October 21-24                 Clinton, Connecticut

As we prepared to leave the dock for our journey southward to visit sites on the Connecticut coast, we were pleased to have a visit from Joyce and Jim Hancock, our dock neighbors.  They own a gorgeous Hatteras 58’motoryacht with a cockpit that appears to be in excellent condition.  They are residents of Old Lyme, Connecticut, only a short drive from Mystic, and will be winterizing their boat at Seaport.  As they have owned boats for many years in this area, they were valuable resources for information on proper procedures for winterizing the interior and exterior of our boat.  We were fortunate to meet them and look forward to exchanging information with them in the future.

The journey to Clinton was brief and pleasant.  They sky was blue and the winds were light.  Long Island Sound was a perfect place for boating.  The Connecticut shore was filled with beautiful homes and we regretted our view was limited by distance.   The many shoals that mark this area of the Sound keep boaters into deeper waters.  As we reached the channel entering the shallow waters into Clinton, we noticed our steering again had failed.  This was an unexpected and disappointing event as we had spent considerable time and money at Fairhaven having repairs to the steering mechanism.  With the same ingenuity he often applied to our motorhome/s mechanical problems, David took our small bicycle pump and managed to pump up the fluid in the steering mechanism to acquire sufficient control enabling us to cruise successfully into the marina.  This was a short-term solution for we apparently were faced with another leak in the system.  We decided to have a mechanic look at the situation on Monday before we left Clinton.

The marina was busy with fishermen coming and going in small boats.  Several were filleting their catches at the workstations in the communal area.  We walked a short distance to the local lobster and crab shop, bought lobster rolls for dinner, and returned to the boat to enjoy this local treat.  The rolls were fresh, toasted with melted butter, and topped with tasty chunks of lobster meat seasoned with lemon juice.  They were outstanding! 

Sunday was a day for leisurely enjoying the ambiance of this beautiful area.  We were on a face dock which allowed us an unobstructed view of the channel out to the Sound.  By noon, the sun had come forth and the day was lovely and cool.  Many boats were exiting with fishing gear prominently displayed.  Our planned bike ride together was aborted when David discovered a ruined rear tire.  I took a solitary ride but found little of significance to warrant further exploration.  The attractions of Clinton, including an upscale discount mall, were far from the marina.  We were not in the mood for shopping and decided to forego the offered shuttle to remain on the boat and complete plans to return home a week earlier than originally scheduled.  I needed to attend a meeting in Austin and David had an appointment with a prospective client.  Our decision to leave the boat at Mystic meant we did not need the extra time we had allotted to take it back to the lower Chesapeake.

On our visit to the grocery store in Mystic, we were introduced to a special brand of crab meat.  I decided to try it in Crab Supreme, a recipe we discovered last year at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Cambridge, Maryland.  With a little minced onion, celery, bread crumbs, butter, and Old Bay Seasoning, I made a dish that was fabulous!  The Crab Supreme was light and delicious.  We have “nailed” this recipe!