https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=UEByMIRojbU

Mark Stover is a great friend of mine. This is a great place to visit by boat!

One of the ‘challenges’ we have is finding better food dishes when we go out compared to what Shelly comes up with here on the boat or at home. Tonight, Chicken Tika Marsala. Love the extra cillantro! Too good to describe!

It was the quest for Indian spices that motivated sailors from Europe to sail West in the 1400’s and 1500’s. We have those same spices right here aboard Shellerina! How fortunate we are!

We had a great time as we always do with Steve and Tina.

It was a great day. Disaster was averted as some kids were caught in the current leaving Sore Thumb. Some quick action by a couple of boats smaller than ours saved the day!

For more info about Sore Thumb see the video links here: https://shellerina.com › sore-thu…

We had a great time with Jane today. She brought lunch and a bottle of wine, and Shelly trained and demonstrated all the deckhand duties. Jane was also patient as I had a couple chores to do… she and Shelly let me get them done. One was testing a new fuel gauge, which tested great. The other was removing the last of the old boat name off the port bow.

We are anchored out here at Cedar Beach Cove and another boat came out of its way to give us that complement this hour. Nice.

Very pleasant evening… not too hot, not too much wind. Good night to gain some more hours and experience… and just enjoy ourselves!

After hours we could clearly see Saturn and Jupiter! From our dock looking up towards our upper deck SSW. With all the ground light here in NY we miss out on a lot. So we celebrate anything we can get!

Pluto, well we’ll have to look for you from a different locale!

We are anchored in our usual spot enjoying some crabs that Tom harvested for us last night.

We are secure inside the boat!

About an hour before the bad weather arrived, our newest dock mates next door came in under one engine. “Five K” captain Bobby did a commendable job at the helm making the slip landing with only one screw. I fended off the bow. So Matt assisted. Wife Amy nervously watched from the dock.

In any event, it was a good first intro for the next door neighbors.

My brother Russ was crew aboard Brian Saulter’s boat out of Boothbay Harbor Maine. They caught this 82″ Bluefin Tuna!

These recent drone pics are taken by friend Don Lockhart, and are in the vicinity of Shellerina’s Rock in Harrison Maine. We spent countless hours and nights tied up there for years before moving to Long Island in 2015. Don and Beth rent from Gateway Marina on Long Lake, and this day they had Robby and Wayne Oliver aboard for the outing!

Andre (Shelly’s brother) and his step daughter Katie in Rockland Maine this week.

Here is a pic sent to us from friends in Maine. It’s not something you see everyday!

First priority upgrade for us was Auto Pilot. A boat that we plan to cruise in … which only goes 10 mph requires Auto Pilot! Its almost like having a third crew member aboard, saves fuel and time, as a computer can steer way more accurately over long distances than a human.

Today was my very first experience using Auto Pilot. At first, I was not impressed. “It must need calibration or tweaking.” But, then after I read the manual, it started to work. I wasn’t doing anything different <wink>. But remarkably, the thing started working much better. <grin>

There are two of these control units, one at the lower helm (shown here), and another at the upper helm.

I’m looking forward to an orientation and sea trial with SeaCurity Systems of Lindenhurst NY who did the install for us in a timely manner this past week.

Donna and Shelly were patient with me this morning while I was “playing” with this navigational aid for the first time.

Sea Trial / owner instructions with the installers happens tomorrow night after work.

Addendum [Tuesday Aug 11] Frank Regan of SeaCurity Systems came aboard and did all the commissioning and calibrating of this new system, and it is 100% now!

Happy Customer now!

Thank you Frank & Co.!

It was gr8 to have Steve Romano aboard for the testing too!

Donna with a surprised Shelly!

The Elbaums and the Romanos scored two surprise birthday gifts today for the birthday girl, PLUS cousin Donna Lambert (from Salem MA) showed up for a two-day outing aboard MV Shellerina! Shelly likes being surprised, and today we all scored for her.

Then! Nick and Desiree came through with their surprise too!

Day after birthday: Shelly in her “nest” at our apartment on the phone with Linda back in Maine… flowers are in the background.

All the dock lights are on and working, no wind, beautiful night!

S-Dock is a very protected spot to ride out storms like this one.

I doubled each line and put out some extra fenders this evening after work. It was sunny and clear… but not for long. Two hours later we now hear wind, and thunder overhead, 9:30pm.

I’m also glad to see signs of headway by the professional Auto-Pilot installation crew today.

Same hour moonrise and sunset.

Just got off a great call with Russ, my bro from Edgecomb Maine. So many boat things and life things going on!

Cellphone pic of Shelly after a productive day getting lots of projects done!