Travels aboard Obsession

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? Cosmo speaks out!

This is an interview with Cosmo about his experience traveling aboard Obsession from Port Washington to Sandy Hook

From your stowaway spot on a Obsession you get to see and hear a lot of the behind the scenes planning and action. What was it like waiting in Port Washington for Hurricane Florence to pass?

Aye, it was a long wait, Matey. Nine days of twiddling my thumbs (and drinking RUM) while Janice and David had fun in NYC, did laundry, and grocery shopped. They even went to a Mall where David visited a Tesla Showroom. He’d have to find a Pirate’s Treasure to buy one though.

They watched the news and weather a lot. In my opinion Hurricane Florence is going to have a huge impact on their trip south. They were wise to wait. (And have some RUM)

Sewing sails by hand. It takes patience and strength. David has those qualities. Me, I’d rather watch and drink RUM!

Sunrise in Port Washington the morning we left. A Pirate’s perfect day to leave Port Washington.

Describe the mood on board the morning you left Port Washington. Well, you know, Janice is a morning person and very excitable. David is NOT a morning person and very low key. So it wasn’t surprising to me that Janice was up early (like 3:00am) checking the weather, the tides and currents and making lists. David, meanwhile snored away until she finally nudged him out of his bunk at 6:30am. They went about their business in a methodical way, The anchor was up and they were underway at 6:50am. Janice made coffee and lunches. But I noticed that neither of them finished their coffee.

They need new travel mugs. Those fancy Obsession mugs aren’t practical for drinking coffee underway. (I drink ALL my RUM straight from the bottle)

David’s calm, cool collected demeanor is one that will serve him well for steering and navigating not only today but for the entire trip.

What’s your job on board?

Me? Ha!! I’m just a stowaway Pirate. I listen, I watch and I drink RUM. They don’t need my simple navigating eequipment and experience (a compass and a bottle of RUM) they have a Garmin GPS, Navionics and Aqua Map on their iPhones and iPad. They have weather, tide, wind and current apps on their iPhones too. They steer, raise, trim and lower the sails, drop and weigh anchor etc. Me, I’m just along for the ride. (And the RUM).

This Navionics App pulls up charts that show not only where you’re going like a map, but the water depths, and the speed and direction of the current.

This Windy App shows the wind direction and speed.

And the trusty Garmin at the helm is tracking our course.

What were some of the highlights of the trip down the East River, through Hell Gate and the Narrows?

Janice took TONS of pictures. I absconded with a few to share with you in this interview.

Under the Throggs Neck Bridge-a black garbage bag (no RUM)

Rikers Island. No RUM for the guys playing basketball on the deck of the barge annexed for the overflow of prisoners.

Hell Gate. We hit a speed of 8.5 knots because we had the current with us. A good pirate knows how to take advantage of these things to get out of hairy situations. It gives us more reasons and time to drink RUM!

Roosevelt Island

Governor’s Island

Lots of tall buildings. Maybe you can recognize the UN, the New World Trade Center Building, the Empire State Building-I can’t cuz I’ve had too much RUM!

AND FINALLY...

The Statue of Liberty

Standing proud and determined even during our most troubling and difficult times. My heart swells with pride for our country as we sail on by. (PS-is that RUM in that cup in her right hand?)

Off the southern tip of Manhattan we came upon ships, tankers, ferries, barges, tugs and barges and of course some pleasure boats. David steered Obsession through this maze with expertise and ease. Janice, on the other hand could hardly keep still. There was so much happening around us! And she wanted to take it all in. In her words, “It was mind boggling, exciting and exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. We are doing this! It is really happening!”

Beyond the Narrows we entered Raritan Bay and made a bee-line for Sandy Hook.

We found our way around the sea-wall and to Bob423’s Favorite Anchor Spot in the Atlantic Highlands area.

A nap, then a celebratory steak dinner with a champagne toast. (AND RUM)

Thanks, Cosmo for sharing your perspective. I do hope you left some RUM for David!

Argh. He’ll just have to go ashore and buy some more! (RUM)

Yo, ho, ho and MY BOTTLE OF RUM!

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? Cosmo speaks out!

This is an interview with Cosmo about his experience traveling aboard Obsession from Port Washington to Sandy Hook

From your stowaway spot on a Obsession you get to see and hear a lot of the behind the scenes planning and action. What was it like waiting in Port Washington for Hurricane Florence to pass?

They watched the news and weather a lot. In my opinion Hurricane Florence is going to have a huge impact on their trip south. They were wise to wait.

Sewing sails by hand. It takes patience and strength. David has those qualities. Me, I’d rather watch and drink RUM!

Sunrise in Port Washington the morning we left. A Pirate’s perfect day to leave Port Washington.

Describe the mood on board the morning you left Port Washington. Well, you know, Janice is a morning person and very excitable. David is NOT a morning person and very low key. So it wasn’t surprising to me that Janice was up early (like 3:00am) checking the weather, the tides and currents and making lists. David, meanwhile snored away until she finally nudged him out of his bunk at 6:30am. They went about their business in a methodical way, The anchor was up and they were underway at 6:50am. Janice made lunches. But I noticed that neither of them finished their coffee.

They need travel mugs. Those fancy Obsession mugs aren’t practical for drinking coffee underway. (I drink ALL my RUM straight from the bottle)

David’s calm, cool collected demeanor is one that will serve him well for steering and navigating not only today but for the entire trip.

What’s your job on board?

This Navionics App pulls up charts that show not only where you’re going like a map, but the water depths, and the speed and direction of the current.

This Windy App shows the wind direction and speed.

And the trusty Garmin at the helm is tracking our course.

What were some of the highlights of the trip down the East River, through Hell Gate and the Narrows?

Janice took TONS of pictures. I absconded with a few to share with you in this interview.

Under the Throggs Neck Bridge-a black garbage bag (no RUM)

Then The Whitestone Bridge

Rikers Island. No RUM for the guys playing basketball on the deck of the barge annexed for the overflow of prisoners.

Roosevelt Island

Governor’s Island

AND FINALLY...

The Statue of Liberty

Beyond the Narrows we entered Raritan Bay and made a bee-line for Sandy Hook. We found our way around the sea-wall and to Bob423’s Favorite Anchor Spot in the Atlantic Highlands area. A nap, then a celebratory steak dinner with a champagne toast. (AND RUM)

Thanks, Cosmo for sharing your perspective. I do hope you left some RUM for David!

Argh. He’ll just have to go ashore and buy some more! (RUM)

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

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.