5 Days Post Sandy

Well, on Monday Sandy tried to knock Long Island down.  Today is Saturday and though we are still without power and have empty gas tanks in our cars, we are still able to revel in the beauty of mid-fall.

I took this picture from Serenity's bow this evening.  I was reading in the pilothouse (yes, reading as in sitting in 1 place) when I looked up, grabbed my camera and took this picture - and this one...

In fact, while I was searching for a cell signal late Tuesday afternoon, I drove to the beach near our marina where folks said they were able to get a signal (I was unsuccessful).  The tranquility of the scene less than 24 hours after Sandy roared through was astounding.  Out came the camera to capture the moment - and to again thank my blessings to even be there and have the ability to take this picture.  It's all about the simple things in life that we take for granted.

 Today a dock neighbor and I took a walk to do do something normal - we got our nails done!  What was amazing is that the salon was packed with people trying to do the same thing - return to their pre-Sandy lives when we hopped into our cars and thought nothing of driving to a supermarket to get fresh food.  We did all this without constantly checking our gas gauge and feeling a knot in our stomachs as the needle edged from full to half to a quarter full tank.  It is gratifying to see signs in windows of salons with power offering free hot shampoos.  Although not many make a full stop at non-working traffic signal intersections, drivers will allow each other some courtesies when all arrive simultaneously at an intersection.  The usual hand gestures are absent as is the deafening cacaphony of blaring horns.

One of our dock neighbors stood on our dock box and took this picture of the dock on Sunday evening - before Sandy made her entrance.  We were told today that the reason the dock lights are not yet on is because the lights were filled with water.  The water actually rose to the top of the dock pilings.  We (and our boats) were fortunate that the water didn't rise beyond the pilings to which are boats are tied.  The docks float, but they can only float so far before the unthinkable happens.

As I post this, we are hearing that the governor has lifted the obstacles to getting oil tankers unloaded into terminals so that fuel trucks can get desperately needed gas into our local gas pumps.  I can withstand many things, but the inability to get to my grandson and horse are not among them.

I hope that my local followers and their families are safe and will soon be looking back on this experience as a lesson to value all that is important in our lives.

Sandy Paid Long Island a Nasty Visit

Unless you live under a rock (WAY under a rock), you all know - or have experienced first hand - Hurricane Sandy was not good to Long Island.  Much of the news coverage focuses on New Jersey and Manhattan - I don't diminish their misery - but we are in bad shape on affluent Long Island.  Sandy didn't care how big our homes are, how many cars are in our garage, or the balance in our bank account - we were beaten up, left without power or phone lines, empty gas tanks and destroyed homes and property.

Each night's news coverage tugs harder at my heart strings.  I almost feel guilty that we and our loved ones are living in relative luxury.  Yes we're inconvenienced, but still alive with everyone and everything we hold dear intact.   As I am fortunate enough to post this, Tom and I are living aboard Serenity, a mere 4 minutes from our ravaged neighborhood.  Thanks to Serenity's more than adequate generator, we have lights, hot water, food and numerous other creature comforts.  We can even do laundry!  Today the marina regained power, so we turned off the generator and now have wifi.  In direct contrast, our neighbor across the street is dealing with the remains of beloved trees felled during the storm.

The sound of chainsaws is replacing the sounds of birds and squirrels scampering among the leaves.  There are so many leaves on the ground right now, that the streets are actually aglow in the fall colors.  It would be pretty if we were unaware of how all those leaves were driven to the ground.

As I drove to visit my horse for the first time today - the barn manager had sent everyone a text late Monday night that all  horses were safe - I passed the bottom of our street.  We have been unable to leave our street in the usual way since we were blocked by 2 enormous felled trees.  As I drove by, my eyes popped out of my head as I surveyed the reason.  I couldn't resist pulling over to take this picture...

