August 27-29                               Greenport, New York

After three days in Port Jeff, we were ready to move northward.  Greenport, a major boating destination on Long Island, was our destination.  This lovely town has retained many of the homes and buildings that existed almost two hundred years ago when whaling ships filled its harbors.  Nestled on the North Fork and shielded from the winter storms of the Sound, it was easily accessible to the Atlantic Ocean.

Our first and second marina choices were unavailable, but we secured a slip at Townsend Manor Marina, tucked into a small cove and only a few blocks from the downtown area.  The channel was narrow and fitting our 63’ boat into the assigned place was a challenge.  With excellent dock help, David again responded well and docked us without a problem.  His years of “shoehorning” our boat into the narrow space at Eagle Mountain Lake in Fort Worth gave him the experience and skills needed.  A fellow boater on the dock told us later he had watched and assumed we had a “hell of a good captain.”  He was surprised when he learned the captain was David.

We enjoyed walking into town and perusing the many shops.  At the used book store, we were greeted at the door by a thin, scraggly-bearded man who barely raised his head from his book to offer help if needed.  The store was a shambles with books, records, picture cards, and junk strewed about.  I was surprised to find a great collection of art books.  I chose one but did not think it was a bargain at $50.00 (later checked Amazon and found it was priced at $55.00).  The fellow was obviously not interested in selling.  He probably owned the building.

Another shop was packed with Italian and Spanish ceramics and resembled shops we had visited in Ravello and Seville.  Beautiful dishes, decorative items, and chandeliers tempted every shopper.  Restaurants were everywhere and enjoying good business.

Most of the lovely two and three story Victorian or Steamboat-style houses appeared to be privately owned.  We saw only a few bed and breakfasts and they were located in very large houses on spacious manicured lawns.  Greenport is meticulously clean despite the many tourists who descend there each summer.

The magnificent Greek Orthodox Church was near the marina and we were fortunate to get a glimpse into the interior.  It appeared to be very traditional with a painted ceiling and walls covered with pictures of saints.  A decorative screen obscured our view of the icons near the altar.  It was a beautiful place and one that was obviously cherished by its congregation as everything, inside and outside, was pristine.

We were pleased to be docked at Townsend Marina.  We liked the friendliness of the staff and the other boaters who preferred, like us, to be away from the hustle of the downtown marinas.  Like Danford’s in Port Jeff, Townsend Manor is a hotel located in several lovely white buildings adjacent to the marina.  Its grounds are spacious, shady, and well-maintained.  We enjoyed the quiet ambiance.

August 24-26                               Port Jefferson, New York

We were ready to move northward and the weather favored great cruising with sunny skies and little wind.  We waved goodbye to the Statue of Liberty and turned into the East River for a brief journey past one of the most familiar scenes in the world.  Iconic buildings, i.e. the Woolworth, Chrysler, United Nations, Empire State, and others, are competing with a number of newly constructed or partially constructed skyscrapers that demonstrate the incredible viability of the area.  Apparently, the instability of foreign markets has made New York real estate an excellent investment.

Hell’s Gate is a narrow opening from the East River toward Long Island Sound.  As it also is the confluence of the East River, the Harlem River, and Long Island Sound, there are eddies and strong currents which can move a vessel onto the neighboring shoals.  The Bottom Line has the power needed to overcome this challenge and we quickly cruised through, past Rikers Island (of Law and Order fame), La Guardia Airport, and into the wide expanse of Long Island Sound.  Like the Hudson River, the Sound is dotted with picturesque nineteenth century lighthouses which are now abandoned or privately owned.

After a five hour journey, we arrived at Danford’s Marina in Port Jefferson.  With a wide, deep harbor, Port Jeff is a major ferry terminus to Connecticut and a large boating capital.  The marina is adjacent to the hotel property which is a popular party and wedding venue for the area.  Occupying a number of buildings, Danford’s is an upscale resort, beautifully maintained, and surrounded by multitudes of blooming plants.  

We were pleased our friend, Joe McCormack would join us for dinner.  We walked several blocks to Pasta Pasta, an elegant, small restaurant with a great menu.  The service and food were wonderful and we had a delightful evening visiting with one of our favorite people.

David visited one of the local barber shops and experienced a haircut similar to the ones he remembered as a boy.  The semi-retired Italian barber cut his hair short and high.  He was an interesting conversationalists who favored the "old ways" and Donald Trump.  David should not require another haircut for six months!

Port Jeff is a charming place that has managed well to maintain its sense of uniqueness despite the hordes of people and cars that descend upon it from the ferry.  Everything is pristine and flowers are everywhere.  It is one of our favorite places on Long Island.  

