The
Beacon 
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1 July 2006
Volume 5, Issue 3
P.O. Box 211, Glen Cove, NY 11542
www.GlenCoveYachtClub.org
Glen Cove Yacht Club Home Page
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The
Beacon
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1 July 2006 |
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Volume 5, Issue 3 |
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P.O. Box 211, Glen Cove, NY 11542 |
www.GlenCoveYachtClub.org |
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I will see you all at the Fourth of July party. As usual, the Club will provide ice and non-alcoholic drinks. We will have the BBQ set up and ready. Bring your food and let's have a great party (starting at 3 p.m.), like we do every Fourth of July! I hope to see many of you there! In ending my last letter to you, I would once again urge you to participate in the life of the Club. A new board is going to be elected this fall and we need some new blood, new energy, and new ideas. Just look at the great Commissioning Day we had this year. We had a fantastic representation of State, County and City representatives. We were awarded two citations, one from the State of New York and the other from Nassau County. The City of Glen Cove, Nassau County, and the State of New York all know the importance of clubs like ours to the foundation of a great community. Our service to Glen Cove makes the city and the county a better place to live. Take the time to reflect that when you happen to see people at the Club watching a beautiful sunset, it is your hard work to keep the place clean and safe has made their experience possible. The fact that they have enjoyed that moment should bring you joy. You are the reason for their enjoyment. All of us - Club members, City officials, County officials, and State Officials -- should think about this. Be proud of your work and smile the next time you see that couple watching the sunset. I will be leaving you soon to take up my work with FEMA, well before landfall of the next hurricane in the US. Our Club is in the good hands of the Board, and our "King pro-tem" Jim Dahl will continue my work and the work of my predecessors until November. And then you will elect a new board. Please enjoy the sailing season and BE SAFE. The Glen Cove Yacht Club is a great place to be during the summer and I sure will miss it. ~ Herve Riou, Commodore
On Reciprocity The custom of reciprocity among yacht clubs is a tradition that spans more than 150 years of yachting.. It's safe to say, however, that much of the boating public does not understand what reciprocity is and what it isn't. Reciprocity originally referred to a courtesy which was extended from one yacht club to another yacht club. The privilege of allowing visiting yachtsmen to utilize another club's facilities was confirmed annually by the exchange of letters which were posted in the reciprocal clubs. Since most yacht clubs were private clubs, they could not and would not accept payment for services such as meals - thus a visiting yachtsman would have to sign a credit slip, and his home club would accept responsibility for payment when billed by the club that was visited. Through time, such letters were replaced by preprinted reciprocity cards that were mailed out by the club secretaries early in the boating season, thus setting up reciprocal visiting agreements with various clubs for the year. The courtesy of reciprocity was originally meant to be an exchange of club privileges between individual reciprocal clubs on a limited time basis and by invitation only. It was, in no way, intended to provide for wholesale reciprocity between the home club and all yacht clubs. Unfortunately, during the post-WWII boating boom, this simple system unraveled, so that anyone armed with a membership card from a yacht club felt entitled to reciprocity with any club of his choosing. Indeed, some yacht clubs do operate that way today.