Though there is no scale with which to judge the height of the branches, trust me that it is significant.  Judging by the extent of the mess and the fact that we're pretty far from the beaten path, I suspect that it will be quite some time before the lights come on.  I forgot to mention that this pile of trees has power lines mixed into it.  I think you might agree.

After spending Monday night at home in the cold and dark surrounded by horrific, howling winds (albeit by candlelight), Tom and I decided to move aboard Serenity.  First we had to find a way out of the neighborhood.  Once that was accomplished, we drove to the marina to be sure it (the marina) was still there.  We could see Serenity in her slip and almost fainted with joy.  We sped to the marina and rushed down the dock to really get a good look at our girl.  She was in great shape, not even a leaf on her decks!  We had to rush through our initial check because the water was almost level with the dock and  it wasn't quite high tide yet.  The dockmaster later told us that on Monday, the storm surge created a new high water mark at 4 feet over the dock.  We went home, threw some things into a bag and headed out again.  Warmth, lights, fresh food, (a tad of wine) and just the feeling of being safe and comfortable never felt so good.

As we watched the news for the first time, we were mesmerized by the sights flashing across the TV of destruction and misery all across the mighty, tri-state area.  To see huge waves crashing over the battery in lower Manhattan and flooding once teeming sidewalks was a sight to behold.  I cried with the people  who told reporters their story of loss.  I looked around my surroundings with even more gratitude than  usual.  Here we are in the lap of luxury while others live in shelters, having lost everything.

Once I established contact with our daughter, I learned that they were not only safe, but had never lost power.  Thank goodness Tucker was safe and warm in his nest!  Our barn manager sent a text that the horses were safe, but that the barn was without power.  By now, hearing that there was no power was nothing new.  What I didn't expect upon arriving at the barn was a team of roofers on the roof of my horse's barn.  Apparently, much of the roof covering that barn blew off during the storm, leaving rain to pour in.  Thanks to the diligence and hard work of the wonderful men who keep the barn running, they got on the roof in the storm and put a tarp down to protect the horses.  They were hard at work today nailing down the base of the new roof.

Wow!  There was so much to worry about these past 3 days (it seems like much longer than that)!  First, the ones I love - daughter, son-in-law, grandson, friends, horse. Then the physical things, house, cars, boat, property.  Living through such a widespread disaster helps to prioritize what is important in life.  Just the ability to make a phone call, flip a switch for light, or drive anywhere with a full tank of gas - it's a luxury now.  As New Yorkers, we will get through this as we have in other disasters.  I just hope it won't take too long.

Anniversary!

This is a non-boat related note to let my wonderful readers know that Tom and I celebrated our anniversary this past Wednesday (October 10) - a lot of years.  We had a wonderful evening, complete with flowers, champagne and excellent dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Tom has fabulous taste - especially when it comes to gifts for me.  As usual, he knocked me out with this year's anniversary gift.  He admitted that our fashion genius of a daughter provided the idea and shopped, but he still got all the credit.

I've wanted one of these for a looooog time!  Yup, it's the real McCoy!  Note the special touch - my initial embossed on one of the leather handles!  Fashion genius daughter again.  In this view, it's a great tote, capable of holding tons of stuff....

...here, the bag has a slimmer, more sophisticated profile - still holds the same amount of stuff, just looks different.

Thanks Tom!  I adore my new Louis Vuitton.  It will look perfect on Serenity!  Tomorrow I'll be introducing Louis to Serenity.  Hope she isn't jealous.

Krogen Cruisers Chesapeake Rendezvous, 2012

Though I just recently returned from 6 idyllic days in Solomons, a paradise not far from Annapolis, MD, my heart is still there.  I was lucky enough to be the guest of a fellow Krogenite aboard her palatial and gorgeous 55' Expedition, Invictus.

