Thurs June 24: Block Island to Montauk anchorage

In which there is a PASTRY BOAT ...

 

This is what responds to our Channel 73 call, at 7am!  A singing Aldo pastry boat.  Legend has it that the first Aldo was an opera singer, so he came out in the morning, singing opera and delivering (expensive) pastries.  Rick wanted to leave at 6:30am but I WOULDN'T BUDGE without a visit from the pastry boat.

 

Route for the day. OPEN OCEAN - don't tell my mom.

 

Up to now we have been in the Long Island and Block Island Sounds - ocean, but not really OCEAN. Today, crossing from Block Island to Montauk, we were right out in the big ol’ Atlantic. Our wonderful boat performed like a champ, and so did my Bonine!

Montauk, on the very eastern tip of Long Island and with instant access to the deep ocean, is a Fishing Mecca with way more big fishing boats than sailboats.  We may feel a bit out of place when we come into a harbor with lots of sailboats…but next to these monsters we felt like the country cousin.

  

 

We got the anchor set with plenty of time to spare. so that I could be settled in for my virtual work meeting at 11am.    After my 2-hour meeting we decided to do ... NOTHING ... with all our extra time. My fav activity! We didn't even get down the dingy. It is hard to explain what we do all day, when we don't go in to town.  I don't know what to tell you - there is reading, and often naps, and work, puzzles and weaving.  Blog writing.  Did I mention reading? Even Rick has built up a tolerance and is able to sit still and read for long periods of time. But, yes - you know him well, soon he was looking for something to fix.

 In the absence of the usual crisis fixes, there were a couple of (totally not urgent) things he found to play around with.  The deck lights have not been working (has anyone cared about this, ever?) and also the fresh water gauge has been acting up (the gauge shows how much fresh water is left in the thanks - we have a total capacity of 150 gallons of fresh water, so we monitor use to make sure we have enough to last) ((ok - that's gauge is actually kinda important)).  

Adorkable!! 

All of his activity required something called an electric multi-meter - that sounds like a made-up thing. Or a sex toy for men.  Which I think it is because he was happy as a pig in mud.  He decided that the old plastic switches on the deck lights had failed after more than 15 years of exposure to sea and salt air.  He removed the switches and HARDWIRED the 3 deck lights in.  Let me put that in plain English for you lot - when you flip a switch inside the three outside deck lights come on and make it AS BRIGHT AS DAY.  When will we ever use such a thing?  Why would we EVER want to be seen from the International Space Station???

Finally he got so bored he decided to fish.  We have gone through 2 years, 2000 miles and 13 states, people - THIRTEEN; and all this fishing gear has never been used.  At this point I actually think it would be funnier if he just NEVER fished, for the whole loop.  I'm all about the funny story.

 

Ok - first of all that would have to be a really determined fish to chase after us and battle our wake. And, second, this doesn't look at all relaxing and zen-like.

Finally ...... he was rewarded with a giant catch of SEAWEED!

Later there was a bit of a storm, and a good omen.

Sunset over the monster fishing boats.