The Last Hurrah(s) of Summer 2021

The 2021 boating season was our first “real” summer with our “new” Kadey Krogen 39. The summer of 2020 didn’t quite meet our usual standards for boating, as we all well remember (covid and my spinal surgery, in case you may have forgot). But all summers in New England eventually come to an end, sadly.

September can be a lovely month for boating with moderate temperatures and fewer crowds. Towards the end of September we gathered in Watch Hill with boating friends for one last Napatree visit. Because New England weather is so changeable, we braced ourselves that this could be the last boating trip of 2021. Photos are from LeeAnn.

Mary Jo and I had just celebrated our birthdays the previous week. Our birthdays are only 4 days apart.

The girls had a beautiful afternoon on the beach with Prosecco. LeeAnn always brings the Prosecco!

Dinner together on *Jallao* one night and *Kindred Spirit* the next.

We had some rain during dinner one evening, but it was totally worth it – double rainbow over Watch Hill. One of the best and brightest rainbows I have ever seen.

Good Night, Napatree. We are so glad we had one last visit with you and our boating buddies.

The weather for the last week of September looked pretty decent and we had no medical appointments scheduled. Between the two of us, there always seems to be an appointment when the weather is good and none when the weather is bad. I wish doctors could be flexible enough to accommodate our weather issues. 😉

We could squeeze in one more little trip so off we went to the Mystic area. On our way to Ram Island, one of our favorite nearby little anchorages, we switched things up and chose Enders Island instead. Enders Island is an 11-acre island at the base of the Mystic River, attached to Mason’s Island by a small causeway/bridge and just a bit beyond Ram island. It is home to a Catholic Retreat Center, independently owned operated by a Board of Trustees since 2003. Dedicated to the spiritual care, recovery from addiction, and studies in fine arts within the Christian tradition.

Arial view of Enders Island.
St. Edmunds Retreat welcomes people to Enders Island to walk around and enjoy the space. Let’s add that to our day trip list for the cooler months.

We had a relaxing day, enjoying the scenery and puttering around the boat. Once again, the setting sun was a treat for our eyes while our ears were serenaded by bagpipes from Enders Island.

A sunny beginning to the day, but also a very chill morning! Chimes rang out across the water from the island to signal the 9:00 am morning Mass.

Bundle up and enjoy that morning coffee in the cockpit! Al made me laugh when he stepped out with a knitted hat on as a joke. It wasn’t THAT cold!

The quiet anchorage meant that we could raft the boats for the afternoon making visiting easier.

While we ate lunch, Al spotted a Kadey Krogen, *Emma*, passing by out in Fishers Island Sound. He must have a special radar for Krogens. Of course he hailed theml on the VHF to say hello.

It was a cloudy afternoon and quite chilly, but we decided to take a dinghy tour around the cove and Enders Island.

There was a small opening under the causeway bridge that connects Enders Island to Masons Island.

On our return ride, *Kindred Spir*it and *Jallao* are framed by the opening under the causeway bridge

Bye Dean, Mary Jo and *Jallao*! Thanks for the visit!

We welcomed October the next day with sweatshirts again. Although the day still began very chilly (47 degrees) it soon felt much warmer than the last day of September (yesterday) with brighter and more consistent sunshine.

Although we found the cove at Enders island to be quite charming, we predict that during the summer months the anchorage would be very rolly from boat wakes in Fishers Island Sound. We weren’t ready to return to SYC yet and decided to head up the Mystic River.

Our little ride up the Mystic River from Enders island to north of Mason’s Island

It sure doesn’t look like the end of the season – those docks are still full of boats on both sides of the river! And the mooring fields weren’t empty yet either. I guess we weren’t the only ones clinging to the 2021 season.

We anchored in a designated anchor area near the moorings across from Mystic Shipyard. There was plenty of room at this time of the season, but we can remember this being a tight squeeze in previous years.

After two days sitting on the boat and in the dinghy, we were feeling a little antsy. It was a very nice day so we hopped in the dinghy again for the ride to the downtown Mystic.

Autumn decorations added a seasonal flair.

I had to include this. I have small collection of assorted rubber ducks that the grandchildren play with when they take a bath at our house. They would love this big guy!

We ate a light lunch outdoors at SIFT, a French focused bakery located here and with a smaller shop in Watch Hill. The owner chef, Adam Young, has been on several Food Network contests and was named Best Baker in America in 2018 by Food Network. His bakeshop features artisanal breads, breakfast pastries and sweet and savory treats.

SIFT, outside and inside, and a view into the bakery where chefs are working.

We stopped in Mystic’s Sea Bags, a business that began in Portland, Maine making handmade tote bags sewn from recycled sails. Fourteen years later, the business has expanded to 39 locations with shops in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Florida, and California. I have two bags from Sea Bags, a medium one and a small pouch, both well-made and lovely. One reason we like to stop into the shops when we pass by one is that they carry a soy candle line from Salty Beach Studio, created by our friend Carol in Camden, Maine

Carol’s Salty Beach candles designed for Sea Bags.

No surprise here – a stop for ice cream at Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. It is the only place that makes “Lemon Chocolate Kiss,” a lemon custard, not sherbet or ice. It is deeelicious!

The weather for the following week was forecast to be even better with temperatures in the low 70’s. We decided to squeeze one more little overnight in just before our haul out date of October 14th. We scooted over to West Harbor on Fishers Island for a final “last hurrah.”

West Harbor is always a favorite place when we don’t have much time and just want to get off the dock. Accomplishing some of the pre-hauling chores was much more pleasant out there in the sunshine and on the water than it would have been at the dock or on the hard.

The usual feathered audience observing the mooring field, high tide or low tide.

It is nice to see my captain relaxing in the cockpit with his morning coffee. There’s a lot of work to preparing for the haul out and the winterizing.

Al saw disturbances on the water’s surface and tried a little fishing. But no luck – no fish were biting.

Walking about the decks, I noticed my shadow on the water. I gave a wave and snapped a photo.

It was sunny. The air was about 70 degrees. The water temperature was 67 degrees. This was my last chance to swim off the boat. Hmmm……. should I or shouldn’t I?

I stood on the swim ladder for a minute. I gradually lowered myself into the chilly water…… can I do this?? Al shook his head and muttered “my crazy honey.” I took that as a compliment and —

— into the water I went! It really wasn’t bad at all. REALLY! I spent about 30 minutes playing about and exercising. October 13th – not bad for 69 years old if I do say so myself.

Time to go back to Shennecossett Yacht Club for the night so that we can be ready for our morning haul out slot. Dean and Mary Jo were hauling Jallao out too so the four of us enjoyed a “pre-haul” dinner at GO FISH.

No Dove mini chocolates are left in the container on the right. 😩 That is surely a signal that it is time. 😉😏

We squeezed in three “last hurrahs” and enjoyed each one. Already looking forward to the 2022 season!

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