I left my office on the gritty, though on-time, 2:22 LIRR out of Hicksville on Tuesday, October 2nd, destination: Penn Station.  So what's so special about that one may ask, especially if that one is a New Yorker.  What was special is that I decided to take Amtrak to Baltimore instead of flying, a first for me. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

I had a Business Class ticket on the 4:05 to BWI (Baltimore Airport).  Good thing I decided to spring for the extra $36 for the upgrade 'cause the BWI-bound train before mine was cancelled, meaning that train's passengers would now be on my train.  While the conductor was exhorting everyone to put their bags in the overhead racks and put everything else in their laps, I was spread out in a huge seat with tons of legroom.  I don't think there were more than 20 passengers in the entire car!  Bliss!  While listening to Bunnie's Playlist on my iPod, I did the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle and had a soft pretzel slathered in spicy mustard.  Holy cow!  A feast!

In what seemed like no time, we were pulling into BWI (it was actually 2 hrs., 45 min.)  I dragged my way too heavy Lands End canvas tote and another more stylish bag (both stuffed to the gills) into the elevator, across the walkway, down 1 flight and walked right into Lisa's car.  How civilized.  After dinner, we dashed into the wine store for "provisions".  From there, we ran into the grocery store (by this time, it was nearly 10:30 pm).  List in hand, we dashed up and down the aisles (even picked up a beautiful bouquet of fall flowers) until we had everything we needed for docktails, a potluck supper and Saturday night's feast.  From the grocery store, we headed to the waiting Invictus and our adventure.

The adventure actually began before we boarded the boat.  To my acute dismay, the boarding finger was so narrow and the area so dark, I panicked a bit.  We solved the dilemma by having me get on the boat (very carefully) and Lisa handing over the (many) bags and carton of wine (I was actually more worried about handling that carton of wine) if you don't mind my saying so.  Once aboard I calmed down, helped put everything away and hit the sack.

Next day dawned sunny and bright.  We were up early to meet our co-pilot Mike, and head to Solomons.  We had a fantastic trip, with much laughing and chatting.  You all know that I rarely sit still for more than 10 minutes, right?  Well, since our trip across the Chesapeake to Solomons would take close to 6 hrs, I forced myself to slow down and enjoy the ride.  I did manage to sit in the other helm chair to enjoy the view.  However, before long, my feet were swinging, tapping and moving about.  It wasn't long before I flipped one of the breaker switches.  That fixed, I went back to sitting (what I thought was quietly), but lo and behold, I flipped another breaker switch.  Okay, now this was too much, so I vowed that I would keep my toes away from the breaker panel.  Just when I thought I had succeeded, it got very quiet in the pilothouse.  You guessed it, my foot hit the breaker switch for one of the 2 engines and killed it.  Amid the alarms going off, I realized my mistake.  Taking good natured ribbing, the engine was soon started.  You know that wasn't the last I heard of this during the trip.

Soon Solomons was in sight.  What an impressive sight to see all the beautiful  Krogens lined up on 2 docks in all their glory!

Equally wonderful to see was the magnitude of folks waiting to help us with our lines.  As it turned out, we were only temporarily docked since our assigned space was occupied by a 48' who was hosting the Man Overboard drill for the ladies.

Once the drill was over (and the audience mooned by several of the participants), we moved Invictus into her home for the next few days.  Do Lisa and I look thrilled to be a part of this wonderful group?

When we were finally settled, we headed to the registration tent (which was also the location of all the classes and festivities).  We met the ladies of Sea Sense along the way, Carol and Patti...

Once in the tent, a wonderful sight awaited us (not me, the banner)!

With all the introductions along the way, it took Lisa and I until the 2nd day to get our "welcome" kit.  Needless to say, our welcomes were many and warm.  It's rare to encounter so many wonderful people in one place - and who not only share a love of boating in general, but specifically, boating on a Kadey Krogen yacht!  We attended nearly every class offered, including the class on maintaining our Northern Lights generators.  I should add that Lisa and I were among the few women in the audience!  After 4 days of classes, docktails, pet parade, best decorated in Key West theme boat, dinners, night caps on new friends' boats, etc.  Saturday night arrived.  We were treated to mountains of barbecued ribs, chicken and a staggering array of side dishes and desserts contributed by each attendee.  In addition to the open bar hosted by KKY, we danced to a fabulous band who played the songs we all love and remember.  Crazy thing is, everyone knew the words to all the songs, so we danced and sang our hearts out.  The theme was Papa Hemingway in Key West and Havana, so there were some great get-ups.  Not to be excluded from the dress-up fun, I borrowed a hat and a cigar.....