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One only need to look through the Yachting Club of America's "Register of American Yacht Clubs" to see that many clubs have an "open-door" reciprocity policy, while some clubs have very limited reciprocity, in keeping with the intent of the original custom. For example, on a recent summer visit to the Nantucket Yacht Club, I inquired about the possibility of having lunch at the NYC through the courtesy of reciprocity. The young, tan receptionist coolly informed me that the Nantucket Yacht Club only has reciprocity with one other club - the Edgartown Yacht Club. My coveted GCYC membership card never had a chance. In some instances, a club located at a popular destination will subscribe to an "open-door' reciprocity policy, but will require an advance letter of introduction from an officer of the home yacht club. Such was the case when we visited Bermuda several years ago and wanted to stop in at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for some lunch. I had arranged for a letter to be sent to the RBYC in advance of our arrival, and they were more than happy to provide us with a temporary privilege card. The RBYC receptionist informed me, however, that since they have been stuck with unpaid bills from countless yacht clubs in the past, their present policy was to take a credit card imprint from the visiting yacht club member and post all charges to his credit card. Many popular yacht clubs are now using the credit-card imprint policy for their visitors. Still other clubs, while maintaining an "open-door" reciprocity policy, maintain a geographical radius around their club to exclude visitors form nearby local clubs. Such was the case when I had occasion to visit the Saint Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, which maintains that the home clubs of visitors must be at least 50 miles from San Francisco. Recently, they too have started requiring advance letters of introduction. Your Club Secretary annually mails out reciprocity cards to many of the yacht clubs around Long Island Sound, and maintains annual list of those yacht clubs who have likewise responded with their own cards. Reciprocity cards from neighboring yacht clubs will be posted on the bulletin board in the club. If the yacht club you want to visit is not posted, please ask our Secretary, Betsy Gustafson, if that club is on our list for the season. If it is not, it can be added to our mailing list for the upcoming season. Please remember that reciprocity is a privilege that should not be abused, and have a good cruising season. ~ Rich Reynolds, Club Historian 
Work Assignments Even though the work parties for the spring are done, there is still work to be done around the Club. If you need to fulfill your work detail obligations, contact Jim Dahl at 516 676-6097. He will set you up to complete some much needed chores. To Dinghy Owners who have requested 'in water' storage for 2006 Season. The slip assignments for dinghies are listed below. This list will also be posted and updated in the Clubhouse from time to time. SLIP #1 Once the slips have been marked, there may be some possibilities to switch slips but please use these assignments until we check whether the unassigned slips are useable. If you desire a change of location, let me know. ~ Dave Nieri, Fleet Captain |
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PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR DINGHY. With the heavy rain showers many of the in-water dinks look more like frog ponds. This is not merely a problem of cosmetics. When the waves roll in, a heavy, water-laden dinghy will be subject to free surface effects which may swamp the dinghy or sink it if it doesn't have adequate floatation built-in. This endangers the neighboring dinghies which can then ride up over the sunk, or swamped dink. The weight of water in the dinghy can also cause it to break out the padeye holding the chain pendant that secures it to the dock. Either way, damage to the water-filled dinghy and to neighbor boats can result. If you cannot get down to the Club in a reasonable time to bail out your dinghy and keep it from becoming a hazard to other boats, you might consider dropping the launch operator $5 to bail it out for you. Make a phone call and speak to the operator on duty, and offer something reasonable for his or her efforts. ~ Dave Nieri, Fleet Captain
Corybantic - Amazing Potato Over the winter, Tony Oliveira, with the help of Jim Dahl and E-Bay, sold his racing boat, Corybantic.The new owners plan to campaign her out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The following letter to Jim details the delivery from Glen Cove to Halifax. Hi Jim, Hope all
is well with you and Tony. I promised Tony I
would let him know how the delivery went. We
left Glen Cove at 7:00 PM on Thursday May 18th
and motored through the night till daybreak when
the wind freshened from the southwest. It was a
beautiful sail up the sound Friday with winds
from 10 to 20 kts. We had her up to 12.9 kts on
the GPS and she felt stable and stiff. We had an
accidental jibe as we approached Newport (about
10 miles out) and blew the backstay. I was a bit
worried about that line before we left. It was a
stripped spectra line but looked very gray and
probably weakened by the UV. We were in about
20kts of breeze with a following sea of about 10
feet. We managed to get the sails down quickly
and motored into Newport and tied up at Newport
shipyards ( an amazing experience with all the
J-Boats and Maxi's there for Newport-Bermuda.)
