We hopped the 10:00am ferry from Orient Point to New London.

On the way to E Greenwich RI, where the boat was, we stopped at this pizza place made famous by the 1988 movie which spring-boarded Julia Roberts’ career.

The pie here really was the best ‘Za’ we have had in a long time!

http://www.mysticpizza.com

These two pics (above) are from last season… whereas this time of year it is up on “the hard”. So we could inspect things below the waterline.

Looks like lots of love (wax and elbow grease) has gone into this boat over the years. Inside, things were also in good condition; the bilge was clean. Not bad for a 20 year old boat.

There are some concerns to learn more about… but we’ll see!

Huntington Harbor

This pic was taken on our first Christmas here on Long Island, 2015.

Robert Moses Causeway, from a unique viewpoint…

… from Captree Island…

Our boat was secured on the hard for winter the week before Thanksgiving.

Four more months until we launch. The Winter Solstice happens today! So days are getting longer starting tomorrow.

Last log entry.

Opened seacock valve.

Last glass of wine aboard.

Greenhouse effect + electric space heater made it comfortable for about an hour or so.

Planning our trip to Maine now! Saturday to Saturday of Thanksgiving week.

Good bye boat! See you in 4 months!

Last two boats on S-Dock.

These pics were taken at S-Dock today on our way to closing up our boat for the season.

When a dripping faucet on the dock shows signs of ICE, that usually means the season is over!

We did push off and go for our last ride of the year. We fueled up (to reduce fuel tank condensation over the winter) and pumped out the holding tank (no explanation needed.)

We shuttled several loads of “stuff” off the boat to the car. We have a few things to finish up tomorrow.

This pic of the chart plotter today shows our total statute miles underway for the season, 713, and hours moving underway, 85.34 hours… many more than most other boaters.

But it is a lot less than last year’s record:

1024 statute miles

120.3 hours underway

More details will follow on this. But, we had a great season, by all measures!

50F outside, it’s over 70F under our dark blue bimini top!!! Loving it our here.

Lunch! Leftover vegetable Lo Mein (with extra pork! <wink>). Very nice out here… greenhouse effect under this canvas!

Spending the night aboard tonight; it may be the last night aboard this season. We met “Mike” the electrician; he got the dock lights working. One of the 3-Phase leads was open, and needed to be fixed. It looks awesome, and it is safer! Maybe we’ll stay next weekend too!

Call it 73F under the canvas today, anchored at our usual haunt. At least a dozen other boaters out here with us on a beautiful fall day. So long as the sun is shining (and not too windy) we will be comfortable under our dark blue Bimini/Camper Top covers.

S-Dock this hour.

The sun is setting now at 5:48pm ET. Heat is on!

Great South Bay, Lindenhurst Cut as seen from the entrance to Nuguntatogue Creek this hour.

Can’t imagine any other place where I would rather be on the planet at this time, or with any other person!

Shelly’s new fav!

w/ Tito’s handmade and ice!

Next weekend: season finale at Cedar Beach.

Anchored in Great South Bay on a fantastic fall boating day!

For years, this decal has adorned our cockpit’s port side. It was a gift of my brother Russ. So, I decided to feature it in tonight’s post. When it was given to us, this boat was a lake boat… Sebago Lake and Long Lake was its home in Maine. But, we had Jason Randall haul us to Falmouth Fireside ME for a two week cruise DownEast in the spring of 2014, when we met up with Russ and his family when he gave us this decal.

The boat is now a full time salt water boat! So the decal is more fitting than ever!

Good thing it was her first count, cuz I came from way behind. I’d have won if not for her first count.

Taken from this position on Great South Bay, anchored north east side of Fox Island, Lindenhurst Cut.

We are here for the night. Beautiful.

Earlier today…

At Seagull restaurant.

S-Dock Mates reunion!

61F water temp… I guess we’ll wait till next season before jumping in again.

53F Outside

Soon jumping on the ferry to New London.