I'm sorry to be such a wallflower, but I did try my best to have fun.  LOL

All too soon it was Sunday morning (despite our best attempts to drag Saturday night into Sunday morning).  Even the most dedicated of us party goers had to call it a day/night.  After our departure meeting, we moved to our respective boats and like a finely oiled machine, the boats began to peel away from the dock in incredible order and precision.  Not one bow was bumped, scratched or in any way even touched.  The men on the dock braved the drizzle to get everyone safely on their way.  I took a final look before turning my attention to Invictus' helm.  Lisa and I were taking her back to Annapolis alone - all nearly 60' of her!

We had a wonderful trip back despite the rain and wind.  Halfway into our trip, the rain subsided along with wind.  We still had to keep a sharp eye out since there was quite a big of commercial ship and barge traffic.  I decided to make us lunch (leftovers from our Saturday night feast) and heated the oven. Lisa and I were happily chatting in the pilothouse when the most awful-sounding alarms went off.  On no, I wasn't near the breaker switches, so what could those alarms mean?  The oven heating in a closed salon caused the carbon monoxide alarms to trigger.  We were so startled by the sudden uproar, that we forgot about our lunch in the oven until an hour later.

Once Invictus was safely back in her slip at Port Annapolis, Lisa and I settled down to lunch (it was now about 4 pm).  We had no sooner sat down than Lisa's cell rang.  It was one of our Krogen friends inviting us to dinner in Annapolis.  We said of course and had just hung up when the phone rang again - another Krogen friend asked us to stop by to say good-bye since they were heading upstate NY early the next day.  Of course we chorused.  One more call, it was Mike saying he wouldn't make dinner, but how about a nightcap?  You guessed it - of course, we sang!  We were busy until quite late Sunday night, but what a great time was had by all.

Monday was cool and a bit overcast - good weather to end a great time.  Mike drove us to the airport (after stopping for brunch of course) where Lisa boarded her flight and I boarded my train.  I'm counting the months until next year's Krogen Rendezvous - we already know the dates!  Hopefully Serenity can join the fun next year.  We would be so proud to show her off.  The ride home was pleasant.   Even the last leg of the trip on the LIRR to Huntington was uneventful.  Those of you who  know the LIRR either firsthand or in stories, know that uneventful is VERY good!

Thank you Lisa, Invictus and the Krogen Cruisers for making my first Rendezvous so fabulous, for making me feel welcome and most importantly, for making me truly feel like a real part of the Krogen family!

Labor Day Weekend is here...

Though Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, we KKY owners are just getting started.  Thanks to incredible creature comforts, the cooler days of fall are all the more reason to snuggle into our floating nests.

This weekend has been remarkable weather-wise.  Warm sunny days and cool, breezy nights mark this end of summer holiday.  Tom and I have been aboard all weekend, just enjoying the serenity of Serenity.  We showed off our girl yesterday when we had a couple of friends over.  The plan was to take a cruise around LI Sound, then feast of all sort of excellent foods and wine, followed by dinner at our favorite local restaurant.  We cruised, feasted and still wanted more, so after dinner, we came back to Serenity and had brandy on the flybridge.  Only after we all confessed to exhaustion did we reluctantly break up the party.

The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society hosts a free music festival at this time each year.  The festival draws boats from all over Long Island and Connecticut, making an already congested harbor a real booby trap to navigate.  This year's crowd was predicted to be in the neighborhood of 700+ boats.  Since yesterday was also the day of our planned cruise, we set out innocently unaware of the gathering crowd at around 11 am, the start of the festival.  By the time we returned several hours later, boats were rafted up and anchored all around the lighthouse, creating a very narrow passageway.  From our vantage point on the flybridge, it appeared that many of the boats' operators were truly weekend boat warriors with not too much common sense going on.

