Our voyage has taken us up to Massachusetts and Maine and back down through Long Island sound to City Island, a little known part of the Bronx. There have been serene moments coasting soundlessly through calm waters, lively sailing days surfing down waves, and stressful hours navigating blindly through white curtains of fog. We’ve found safe harbors in storms and friends and family for company. How lucky we are to live in this floating world, close to nature witnessing the daily rising and setting of sun and moon.
Tropical Storm Ophelia kept us marooned in City Island for 12 days. Lashed by wind and rain Nancy J bounced and swung to and fro at her mooring. Several friends came to City Island to keep us company. Unable to make it to Baltimore for a scheduled flight to San Diego for Kenny’s daughter Kai-lee’s wedding, we changed flights to depart from LaGuardia. Nancy J will remain at the City Island Yacht Club until our return. Our old sailing buddies, Lou and Jane, have welcomed us into their Nyack, NY home until our flight to San Diego on October 5th. Hopefully the weather will cooperate upon our return and allow us to proceed to the Chesapeake Bay before snowflakes start to fall.
I was inspired to write some haikus to accompany our recent photos after studying my brother-in-law’s book, 36 Ways of Looking at Mount Rainier. In it, Tim Ahern accompanies his 36 paintings featuring Mt. Rainier with haikus describing the scenes.
Sailing Haikus
Block Island to Mattapoisett, Mass
Ciao, forest of masts
Wind comes astern, rock ‘n roll
Dodging regatta
Onset, Mass
Gale forecast spreads fear
Onset harbor warm embrace
Family comes. Joy!
The Canal
Cape Cod Canal–Woosh!
Flying on current to bay
Where have the whales gone?
Gloucester, Mass
Gloucester Fishermen
Lie deep in watery graves
Hopper paints grand homes
Maine
Gliding through still seas
Rocky pine scented islands
Golden hour magic
City Island, Bronx — Collective poem by Amy and Kenny
City Island main street
The place where New England and New Yawk meet
Children, dogs, drunks, and mobsters
Shrimp, clams, scallops and lobsters
Local fishermen at the Snug bar boast of their catch
Time to batten down the hatch