August 21-23                               Jersey City, New Jersey

We rented a car to travel to Long Island for a visit with our long-time friend, Jean Leone and her daughter, Jackie.  We planned the trip on Sunday to have less traffic.  Unfortunately, the building boom in New York with considerable infrastructure modification has contributed to congestion on the streets and highways which results in long delays.  Our twenty-five mile journey took only a little less than two hours.

Jean’s beautiful new home was a showplace!  She had “downsized” from a 15,000 square feet home to one of approximately 8,000 square foot.  Jean surprised us with her amazing skills in blending familiar furnishings with new to create a lovely, elegant home.  Everything is cared for meticulously by Denecio and his wife, who have lived with the family for many years.  Denecio is a self-taught horticulturist and the three acres surrounding the home resemble a botanical garden with an abundance of shrubs, trees, and plants.  Everything was planned and planted by Denecio.

Lunch was catered by Jericho Terrace, David’s former client and now owned by Jean.  It was a typical lavish Italian feast with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, chicken, fruits, cheeses, and ciabatta.  From Jean’s wine cellar, we had an excellent Amarone wine and finished with a 30 year Port.  It was a great treat but we enjoyed most the wonderful time together around the table with Jean, Jackie, and Eddie, Jackie’s long-time companion and one of our favorite people.

The drive home was in the dark and rain.  David was a careful, considerate driver who patiently traversed the crowded Long Island Expressway, the congested Williamsburg Bridge from Brooklyn, busy Lower Manhattan, and then waited for half an hour to enter the Holland Tunnel to New Jersey. It was a long trip but with our GPS and constant surveillance, we made the trip without incident.  

With the car for another day, we were able to re-provision for the remainder of our journey and see more of Jersey City.  The downtown area has been fortunate to attract upscale condo and apartment buildings but much of the city is still old, cluttered, crowded, and difficult.  It is challenging to live there.

August 15-20                               Jersey City, New Jersey

We again were fortunate to have great weather for our eight hour journey to Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City.  Shortly after leaving Atlantic City, we encountered a flotilla of boats clustered in a small area for fishing.  Apparently, they had discovered a real find! We carefully avoided the group and then found ourselves in the midst of numerous crab pot markers.  We encountered numerous boats and ships and we had to stay alert to avoid possible hazards.

 As we passed through the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, we were watching the scene on our port side when we were startled by a loud, prolonged blast from the rear.  An enormous freighter was suddenly behind us and impatiently sounding its horn to signal us to get out of the lane.  Looking back, we were reminded of a huge whale ready to swallow the boat.  We moved quickly to clear the way!

It is always an emotional thrill to see the Statue of Liberty standing majestically in the harbor of New York City.  A short distance from the Great Lady is the entrance to Liberty Landing Marina.  We were delighted to be assigned a slip on the dock adjacent to the Liberty Park walkway with a clear view of the statue.  We were also near the ferry to Manhattan.  We had a view of the city from the bow and a view of the nautical scene from the stern.  It was great to be again in this wonderful marina.

Hot, humid weather returned and our plans to walk in the park were quickly changed.  We were mostly confined to the boat.  Projects, reading, needlepoint, and business kept us busy. A slight cooling in the temperature came near the end of the week.  Our sixty-second anniversary was on Saturday, August 20 and we had plans to leave the boat.

On Thursday, we ferried across to Tribeca and enjoyed brunch at Sarabeth’s.  Afterwards, we Ubered (through heavy traffic and considerable construction) to the Frick Museum.  We again enjoyed a lengthy visit to this beautiful place filled with priceless art.  With an emphasis on quality not quantity, Henry Clay Frick amassed an incredible collection and installed it in a majestic setting.  After leaving the museum, we spent more than an hour walking down Madison and perusing the windows of shops filled with displays of expensive and fashionable clothing (designer handbags predominated). 

On Saturday, we ferried to Lower Manhattan and Uber transported us to the theater district.  We had tickets to see Jersey Boys, a long-standing hit and winner of numerous awards.  Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were favorites from our college years and their music brought back good memories.

 David walks with a cane and, of course, we are obviously no longer young. Once again, we were impressed with the extraordinary courtesy of New Yorkers.  The usher at the theater greeted us on the sidewalk and showed us an entrance with only a few stairs rather than the main one with 27 steps.  After the show, he made sure we were allowed to exit in the same way.  On the ferry, others stepped back to allow us, strollers, and passengers who needed help to board first and be seated.  Amazing!

