Travels aboard Obsession: HAPPINESS IS

Happiness Is...

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

While we sit in Port Washington waiting for a weather window (and hurricane Florence to do her thing) we do find time to find joy Aboard Obsession. Are we disappointed? Sure. But each day of our trip is one of a journey. A journey of a lifetime. We don’t know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but meanwhile we will try to find happiness. And look for that weather window! Sing along with Charlie Brown, his friends and me!

Happiness is finding a mooring.

We had to weave between boats to a far side of Northport Harbor to find the LISCA (Long Island Sound Catalina Asdociation) free mooring. This harbor is chock full of boats. And (a”little birdie named Ann told me it hosts at least 12 Catalina 42s. Anyway, we found it-right in front of William Vanderbilt’s estate. Did we have to come here in sweltering heat to moor next to a Vanderbilt Mansion? Anyway, the best part of finding that mooring was that it was free!

Lobsters and mussels

We met our new found Facebook friends, Ann and Bob Snider (Set Free) for a Lobster and Mussel dinner in the Village of Northport. A place we will definitely visit on our return trip in May/June. Need I tell you how delicious dinner was? Not to mention air conditioning.

Meeting new friends

We met Ann and Bob Snider now we can’t wait to meet Merri and Doug Purdy and All our new Catalina42 Facebook friends. I’m amazed at how much we have in common. So many of us are retired (or soon to be) teachers, love music, are handy and resourceful, and of course, love sailing and consider this their dream trip. I can’t wait to meet you all! When we do then I’ll post your pictures.

Happiness is learning to navigate

I’m learning to use Navionics on my iPhone to set routes and chart our course. And now active Captain and Aqua Map. We have the technology!

Using the headphones

Little did I know how much we would appreciate having these new Eartech Headphones for anchoring and picking up a mooring.

And two new gas cans

Happiness is watching a thunderstorm

After more than a week of sweltering heat in Greenport, Northport and Port Jefferson we sat up one evening to enjoy a light show performed by Mother Nature. She did not disappoint, only in that it did not break the heat cycle for long.

And hoping for rain.

Happiness is two days of sunshine

The two days we spent in Port Jefferson were sunny and warm. It was Labor Day weekend and the anchorage was crowded with boaters squeezing in a few last days of summer. By nightfall almost all the boats and partners had packed up and gone home.

Taking a day trip

We were a bit bummed that we couldn’t continue our trip from Port Washington to Sandy Hook. After all, we had the tide and current with us all the way, and the original forecast was good! But Mother Nature had other plans for us. So we planned a trip to The World Trade Center in NYC. And added a Broadway Musical to the itinerary topped off with dinner.

Riding the train

It’s not often that you leave a sailboat, ride a water taxi to shore, catch a taxi to the train station, ride a train (and pass through a tunnel that runs under the body of water you’ll be traveling onnin a few days) ) then catch a subway to visit The World Trade Center two days before the 17th anniversary of the 911 Attack.