We traded a 60
oz of Mount Gay for 200 ft of spectra and
replaced the backstay Saturday morning. We did
some sail repairs and left Newport Saturday
evening at 6:00 PM after the 30 kt breeze
subsided to 15-20. The sail up Buzzards Bay
under a clear starry night was magical. We
arrived at the canal at 4:00AM one hour before
the tide was to turn against us. We came out of
the canal with the little engine pushing like
crazy to keep us moving forward and squirted out
into Cape Cod Bay at dawn. We had a beautiful
reach across the bay with about 15 kts and
arrived in Marblehead at 2:00 PM. The weather
for the gulf was not looking good for the next
few days with 45 kt winds and 12-15 ft seas. We
put her on a mooring and flew back to Halifax.
Two weeks later
on June 2nd six of us drove down to Marblehead
for the crossing. We arrived in a driving
rainstorm with high gusty winds and spent the
day at Maddies. We slept on the boat Saturday
night tied up at Boston Yacht Club and watched
the weather for Sunday. We eventually left
Marblehead at about noon on Sunday under a
reefed main and a storm jib in about 20-30 kts
right on the nose. We headed slightly north of
the rhumb and managed 140 kts in 20 hrs through
pounding seas. By 8 AM the wind subsided to
nothing and we motored for the next 24 hrs.
Tuesday morning off Nova Scotia the wind came up
again from the NE 20-30 kts. We beat straight
into it for the next 30 hrs. We had blue water
coming over the bow but she handles it well and
we rounded Chebucto Head at 2:00 PM Wednesday
for the reach into Halifax harbor. We cracked the
60 oz. of rum we had saved for the occasion and
made quick work of it. We arrived at Bedford
Basin Yacht Club at 4:00 under reefed main and
storm jib just as the Wednesday night racers
were arriving...perfect timing for Corybantic's
introduction. BBYC opening regatta was this
weekend. I have changed the name back to Amazing
Potato and we managed to get 11 people on her
for the Saturday and Sunday races. We had a
great driver and three other guys that knew what
they were doing and 5 women. There was some
serious boats in the race, CM1200 (like a Farr
40) , Mumm 30, C+C 39R, hobie 33's. We finished
third on Saturday and blew away the field in 25
kts on Sunday to win the regatta. She's been
here for only two weeks but has made quite an
impression on the sailing community so far. I'll
send you some photos when I get them. Have a
great summer and I will keep you up to date on
her performance. |
Larchmont Yacht Club's 51st Edlu Race was held on May 13, 2006. The Edlu is a 32 nm race that starts off of the LYC breakwater, proceeds to and around green bell "11B," north of Eatons Neck, and finishes off of the LYC breakwater. This year the 29 competitors were split into four classes: IRC, PHRF, PHRF Double Handed and PHRF Non-spinnaker. The first warning for the start was at 1055, and all boats were racing by 1115. The weather for the race was a mixed bag. At the start, skies were overcast with winds from the east-south-east at 10 kts, visibility was about 3nm, (less along the Long Island shore.) As the race progressed the winds became more easterly and increased to 17-20 kts, with gusts around 25 kts. After the start, the majority of boats headed for the Long Island Shore. We headed south as well. As we worked our way east, the winds began to pick up (12-16 kts) and the fog set in. We were within 200 yards of the leaders in our class when the fog set in. We sailed in the fog for about two hours before it began to lift. During that time we sailed, hugging the shore along Center Island and into the mouth of Cold Spring Harbor. We promptly found a hole in the wind and ground to halt. Luckily the wind came back within about 15 minutes and we were back on our way. As we started to work our way back to the north to round "11B" we passed near two other competitors in the fog. Approximately one mile from the turning mark, the fog began to lift, and we were by ourselves, (a