City Island

Saturday, August 6:  The weatherman is calling for our winds today to be from the SW at 10 kt.  Our route to City Island is almost directly into this wind, so we will either have to beat into it (tacking back and forth) or just drop the sails and motor.  We have 35 miles to go and we will also have the current running against us.

The expected high is 81 degrees and there is a chance of showers with a mix of clouds and sun.

When we got out into the Sound, there was not much wind, so we did just motor most of the day.  Since this was the weekend, we saw lots more recreational boat traffic and lots of regattas.

At noon, we first noticed the New York City skyline way off in the distance.

About an hour outside of City Island, the wind piped up to 15 to 20 kt from the south, so we were finally able to shut down the engines and just sail the rest of the way.

Stephanie had made reservations for a mooring ball for us at the City Island Yacht Club, so Ted hailed them on the VHF as we were coming in for an assignment.  The mooring field was fully exposed to the wind, which continued to blow at 15 kt, making it more difficult than usual to pick up the mooring ball pennants and secure the boat.

We called the free water shuttle so we could have happy hour at the club, then walked 10 blocks to Arties restaurant for dinner.  The small dining room we were in was noisy, but the menu was extensive, the food good, and the prices reasonable.  There was a light drizzle falling as we walked back to the club, after dinner.

We went back to the boat on the club launch.  The wind was still blowing 15 kt kicking up good sized waves and it was still drizzling, making getting in and out of the launch quite challenging.

Later, Ted and Lance planned our departure time tomorrow, so we could go through Both Hell Gate and the Battery with not too much current.  Both really rip at their maximum of around 5 or 6 kt and this can be hazardous!