Pushing off at Orient Point…

Pulling in to New London CT

I stopped to scoop up this well picked shell of a Horseshoe crab today in the Lindenhurst Cut.

Rafted up to Marc and Colleen, we listened to the local radio station carrying the Jets-Patriots game. 30-0 at the half. 14-30 final.

Anchored north side of Fox Island, GSB.

Now we are off to a cove with less wake and bugs!

Phil & Suzanne. Friends whom we have hung out with from Riverhead NY to Las Vegas NV finally made it out on Shellerina today!

It has been a long 11 days since we have been aboard Shellerina. Finally feeling ‘at home’ again.

Staying aboard for 32nd overnight aboard this season!

Good day at work too!

To avoid the NYC traffic, last evening on my way back from a business trip to Boston, I took the ferry out of New London.

Two jet skiers stopped by law enforcement for operating after sunset.

There was a different type of traffic in New London Harbor, as you can see! My kind of traffic.

Long Island Sound was calm for a great crossing.

Shelly: “An awesome mini-vacation!”We are happy to report that the east-west passage through Moriches is clear! This enables us to avoid the 50+ mile outside run between Fire Island Inlet and Shinnecock Inlet.

We simply followed the navigation bouys, past the USCG Station, with 5-6 feet of water at the shallowest points. We did it up on plane! Marc led the way.

It was the perfect weather day for this 62 mile inside trip.

The threat of T-Boomers and bad weather made both boats decide to stay in Riverhead for one more night.

Actual dopler radar and predicted future radar made us opt out of the trip 80 miles back to our west.

A waterspout was reportedly seen here in Long Island waters this afternoon… a tornado in Manorville NY, and a waterspout was seen near Fire Island Pines.

Fortunately, Jerry and the Mermaid was able to nourish us.

Shelly and Marc by their vessels on the transient’s dock at Treasure Cove Resort Marina, Peconic River, Riverhead NY.

Early start!

We arrived at the fuel dock around 11:00am. So just about 4 hours.

Chowder from Salt Shack at Cedar Beach, which we did not have room for last night, hit the spot as we secured at our S-Dock home around 3:00pm.

Stiff breeze out of the NE pushing us into the bulkhead and pushing our bow hard to port. It will take a careful plan to get out of here! There is no calming of the wind forecasted later in the day.

Update.

Noon.

We are now anchored in the cove, after an [almost] perfect departure from our windy slip.

1. Tied the two stern lines just looped around dock cleats and back so we could untie from the boat.

2. Warmed up the engine, idled into gear, pushing us off the bulkhead.

3. While in gear, but held in place by the two stern lines, I went up forward and untied all the lines to the pilings; brought them on board.

4. Still in gear, two stern lines holding us in place, the down wind stern line was observed to be slack and not doing anything. So, we untied it and brought it aboard too.

5. With only one line securing us to the dock, and the engine idling forward in gear, we had the owner of the boat next to us gently pay out that last line as we gradually exited the slip under control, but against a stiff breeze.

6. Just as he let go of that last line we started to be blown into his anchor / bow tackle. So I steamed ahead to clear his bow. Shelly was not ready for that, and was not sitting down. So, she fell, minor bumps and injuries.

So, we didn’t get an A+ for the maneuver. But it was otherwise pretty masterful.

Post Evaluation: Use a longer line for the last connection, so the dock mate paying out the line can keep some tension on the last line until we clear the boat downwind of us.

I wish I had this on video!

Not a bad back flip for 65 year old Tom!

I bet there is going to be a good sunset tonight!

We are anchored inside of the Sore Thumb all fogged in. The annual fireworks at Cedar Beach can be heard, but we cannot see them thru the fog. i

Lots of traffic on the Marine VHF radio channel 16. Fishing Boats and ferries all broadcasting their positions as they navigate through the fog.