sinking feeling began to settle in). We rounded the mark by ourselves and set the spinnaker for the run back to Larchmont. About five minutes after rounding the mark, we spotted the two boats that were leading earlier in the race, just coming out of the fog to the south. To our excitement, they were still headed toward the turning mark, now clearly visible behind us. As we continued down the course, the wind continued to build and we were making between 8.5 and 10 kts through the water (about 1.0 kts faster over the ground). The scratch boat in our class (Soulmate a J120) had difficulty carrying there large asymmetric spinnaker. An Express 37 (Afterglow) from the IRC class changed to a smaller spinnaker when the winds started gusting to 25kts. We ended up finishing first in the PHRF class. It is always gratifying to "get the gun" when you finish. The Trophies were handed out on the front porch of the Larchmont Yacht Club. We received first in class, first to finish in PHRF (McKay Trophy) and best corrected time in PHRF (Sayers Trophy). Needless to say, the all Webb Institute crew was very pleased a fine day of racing. ~ Rick Royce, Skipper Ship's Store Jim Dahl has ordered a number of new items to the inventory of the Glen Cove Yacht Club's Ship's Store. Fleece Pullovers ($30), Windshirts ($45), Wind Vests ($25), Boat Bags ($25), Burgees ($20), Hats ($20), Polo Shirts ($20) and Tee-shirts ($12). Log on to the Club's website to view photos and contact Jim Dahl at 516 676-6097 or jjdphd@aol.com. As the late Alan King said in a movie with the same title, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT! Our ladies members have been asking for a zip fleece jacket - here it is and on sale. Tell me what size and I will order it. No takers, no orders. Club Treasurer is going to kill me if I accumulate any more merchandise without preorders to sell the stuff. Your cost is $40. Send me e-mail or call Jim Dahl. The windproof, water-resistant, microfiber shell of this handsome jacket is finished with a soft suede feel and silky look. Plush fleece lines the body for lightweight and comfy insulation. The chenille collar zips all the way up your neck and the elasticized cuffs have adjustable two-snap buttons to help retain body warmth. This cool weather friend features an inner cell phone pocket with Velcro tab closure, an inner right chest pocket, two roomy front pockets, and an elasticized waistband. Smooth 100% nylon taffeta lines the sleeves and the sturdy antique brass zipper adds an attractive touch.
Now is the time to insure that your mooring is sufficiently secure to hold your boat this season. Although GCYC has no official policies, we all owe it to each other to insure that our moorings are secure to protect our boat and the boats of our fellow members. We have had some funny and tragic events over the years with our moorings. Two years ago, a members 38 foot sloop, newly refurbished, was totally lost on the rocks at the breakwater, when the mooring chain failed. It had not been hauled and inspected in several years. |
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Another member came back from a sail to find his mooring ball and pendant buoy on the rocks due to a shackle bolt that dropped out of a new installation. A boat that has been at the mooring in our club area for two summer and winter seasons has broken loose twice and returned by Police boat once and a good Samaritan the second time. Currently, GCYC mooring services are being delivered by: John Cardillo Compass Marine Services, 516-242-0466, 565 Plandome Road, Suite 147, Manhasset, NY 11030. We know of no other company in our area currently providing these services. One set of recommendations from our friends at the American Yacht Club across the Sound is described in summary for your guidance. Copies of the summary are available at the Club. This is NOT official GCYC policy, only a guide. Consult your mooring specialist for a setup tailored to your boat.
