There isn’t much in the way of things to do on Shelter Island, so we timed our arrival to minimize our down-time there. It’s now day three of my first sailing trip, and blue skies accompany us across a very calm Long Island Sound as the sun beats down on us relentlessly. The calm before the storm.
School of ships, Shelter Island
This is a humid August week, and I’m thankful to be moving and creating our own breeze. Dering Harbor in Shelter Island is peaceful and small compared to the one at Block Island. A fleet of small, almost identical sailboats are moored just off the main building of the yacht club…they look like a school of fish. The yacht club has a well-attended junior sailing program, and I imagine they use these little boats often. It also explains why there are so many!
In keeping with rendezvous tradition, we all have matching shirts. They are simple in design – white polo shirts with the Yacht Club emblem on the shoulder. The quality impressed me. The ladies version had a flattering contoured fit that draped nicely, and no buttons on the collar. The men’s have buttons and a straighter cut. We all look sharp standing together for the group photo with the water as a backdrop. There is an exchange of burgees, (the pennant-shaped flag of a yacht club) a ceremonial photo, a long-winded speech, a toast, and the evening officially kicks off.
At sunset the Shelter Island Yacht Club honors the tradition of “colors”. They ring the colors bell near the flagpole. Everyone stands, removes their hats, and silently face the flag pole. A few seconds pass; I assume it is a moment of silence for those lost at sea. Then all of a sudden…BOOM! I lost a few years off my life with that single cannon salute! I wish I knew that was coming. Then they lower the Club burgee and the Ensign (American Flag), and ring the bell once more.
Looking around the room, I bet I’m the youngest one here. Maybe not, maybe they have all just heard a lot of cannon salutes! But seriously, sailboats are expensive, and require upkeep…and LOTS of cleaning, not to mention the knowledge to actually sail one. Younger people probably choose to spend their money on other things, like power boats. But this group is eclectic and interesting, and I manage to mingle with everyone for a while before Casper and I decide to call it a night.
Early morning, Shelter Island
I’m an early riser these days. The sun comes up just shy of 6 a.m., and I’m looking forward to the sunrise when my eyes snap open at 5:30. But it’s raining, so I don’t have the pleasure. I wake up Casper shortly thereafter, when the rain subsides, so he can help me secure the outboard motor from the dinghy. The weather service is calling for scattered thunderstorms (as opposed to isolated thunderstorms) in the afternoon, so we decide to get an early start. Our destination is Port Jefferson, NY., which is at least 8-9 hours away. Hardly anyone is stirring when we leave the harbor around 9:00 a.m. With Shelter Island in our rear view mirror and the sun barely visible but trying to break through the cloud cover, we head west in a dreary drizzle that will only get worse as the day progresses…..