Family and Friends

I learned to use the water maker, which seems very appropriate since I love having our tank full of fresh water.  Apparently, I still have to conserve because it takes power to make water and our 600 watts of solar do not provide us with unlimited power.  That said, in my opinion, the level of water conservation with a water maker requires a ‘feel good’ amount of effort, not a ‘feel dirty and thirsty’ amount of effort.  Think about it. We use freshwater for drinking, showers, dishes, laundry and head flushing. The water maker is the key to our comfort and our independence from unwanted land stops, like expensive marinas.  Thank goodness for the water maker!!!

The last few days are a blur that involved hot sunny weather, little wind and lots of good times.  I think I blocked out our morning runs, which were too hot and sweaty, but I have vivid memories of swimming with Tracey, Todd and Sammy Dubner on July 4th in a festive Shelter Island cove flooded with ‘party boats’ and all the happy people and dogs that travel on such boats.  It was so much fun to have Michael’s cousin and family on Gerty. The day filled up our hearts and our bellies thanks to the gourmet lunch they brought!

The wind was on the nose for our trip to Setauket and remained that way to Northport Harbor, but we were motoring with some very special friends in mind.  After meeting Grandma Polly for coffee on Saturday afternoon, we had time to get showered and dressed up for the big event. Michael donned his fanciest shorts, a denim pair with no stains and I was thrilled to put on a sundress, white with red and yellow flowers.

Being a newbie to the sailing world, it still seems magical to me when we are able to meet up with people we know on shore.  It feels as if we are traveling from different worlds and meeting at the junction of the two. We never know exactly what time we will show up, the specific location of the dinghy dock to the landlubbers access, or what the weather conditions of our travel will be.  There is a lot of uncertainty, so I think when it works out, it seems somehow more special. The fact that we were meeting up with my very best friend and her family during their stop over in New York on their way from California to Georgia for a permanent move made it seemingly serendipitous. There was no doubt that our stars had aligned for dinner and ice-cream and all the wonderful stuff that goes with well-wishing when dear friends are starting a new journey.  Although, they will be land-based in Atlanta, ‘fair winds’ to Leslie, Jeremy, Jack, and Charlie!