Navigation Question - Answered Bascule (draw) Bridge Operation details for our area are covered in the; NOAA Coast Pilot Vol. 2 - Atlantic Coast, Cape Cod, MA to Sandy Hook, NJ. First in chapter 2 - Navigation Regulations - Part 117-Drawbridge Operation Regulations. This section of the regulations comes in two parts: Subpart A - General Requirements This part covers the various rules, signals, responses. Subpart B - Specific Requirements This part lists bridges by state that have specific regulations regarding their operation. Bridges not shown are presumed to operate according to subpart A. Secondly you need to look up the Chapter that covers the chart area you are concerned with, in the case of Mystic Connecticut, Chapter 7 (See below a brief example from Chapt.7) "The Amtrak railroad bridge over Mystic River below Mystic has a swing span with a clearance of 8 feet. The U.S. Route 1 highway bridge at Mystic has a bascule span with a clearance of 4 feet. (See 117.1 through 117.59 and 117.211, chapter 2, for drawbridge regulations.) The bridgetenders monitor VHF-FM channel 13; call signs KJA-842 and KXR-912, " Lastly, you need to check the most recent issue of "The Local Notice to Mariners" which lists bridges that have structural or operational restriction changes. The Coast Pilot Vol 2, is available online form "The NOAA Office of Coast Survey" or in hard copy from the U.S. Government Printing Office. "The Local Notice to Mariners" is only available online from the U.S. Coast Guard's "Navigation Center". Local knowledge will tell you that the railroad bridge is always open unless a train is approaching. The highway bridge opens 40 minutes after the hour from 8 AM to 7 PM. Both bridges will answer on VHF channel 13. ~ Chris Brown |
Newly Reformulated Gasoline With Ethanol Could Rupture Old Fiberglass Gas Tanks Explosion Hazard and Significant Engine Damage Evidenced on Large, Older Vessels. Older fiberglass fuel tanks may fail as a result of recent gasoline reformulations that are using increased concentrations of the fuel additive ethanol. As a result of industry-wide changes in fiberglass resin formulations in the mid 1980's, the problem appears to be limited to tanks manufactured prior to this date. Diesel fuel systems are not affected. The fiberglass fuel tanks in question were standard equipment on some Hatteras, Bertram and possibly other boats. While the investigation is still in the preliminary stage, It is believed that reformulations made to gasoline in the Long Island Sound area that replaced MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether) in late 2004 with a 10% concentration of ethanol is causing the additive to "attack" the resin in the old fiberglass tanks. The results are weakened tank walls and bottoms with the potential to leak. Anytime gasoline leaks into the bilge, there is a significant risk of an explosion. There has confirmed reports of tank wall failure in which gasoline was found leaking into the bilge. It also has reports of a tar-like substance - possibly created from the chemical reaction between the older fiberglass resin and ethanol - causing hard black deposits that damage intake valves and pushrods, ultimately destroying the engine. The increasing use of ethanol has largely been the result of federal and state efforts to replace MTBE, a potential carcinogen, with a safer alternative. MTBE and ethanol oxygenate fuel to help reduce harmful emissions when running cold engines just after startup. Early symptoms may include engine backfiring and hard (sluggish) starting, in which the motor turns over slowly as though the battery were weak. Affected engines also may not reach their rated RPM. Ironically, the substance seems to pass through fuel filters leaving no tell-tale marks - some have appeared clean on our reports. The only way to know for certain is to pull the carburetor and inspect the underside for a black, gummy film which can indicate a serious problem. Every one should check to see if they have these gas tanks. Also get a free Vessel Exam from the CG Auxiliary. ~ Manny Giudice
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I dropped the lines from my mooring just before seven on a Friday morning for a shake down cruise to Port Jefferson and Norwalk CT. After rounding Matinecock Point in a very light westerly breeze with my motor running and sails set wing and wing I settled in for the run to Old Field Point some 24 miles distant. With the sails blocking the hot morning sun and Helmsley, my auto pilot standing watch at the tiller I had a pleasant trip as familiar north shore landmarks slipped by. Arriving off Old Field Point shortly before noon I made my turn toward the Port Jefferson Entrance just as a fair sailing wind began to pick up in the sound. Of course two of the Port Jefferson to Bridgeport ferries were about to come and go