The wind finally filled in at 2.30 pm and it is a wonderful 5 plus knots reach from the East. I motored since I left my anchorage near the statute of Liberty, just before 6 am. This was a photographers wish come true. The sun was just rising over the Brooklynn Bridge and was reflecting in the Manhattan skyscrapers.

The current in the East River was as strong as I can remember, compared to places like Deception pass, trough Whidbey Island in the North West San Juan Islands. I had never experienced what was happening here. There was so little flow onto the rudder, that it felt like I had no control. Once outside into the Long Island Sound, the water was like a mill pond. No sailing. Once out of the Big City I had expected to see some individual homes again. Not so; just apartment buildings.

 

6.30 pm I am sitting behind a Corona draft on the pier in Port Jefferson on Long Island. A busy seaside town. A ferry brings day trippers from the main land. I needed to get a shower and I have to declare general average to s/v “Fleetwood”’s cargo. I did an auwee in the East River. I escaped by inches from major damage. I will give more details in the next blog. But just to check my readers’ attention to the details of my sometimes-questionable navigation skills, I am offering a prize to the first blog and Garmin in Reach tracker follower to come up with the cause of what caused the damage today. The prize a signed special edition of “SoloMan” or “The Mastmakers’ Daughters”.

One thing is for sure I am certain I am not the first sailor to have experienced this. It could have been a whole lot more damage but for that Angel sitting on my shoulder, like a couple more inches.

Here is another photo of a historical light house. No over the water potty, but there had to be a need for a mother in law lean to.

I am on a mooring ball moorage of the Port Jefferson YC, a launch comes to get me to shore. I plan attend mass here tomorrow morning and then will hope for some wind tomorrow to sail to Mystic Seaport, assess the repairs and order any parts, if necessary, and get them installed when I get back there for the wooden boat show on the 19^th.