An old friend stopped by recently while I was in Peekskill, NY, visiting my mom. Joe and I grew up in the same neighborhood and he was visiting his parents as well. Our conversation drifted to his Precision 21 Pocket Cruiser, which he loves sailing near his current home on the north shore of Long Island. He was bummed that the calendar had already flipped to August and he had yet to get the sailboat in the water for the season.
I offered my services to help him launch the boat during my stay in NY and a quick check of tides and weather found a brief window of opportunity to make it happen.
Before we knew it, we had a plan in place to at least get the Salty J in the water and to its mooring so some of the sailing season could be salvaged.
Our launch window was early on a Saturday morning and significant boat preparation was required the night before. My first task was to endure the dreaded, soul-sucking summer Friday afternoon bumper-to-bumper drive through The Bronx and Queens to get from Peekskill to Long Island. I feel for anyone who must make this drive on a regular basis.
Within minutes of arriving, we transported the boat from its winter storage location to Joe’s house. We removed the winter cover, tested and attached the outboard motor, and then worked well past dark to gather gear, charge radios, and stage equipment so all would be ready to go first thing in the morning.
Joe’s mooring is at Kings Park Bluff, which is where the Nissequogue River spills into the Long Island Sound. Launching/docking a boat here at low tide is extremely difficult due to the swift current that is strong enough to pin a boat to the dock. Our plan was to launch during the 7:30 am Saturday high tide.
One of Joe’s neighbors agreed to help launch the boat. After we raised the mast in the Kings Park Bluff parking lot, Joe’s neighbor quickly and expertly backed the boat into the water on the first try. It was obvious this was not the first time his neighbor launched a boat.
We motored from the dock to the mooring to finish rigging the boat and to tie off the dingy while Joe’s neighbor returned the trailer. The Salty J was on its mooring, which was the main (and only) goal for the day. Surprisingly, everything went smoother and faster than expected.
It was still early so we now had an unanticipated window of time to take the boat out into the Sound before the tide got too low. We did our best to make sure everything was ready to go out on the water but we both agreed that you can never account for everything. Without missing a beat, Joe quoted a classic line from the 1992 movie Captain Ron “If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen out there!” With that, we started motoring out the channel into Long Island Sound.
With the motor off and the mainsail set once past the channel markers, our hard work was rewarded with beautiful weather and what felt like the entire Long Island Sound to ourselves. Now it was time to just relax and take it all in.
There is something special about moving through the water by the power of the wind where the only sounds are the flap of the sail and water splashing off the hull.
It had been a few years since we had the chance to sail together. We both realized how special this opportunity was and we did our best to take it all in.
I don’t think either of us realized how much we needed this time on the water. Balancing the responsibilities of work and the everyday tasks of life limits our opportunities to have moments like this.
The Salty J with both sails set
Before we knew it, it was time to head back. We hoisted the jib to make better time on the return trip. The west wind was relatively light (~10 knots) but, with both sails set close-hauled, it was enough to truly feel the pull of the wind.
A verse from the Crosby, Stills and Nash classic sailing song Southern Cross, slightly modified to account for the size of our boat, adequately described this moment: 18 feet of the waterline nicely making way.
We took down the sails as we approached the narrow channel that leads back to the Nissequogue River. The tide was now noticeably lower with sandbars appearing in unexpected places. The mnemonic device “red on right returning” helped us keep the boat in the channel as we followed the red channel markers back to the river.
As we entered the mouth of the river, we saw someone waving to use from the docks. As we got closer, we recognized that it was Joe’s daughter who came down to the bluff to take some pictures of our arrival.
The Salty J at its mooring
Although it was a little later in the summer than expected, we accomplished our goal of getting the Salty J finally to its mooring. The only things left were to lift the motor and rudder out of the water, close up the cabin and row the dingy back to shore.
I’m already looking forward to my next trip out in October for one more sail before we take the Salty J out of the water for the winter.
A friend with a boat is better than owning a boat and if you own a boat it’s better with a friend. Sailing the North Shore is sublime. Reading this brings back some sweet memories.