through the entrance channel so I tacked back and forth a couple of times letting them make their passages before entering the harbor myself. Though my primary reason for coming to Port Jeff was to explore the narrow channel in the harbors northwestern corner leading to Conscience Bay, I first headed for the town dock at the head of the harbor to pick up some last minute supplies. The town dock is a fixed pier just beyond the power plant facility. The pier is well kept and a convenient landing place with a couple of drawbacks. The fact that it is a "fixed" pier means that you must tend to your docking lines every so often to adjust them for a rising or falling tide. It also can be expensive, although they allow you to tie up for half and hour or so for free, after that they charge $12 an hour to tie up. I am sure a tip to the dock attendant could extend the half hour limit to some degree. Having made a quick stop over I left before incurring any charges. I headed back up the harbor to the Red Nun 4 where I turned west into the anchorage basin behind Old Field Beach. These days the anchorage basin channel is well marked with private navigation buoys and has numerous moorings in its southern part. This basin is without a doubt one of the best anchorages along the north shore of Long Island. The navigation channel is clearly marked all the way through the narrows to a small area of deep water at the opening to Conscience Bay. This small area is picturesque, well protected and snug. I anchored in ten feet of water that afternoon. Conscience Bay is a fairly large area of shallow water and as the tide runs, all of it flows through the narrows. This creates a strong current in the anchorage space, fast enough that you get the feeling of making way while sitting at anchor. Your boat swings with the current and not the wind, which can tend to make the cabin a little stuffy on a hot day. Then there are the bugs! Mid-June, hot with very little wind, anchored in an area with plenty of marshes is the perfect recipe for bugs. As evening fell, first it was the gnats and later on the mosquitoes. It was really quite annoying for a few hours until the coolness of the night drove them away. At the end of the trip, the only changes I need to make to the boat turned out to be, bug netting and adding insect repellent to my ship stores. In the morning I left at 6:15 before the bugs had a chance to gather, motoring through the quiet main anchorage basin and on out the harbor entrance. It was overcast and cooler with a slight wind from the west as I raised the sails. About a mile out I saw a couple of other sleepy boats coming out of the harbor and heading under power for points due east. Initially I was going to head to Greens Ledge Light and the western entrance to Norwalk 14 miles away, but I ended up taking advantage of what little wind there was and that put me on a course much further east. My plan changed to navigating the east passage through the Norwalk Islands to intersect the main channel near the inner harbor. Soon the wind came up and I turned my engine off. Even though I lost a knot or two of speed, it felt good to be under sail. The sky was gray, the wind had died with a light rain falling as I entered Cockenoe Harbor. Dousing the sails and turning east, the channel to the inner harbor was easy to navigate. Dropping my hook in the south anchor basin I cleaned up the boat a bit then rowed over to the town docks. Much can be said about Norwalk from its many restaurants and shops to the Aquarium and Imax Theater. All within a five-minute walk across the drawbridge from the town docks. The town docks are just before the drawbridge on the starboard side. They charge a $1.25 a foot for overnight and I bet they would be very reasonable if you were going ashore for dinner and a movie. No charge for dinghy tie up. I brought a ticket to the 3 O'clock showing of the Imax film "Ocean Wonderland" which is playing until August 3rd. Having sometime before the movie I visited the local coffee house and relaxed with the morning paper. Back at the boat I made some dinner and kicked back until the sunset. One thing about Norwalk is the incredible parade of small motorboats coming and going in the channel. They all seem to adhere to the 5 mph speed limit and hardly create any wakes, our own mooring field is worse in that respect. After nightfall the traffic is reduced considerably. Sunday morning I motored out the main channel with the wind dead ahead. Reaching deeper water and able to catch the wind I turned off the engine and did not use it again till arriving at our Clubs jetty. The SW breeze was blowing at about 10 knots right from where I wanted to go. This meant a tacking duel that lasted all day. By the time I neared our harbor the wind had picked up to about 20 knots. Sailing well past Matinecock point before tacking allowed me to get deep within the harbor with only two short tacks left to get me home. It is 18 miles as a crow flies to Norwalk, but I must have put 35 miles under my keel that day. I came away from this trip knowing that my sea legs were now ready for the season. Boats drawing six feet or less should have no problems with either the Narrows in Port Jeff or the east passage in Norwalk. Mind your depth in the anchorages though. I have put a few pictures on my Web Shots photo page. You can find a link to this page in our Clubs website photo galley. I hope we all have some stories to tell as the summer progresses. ~ Chris Brown, LOWANACHEN |