As we proceeded down the channel to our marina, we were shocked to suddenly find a small Regulator  backing directly into our path while the idiot operator was looking the other way, trying to fish a flip flop out of the water.  To make matters worse, a bigger boat than Serenity was less than 10 feet behind us.   A blast from our horn elicited profanity from the Regulator's operator.  Can you believe he was screaming at us that we could have moved over 5 feet or so for him!  Our boat takes more time to move over than he would have liked to wait for under the circumstances.

We no sooner recovered our normal breathing pattern when another jerk zooms around us shouting that we were going too fast.  Now all KKY owners know that it is rare for us to ever go "too fast".  In fact, we were doing 6 knots and the moron was probably going at least 12 knots.  Apparently, someone had created a little known rule that on festival day, the speed limit is 5 knots for a mile around the lighthouse.  All this was too much for our serenity.  We got back to our slip, got out the food, poured the wine and reveled in Serenity's serenity.

Mystic Seaport, Here We Come!

Monday dawned a bit overcast but with enough sunshine to do our engine check with confidence.  Our planned departure was around 8, when the line handlers came on duty.  Once Tom looked at the weather, we hurried up our pre-departure routine and got in "let's leave the dock now" mode.  Luckily, the boat behind us was up early and its owner was able to help me with the lines.  By 7:45, we were off the dock and pointed for Mystic.

The weather forecast didn't lie.  We were about an hour into our trip when rain caught up with us.  On went the slickers since the captain doesn't believe in steering from the pilot house.  It was kind of nice to drink coffee in the rain.  Think of it,  how often do you get to do something so routine in the rain?  Thankfully it didn't bring the downpours, thunder and lightening other areas were having.  Once the first railroad bridge was in sight, the rain tapered off to a mere drizzle and eventually stopped.


Speaking of the railroad bridge, everyone we spoke to as well as the boating guide assured us that the railroad  bridge was ALWAYS open and only closed for the occasional Amtrak train.  As we made our  way up the channel towards the seaport, Tom pointed out that the bridge appeared to be - you guessed it - CLOSED.  

Problem since the channel is too narrow to do much in; water outside the channel is not enough for Serenity at low tide and guess what?  It was low tide of course!  We circled around, and finally got the bridge tender to acknowledge us.  All he said was that the bridge would be opening shortly.  Easy for him to say while we continued to circle with our eyes glued to the channel markers.  The Amtrak train finally arrived - late.  Once the bridge opened, we made for the bascule bridge which by the way, only opened 20 minutes before each hour.

We had about 10 minutes to scoot through the opening or have to wait another hour.  With throttles blazing (at 8 knots), we sailed under the bridge.  Pretty neat to see all the traffic lined up on either side of the bridge.  The seaport was now in sight and my excitement level growing.

As we approached our assigned slip, I realized that for the next 4 days, we would be right smack in the center of the seaport.  All I had to do was jump off the boat and decide which way to go to see the exhibits I had been reading about for the last few months.  As soon as we secured the lines, off I went to explore.

Within an hour, I had scouted out the things I thought we should see - and made an extended visit to the museum store where I proceeded to get whatever wasn't nailed down for Tucker.  Poor Tom - his eyes popped when he saw me stagger back to the boat with all sorts of bags attached to my arms.  As long as it was all for Tuck, he didn't have much to say.  In the old days BT (before Tucker), he would have had plenty to say about my shopping sprees.

We were lucky enough to get a slip next to the sailboat dock.  Actually, they were catboats which I know all about now.  Not just any catboats at that.  These were designed and built by Herreshoff, an accomplished New England resident who mastered the art of catboat design.    They "point" well into the wind and can be easily handled by 1 person.  All day long, museum guests could sign up for boat rides up and down the channel.  It was a quiet activity, so we were never disturbed.  At the end of the day, the tied up catboats made for a beautiful view from our back porch.

