Friday, August 2. Day 29

We left Northport at 7am with Lorraine at the helm. By 727am the Main sail was up and we motor sailed while Phil got the cruising spinnaker set up. By 812am we turned the corner around Eatons Neck, raised the Shute and turned off the engine by 815am. We were sailing and even though we had a slow speed at 2.75 kts, we didn’t have too far to go and enjoyed the peace and quiet. We did pick up speed to >3 kts and once we tacked, then our speed picked up to 5.25kts. Changes has always been faster on a port tack. We needed to turn on the engine at noon to enter Port Jefferson Channel. Once all the sails were put away, we motored over to Danfords Marine to get diesel, which is just east of the Ferry Dock. There were 2-100ft or more motor-yachts tied up to the wall. We anchored, once again, next to the mooring field, and put the engine on the dinghy to go to town, but first we had to wait for the pump out boat to return from lunch.

. We were filled to almost overflowing. We are glad that there isn’t any charge for this service. The 2 older teenage boys and a girl had this as their summer job and felt it was a pretty good job too!

We walked around town window shopping and visited the local knitting store, the Knitting Cove, as recommended by Randy and seeing the sights. Being a hot day, Phil stopped at Billies 1890 Saloon for a cold beer while I went back to the yarn store to have my purchase of hanks made into cakes. I can do it on the boat, but they are set up to do this easily. I enjoyed talking with Jill as she wound the cakes. Billies is a neat old fashioned bar with old woodwork and nice staff and seemed to be where the locals hang out. After I had cooled off and had some diet coke, while Phil had a Guinness Stout draft for $2.50, I went to a hair salon down the street and got my hair cut by Diane. I broke down and didn’t use my Flowbee yet. I’m very happy with my cut and met Phil back at the bar in short order. We went walking around some more, got an ice cream cone and postcards. Henry and Calvin should be looking for another postcard soon.

While on our way to the harbor to look at the boats, we saw a memorial for the firemen killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack in NYC.

Being close to the Ferry Dock, we watch it come in to the dock. This is the Captain steering the boat in the last few feet outside.

The bow of the boat has a door that slides up for the cars to drive off then the people exit and walk off down an isle where the cars are parked waiting to get on the Ferry. It would be $27.00 for Lorraine and $19.00 for Phil at the senior fare for a round trip to Brockport, CT and back.

. Here is a view of the stern. It was not unusual to see one ferry leaving the dock and another arriving shortly behind it every 30 minutes.

On our walk home, we stopped at an store that had Italian ices and ice cream. Our dinghy was blocked in by other dinghies, but we managed we get out after Phil loosened the painter to the big one behind us.

Lorraine posing at the concrete dolphins in front of Danfords Hotel and Marina.

On the way back to Changes, we passed a band set up on a floating deck attached to a floating dock anchored in the Harbor. They played some great older songs which we could hear good if the wind wasn’t blowing too hard, but not so good when a gust came along being as wan an on-shore breeze. They didn’t play too late so falling asleep wasn’t a problem.

Tomorrow we will be going to New Haven, CT to meet cruising friends from S/V Last Tango.