by 1:00 pm?
The fog never totally disappeared but it lightened a bit. By the time we reached Port Jefferson the visibility had increased from 100 yards to 1-2 miles.
Arriving in Port Jefferson at 3:00, we turned to starboard to find a mooring to borrow for the night. An entire field of mooring balls and every one was empty. I guess the season hasn’t quite begun yet here.
Wonder what tomorrow will bring? I’m betting on fog and hoping it doesn’t last all day again. We will be heading to Port Washington.
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