In fact, we never tired of the view from our back porch.  The changing light made everything seem new at various times of the day.  In the evenings, Tom and I would sit up on the flybridge with a brandy and just look at the stars we see so little of living so close to NYC.

 One evening we were treated to a fireworks display and on another evening, we witnessed the most spectacular thunder and lightening storm we had ever seen.  Luckily for us, it was off in the distance, so we got the "show" without the effects.  We had the seaport to ourselves once it closed at 6 pm; what a great experience.

For those of you who haven't yet visited the seaport, I highly recommend a visit.   There is something for everyone.  I scoped out the places I will visit when Tucker is old enough to join us.  My favorite,
Build-a-Boat, could only be visited in the company of a child.  I did climb aboard the old whaling ships and watched a man overboard demonstration.  In those days, if you went overboard, the future was not too bright.  Another exhibit not to be missed is Voyages of the Sea.  Voyages from ancient times to the present on all types of ships and boats were discussed in text and in old photos.

On a warm and sunny afternoon, we enjoyed lunch at Spouter's Tavern, a tree-shaded waterfront oasis configured to be reminiscent of the past, in the middle of the seaport.  In spite of its obvious tourist attraction, the food was very good.  The servers came from a variety of countries - ours came from Bulgaria.  Everyone had a smile and something nice to say.  It was tempting to while away the hours there, but yours truly cannot sit still when there are places to go and things to see.  The one activity I refused to pursue was the horse and carriage ride.  Three beautiful white horses took turns pulling a carriage around the seaport.  I checked they had water in their bucket at the boarding location.  I hated the sound of the bell that heralded the horses arrival.  Of course I feel the same about the carriage horses of Central Park.  I carry a card in my wallet to report abuse if observed.  Don't get me started on that topic though.

On another gorgeous day, Tom and I visited the Mystic Aquarium.

 I was like an excited child for 3 wonderful hours visiting every exhibit except the birds (terrified of birds).  The aquarium was very crowded, but easy to get around.  The whale exhibit was my favorite.  The white beluga whales took my breath away.  Don't these photos look like they came from a book????

The penguins were adorable, but very lazy.  We saw a sea lion show that was so cute.  Did you know that one difference between a sea lion and a seal is their ears?  The seal has holes on each side of its head while sea lions have ear flaps.  Really - I actually got to see the flaps during the show!  But I digress...

We had some wonderful dinners ashore and equally wonderful dinners al fresco on our flybridge.  On our last day in Mystic, Tom and I took a sail in a catboat.  The captain pointed out that the passing launch was piloted by a gentleman who had a Kadey Krogen 42 - actually the one we noticed on our way to our slip.  In order to get this photo of Serenity, I hopped into the launch that went from one side of the seaport to the other and struck up a conversation with the pilot.  Next thing we knew, I had invited him to dinner aboard later that evening.  As it often turns out when Krogen owners get together, we know some of the same folks and have been to the same marinas.  This gentleman lives aboard his  Krogen Calypso, during summers in Mystic and winters aboard in Stuart, FL where our first boat For Us, spent the winter of 2010.  We had the nicest evening and promised to have dinner this winter when we're in FL.

Friday morning dawned a bit overcast, but a perfect day for cruising nonetheless.  We cast off our lines for Saybrook, CT in time for the 9:40 bascule bridge opening and were on our way.  A gorgeous replica of an old whaling ship followed us to the bridge.

We no sooner cleared the bridge and guess what we saw on our approach to the railroad bridge?  You guessed it - the swing bridge was not swung.  This time there was no Amtrak train in sight!  When we called for an opening, the very bored sounding bridge tender told us it would be a few minutes.  I wasn't sure of what a few minutes means in Connecticut, but I was sure it was more minutes than in NY!  While we waited, we noticed that a sailboat who kept trying to rudely overtake us had ventured out of the tight channel and had run aground.  See what happens when one tries to mess with Serenity?