Our anniversary dinner was at Maritime Parc, a lovely restaurant at Liberty Landing.  We had a table on the terrace with a great view of Manhattan and the huge full moon illuminating the scene.  It was a perfect setting for a delicious dinner.

August 12-14                               Atlantic City, New Jersey

We exited Cape May Canal on a beautiful, sunny day with little wind (just as we like it!) and entered the Atlantic Ocean for our six hour journey to Atlantic City.  The autopilot that had intermittently presented problems was now repaired and working well.  Almost thirty years old (original equipment for our Hatteras boat), it would have been very expensive to replace.  Our marina in Cape May had a technician certified by Robertson-Simrad, the manufacturer of the autopilot, and he quickly and accurately diagnosed the problem and made the needed repair.  We were amazingly fortunate!

Kammerman’s Marina is a small, family-owned business across from the large Golden Nugget Hotel and Marina.  Heavily damaged in Hurricane Sandy, the owners, Chris and Stacy Kammerman, have worked very hard to restore the place.  They have exciting plans to improve and expand which will increase their business and double their capacity.  On one side, they are bordered by a collection of ramshackle “fishing cottages” that have been grandfathered for years.  These lend quaintness to a scene which is largely comprised of newer, more modern structures.

We had a great slip overlooking the channel and bay area.  We constantly witnessed boats and watercraft of all sizes and types coming through for docking or fuel.  As the weather became increasingly hot and humid, we opted to remain on the boat throughout our stay.  It was actually hotter in Atlantic City than in Fort Worth, Texas!  Our plans to escape Texas heat had not worked well.

We were delighted to host Stacy and Chris for dinner on the boat.  Chris is a lieutenant with the Atlantic City Police Department in addition to his duties at the marina.  Stacy is a former science teacher with amazing entrepreneurial skills and has several internet ventures that she manages as well as performing a myriad of tasks at the marina.  They were warm, lovely people and great conversationalists.  Meeting them was a definite highlight of our visit to Atlantic City.

August 7-11                                 Cape May, New Jersey

The dock scene at South Jersey Marina is always interesting with a great variety of boats and people.  Paddle boarding and kayaking are very popular and we constantly witnessed a parade of enthusiastic water sportsmen moving past us.  

My needlepoint project was not going well.  The canvas was too limp.  It needed to be mounted on stretchers so the stitches would align properly.  A needlepoint shop was about two miles from the marina.  With the temperature in the low eighties, walking was pleasant and I had another opportunity to see more of the charming homes that make Cape May so unique.

The needlepoint shop was located easily and my canvas was quickly stapled to the stretchers. The owner told me she has been in business for more than twenty years and had a devoted clientele who enjoyed her large stock of needlepoint, embroidery, and other stitching supplies.  More than a summer resort, Cape May has become a year-round destination with healthy business prospects.

The Lobster House, a beloved restaurant that constantly draws large crowds of diners, is located only a block from the marina.  We are fonder of their great seafood market than their restaurant.  With a magnificent display of fresh fish, clams, lobster, shrimp, mussels, calamari, and crabs (as well as prepared foods), they easily surpass Central Market in Fort Worth in quality and variety.  We made several visits to stock our freezer and enjoy delicious dinners on the boat.  David has become a master soft-shell crab chef.  Lightly dusted in cornmeal seasoned with Old Bay, fresh soft-shell crabs are a delicious delicacy.  We are being spoiled by the abundance of wonderful seafood.

Utilizing the convenience of the marina’s shuttle and their delightful staff, we returned to the downtown area for a Cape May Mansions Tour in the trolley.  Our guide was witty and informative as we drove through the older neighborhoods and saw the lovely homes that were once the summer cottages of some of the wealthy families in the area.  Cape May steadfastly resisted efforts to change their building codes to include modern design and Victorian and nineteenth century architecture prevails even in new construction.  Civic and personal pride is evident in the pristine maintenance of homes and lawns.

Our brown leather chairs in the salon were showing considerable wear and needed to be replaced.  With the “miracle of the internet,” we located comparable chairs at a great price.  They arrived as expected before our scheduled departure and were easily brought on board by the great marina dock help.  A little larger than our old chairs, they are perfect for our needs.

Although we had hoped to stay several days longer, the marina could not accommodate us.  They were booked.  Calls to Atlantic City and our favorite Golden Nugget Marina were not successful.  A Jimmy Buffett concert during the weekend had filled the hotel and the marina.  Kammerman’s Marina, across the bay from the Golden Nugget, was available if we could be in a fifty feet slip (eight feet shorter than our boat) near the busy fuel dock.  We agreed that would work for us.