At the end of May I gave a talk at the Club about using the currents in Long Island Sound to your advantage. During that discussion, I used an upcoming journey, through the Sound to Mystic Seaport, as an example to highlight my points. Bonnie and I made that trip in early June and I would like to relate the actual journey to the plan figured out beforehand. We left Glen Cove on Wednesday evening with the intention of making good 60 miles to Duck Island Roads in Westbrook, CT by 4 AM when the flood current would turn against us. As our luck with weather would have it, the predicted 14 to 16 knot wind from the Northeast turned into a solid 25 knots from the East as we rounded Matinecock Point. Not being able to make time beating into winds and seas, we decided to hide in Oyster Bay. The next morning we motored out of Oyster Bay Cove at 6 AM with the flood current against us. The wind was now from the North at 8 to 10 kts. We sail for about 2 1/2 hrs with main and spinnaker until speed over ground fell below 4 kts. With the engine going we reach Middle Ground Light by 10:40 AM in time for the current to turn in our favor. Our speed increases to 7 kts over the ground and we pass Faulkner Island by 2:00 PM. We now have more that 2 kts of current assisting us and we quickly pass Kelsey Point breakwater. By 3:20 PM we are snugly anchored behind Duck Island Roads. At this point in Long Island Sound it is not advisable to go against the water flow that can reach speeds of over 3 kts. The next ebb current we could utilize turns at 10:00 PM. After that it is 10:00 AM on Friday. Because of a forecast of a Southeast winds during the day on Friday, we opt to use the nighttime ebb. Time for nice dinner and a nap. Underway again by 9:30 PM we motor east with an almost full moon glowing behind an overcast sky. After an uneventful passage and just after midnight we turn bell "2" at the north end of Fisher's Island. Our speed over the bottom as we passed the Race was well over 8 kts. By 12:40 AM we pick up a mooring in West Harbor, Fisher's Island and turn in for the night. West Harbor is just a mile or so south of the mouth of the Mystic River. Even with a light fog, on Friday morning it's an easy run across to the River and up to the Seaport. We catch the 10:40 AM Mystic Highway Bridge and are tied up in the Seaport by 11 AM. For two days "Dana" is alongside the dock in the Museum where we listen to and sing a lot of excellent sea chanteys. During those days the wind blows 25 to 30 knots from the West. Leaving the Seaport on Sunday evening to catch the 5:40 PM bridge we are concerned that the West winds would prevent our traveling back down the Sound. When we exit the Mystic River, at 6 PM, into Fisher's Island Sound, we find the winds at 18 kts from the Northwest. Just perfect for us to sail close hauled for 2 hours using the flood current at the Race to carry us at 8 kts or better. By 9:30 PM we are again anchored at Duck Island Roads. Monday morning we get underway at 6:00 AM, in very light Northwest winds, using the flood current to carry us down the Sound. By 10:40 AM Middle Ground Light is to Stbd. At 12:50 we are abeam Eaton's Neck Light, the current is now against us. At the western end of the Sound the speed of the current rarely goes above 1 kt so moving against it isn't terrible. By 3:30 PM we pick up the mooring at the Club. Our journey, in spite of adverse weather, is a success and we were able to take good advantage of the predictable currents in the Sound to make the passages as swift as could be. ~ Bonnie & Jim Cleary, DANA
New York Harbor Trip On the weekend of August 12th & 13th, Bonnie and I will be taking "Dana" down the East River to New York Harbor. The ebb begins at Hell's Gate on Saturday at 1:00 PM allowing for a comfortable start from GCYC at 9 to 10 AM. At the moment we plan on staying at Liberty Landing Marina Saturday night. On Sunday morning the flood up the river starts at 7:45 AM. That's perfect for an easy trip back arriving at Glen Cove by early afternoon. This is not a Club cruise. Anyone who would like to make the trip, along with us, is more than welcome. We would love the company.
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