We arrived in Saybrook in bright sunshine after a very pleasant cruise (let's face it, every cruise aboard Serenity is pleasant, as long as she is behaving herself).  We were assigned the same slip we occupied when we arrived last weekend and felt right at home.  We chatted with some of our dock neighbors, had cocktails and dinner aboard and complimented ourselves on making the wonderful (though irrational) decision to become boaters.

We awoke to the patter of rain and Serenity's gentle rolling on Saturday morning, but hey, no complaints.  Our week had been gorgeous - plenty of sunshine, clear blue skies, gentle breezes - and we were on vacation to enjoy it, not stuck in our offices.  I was kind of glad for the rain; otherwise, it might have been a long time til I could get to this blog.  It's been long enough, right?  Right now, I'm sitting on the luxurious pilot house settee (first time I've been up here for more than a minute, passing through), listening to our Sirius satellite radio and enjoying the breezes from the half open pilot house doors.  I was on my way into town for a book when the bellman told me that someone had just dropped off a brand new book.  Never heard of the author, but so what?  I think it's a mystery.  What better day to engulf myself in a mystery?  Later on today, it's cocktails aboard, then dinner in town.  Not a bad life at all if I do say so myself.  This passing family of swans added to my delight.

Tomorrow we'll be heading for home as soon as the line handlers come on duty at 8 am.  Though I'll miss these idyllic days on our precious Serenity, other precious things await us at home - darling Tucker,  our little pussy cat Zoe and sweet Wiggles.  I've been lucky enough to find the most people to watch over our house and animals - how else can one go away?

Though the prospect of returning to what will be another hectic week at work doesn't thrill me, it makes the time aboard more delicious!

Before I go much further into our trip, I forgot to introduce you to Serenity's new little sister.  We finally bought ourselves a dinghy to use with our fancy Steelhead davit.  It is not just any dinghy I might add.  Since he was a little boy, the captain has harbored a raging desire for a Boston Whaler.  Before making this purchase, we did what we rarely do much of - research!  We looked at all sorts of RIBS and other inflatables, even going so far as to talk with people who had both hard boats and inflatables.  We listened politely (though impatiently) to the pros and cons of both, all the while knowing we would buy a Whaler.  And buy a Whaler we did!  Went to the NY Boat Show at Javits Center in January (after having many conversations with our local Whaler dealer) and got ourselves a very good deal.  Though we bought the dinghy in January, had it delivered in May, it was only hoisted aboard several weeks ago.  Yes, technical difficulties and a too busy boat person.  Anyway, our Whaler is aboard.   At 11 ft., it is the smallest boat Whaler makes.  We did lose our heads and ordered it with a center console with an actual wheel, a bimini so we don't drop dead of sunstroke and all the cushions the boat comes with (those bench seats are awfully hard without cushions).

Cute, isn't she?

We've yet to use it I must confess.  It's a bit intimidating to work all the stuff, so we've "invited" several dock neighbors to our inaugural launching tomorrow.  Never mind none of them have a dinghy like this one, a crane or all the bells and whistles that come with this stuff.  They've been appropriately bribed with apres launch celebratory doings that involve much food and drink (upon arrival back at the dock of course).  According to NOAA, the weather appears that it will cooperate - calm seas and minimal wind.  Which also means we'll be roasting up on the flybridge while we get the dinghy out of its chocks, figure out how to attach the lifting cables to the davit, attach bow and stern lines to prevent the dinghy from wildly swinging and hitting Serenity (Lord, just the thought of that gives the captain palpitations)! and finally figuring out how to get the dinghy into the water.  Of course there will be much drama as we figure how to get into the dinghy once it's actually in the water.

Unless I get launched with the dinghy, the launch will be captured on video (assuming I press the right button on my iPhone).  If all else fails, you know I'll have an amusing re-cap of the event.  Wish us luck!