Odalisque - June 21st & July 7th, 2006 Log

Log 2006 - June 21st

Wednesday June 21st, 2006

That is all I have for this for now.

Friday July 7th, 2006
“Another moonlight sail”

There are parts of the river where opposing currents kick up a little rip line of waves. Mid channel sometimes flows down while the edge of the river may be flowing upriver and visa versa. With almost no wind (<5) it is easier to see the effect of the current on the surface of the water. The river flows both ways; north and south, up and down, in and out, suck and blow. Yet it is still a river and largely flows downriver at almost 7 hours down to 5 hours up.
The Hudson has many moods and can be very different from one night to the next. The view of the land up the Hudson is different each day of the year when viewed from a boat. You find yourself out on one of nature’s surfaces and had best pay attention to her moods rather than your cell phone or email or even dietary requirements.
Apparently the moon came up that night and I was probably the first or second to notice it once it was visible over the Hudson. I have been using the Eldridge manual to find the full moons and all sorts of relevant tidal information about cruising around Manhattan to the LI Sound and back (only done it once this season). I also sailed out of the Great South Bay on a McGregor 26 into the great Atlantic Ocean through Fire Island Inlet and the 50+ miles on to NY Harbor and then up the Hudson to Yonkers. Watch out for Fire Island Inlet when the ebb tide starts. The ocean swells build into big 10 or 11 foot breakers that were pretty scary. We were very happy that our little 8 HP engine pushed us through all the commotion and we had not sea trialed this boat in any way. We were lucky that the winds were light at the time and the waves were not too close together but we did get whacked by one wave that dislodged our small Danforth anchor which was mounted on the outside of the bow pulpit. A half hour later I tried to clean up the lines on an unfamiliar deck and I found a line trailing in the water. I thought that this was rather unfit so I hauled up the line only to find the anchor and a little chain. The wave had knocked the anchor off its mount and it had slowed us down for about an hour. Good seamanship or good luck?
Another time in J. Marien’s McGregor 26 we traversed Manhattan through a thunderstorm. In the East River off of LaGuardia airport a cell blew in and we got hit with tremendous lightning bursts and wind and rain. By the time we reached the Whitestone Bridge I was ready to die from the incessant lightning but it never hit us directly. By the time we crossed under the Throggs Neck Bridge the weather had become calmer and there was no lightning and some clearing of clouds.

— Caleb Davison