We have been on an emotional roller coaster ride. Looking at boats, negotiating, getting under contract for TWO, and starting the full hull, systems, and engine survey process for one, only to be disappointed… we are exhausted, and wanted to simply go back to enjoying our boat again! Well, this weekend we succeeded.

Linda G. at the helm!

~~~~~~~~~~~

After dropping off Linda G and Valters at Bergen Point, we headed east to the Connetquot River, home of the Oakdale Marina Resort, Snapper Inn, and The View, all noteworthy establishments.

Marc of Precious Cargo succeeded in securing us two slips at Oakdale, right beside the live 8-piece band and dance floor! This well managed resort marina and “very happening place” proved to be a fantastic place to hang out with good friends and dock mates Colleen and Marc.

All this helped us overcome the mourning, anxiety, and disappointment of our roller coaster week!

Earlier in the week: This is the boat we came very close to owning:

But it did not pass the marine survey tests that we paid to have done before the sale. (It’s very much like buying a house.)

I don’t know who was the sadder, us or the sellers.

There isn’t a word that exists that can express the total reversal of our collective hope and excitement of the sale and purchase of a very nice boat!

Therefore, the For Sale signs were ordered “Removed!” from our beloved Shellerina by the admiral after the decision to forgo the purchase of the cruising boat we had our heart set on, a Mainship 350/390.

We realized there simply was not enough summer left to waste chasing our next boat.

“We now need to focus on enjoying the boat we already own!!!”

Thank you! to new friends, Linda G and Valters, and old friends, Colleen and Marc for helping us out!!!

I think we have recovered!

We drove to Portland CT to do our inspection of a boat we love the looks and design of. We are under contract to buy her, contingent upon several things including today’s inspection.

Regretfully, we are going to pass on this boat. It simply won’t work for us. Reasons include:

• No seat for Shelly in the pilot house. No room to add one.
• No seat for me! No room to add one.
• Swim Ladder was totally inadequate for us.
• Too many stairs between stateroom and pilot house and salon.
• Fewer options for getting Shelly on and off the boat.
• No wipers on any of the windows of pilot house to clear rain and spray.
• The 12″ less beam compared to the Mainship 390’s 14’2″ was noticeable.
• No second guest stateroom.
• No A/C.
• No railings around the perimeter of the bulwark/gunnels.

The character and features of this boat were/are hard to walk away from. The mast/boom/davit and dinghy system w/ outboard were significant value-adds. The engine/propulsion system appears to be strong, as does the genset.

Tough day for us. But we move on.

We have been studying the Mainship 390 boats on the market. But the Lord Nelson Victory Tugs have gotten our attention. We’ll see!

Yes

• We decided to stay home and simply research our next possible boat. Just too hot out there today even with the breeze.

I got up to see the sunrise and to see the ISS fly over.

It was clearly visible for the middle three minutes of this six minute pass.

Here is Precious Cargo tied up behind us on the S-Dock as the sun comes up.

Last evening, former dock mates Steve and Tina Romano, and Marc joined us for the annual Marine Max BBQ then we hung out on the dock just like old times.

Jupiter was living large next to a near full moon.

After climbing around the Mainship 390 we decided to see if we could navigate to Jordan’s Lobster Farm on the water near Long Beach. It was easier to find by boat compared to by car! But it was fresh and good seafood. Our first lobster of this season. Ray needs another hat. (Hats with an embroidered lobster on them are a particular weakness.)

Jordan’s website

Our first time aboard a boat that I have been studying since December was Friday July 5.

The most amazing thing we discovered as we arrived at the rendevous point was that we knew the seller! Tommy from the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club, whom we befriended on our vacation in June 2018, and who is pictured in our blog (twice) was the seller who met us at the gate, to let us in to view this boat he had for sale!

7.5 million people live on this island, we haven’t lived here 4 years yet. Yet, a boat that I have been researching for six months, that we travelled to Brooklyn to see today is being sold by someone we know! … that we met on our cruising adventures!