I got a note about many not being able to get on the blog I made of the 2010 rOnDAYvous so I copied and pasted here for reference. I can't thank enough for Capt Pete for setting this all up and the list of other helpful ODayer's that kept us going.
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My First Voyage: A sailing adventure
My experiences of sailing have been limited to a few experiences over the years as a crew member. Most of that time it was pull this rope or tie down this other rope. Never as a captain of a boat or sailing journey that took us four days and encompassed 120 miles of sailing adventure.
This year I had the opportunity of purchasing my first boat, an Oday 222. I have been living in Milford for almost 10 years and always wanting to have a boat of my own to enjoy our beautiful port since the first day I moved here. I named her ‘estopa’ after a family’s nickname used in the old country known by family and friends. Estopa is Portuguese for the word we know as ‘oakum’. Oakum is the preparation of tarred fiber used in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels years ago. Little that I knew I had come from a long ancestry of mariners. They were known for tinkering with boats longer than most mariners and were given the name estopa most likely a derogatory name at the time but stuck with the family as an easy way to be identified.
I had been sailing estopa for about a month when I heard through the Oday’s online owners group that a meet was being planned called the 2010 O'day rOnDAYvous! I jumped at the chance to experience a journey of a lifetime with fellow sailors. Knowing this I prepared for the voyage by learning as much as I could about estopa and sailing. I have been sailing estopa as often as I could. Learning when and how to set the sails of course with many lessons learned. Every time I sailed out I learned something new. By the time the rOnDAYvous approached I had high confidence.
I left my dock Thursday morning heading out of Milford Port with enthusiastic hope of estopa’s maiden voyage. She was fully packed with food, drink and all the navigational tools that I had hoped would take me to Long Island. What beauties will I see, what strangeness will occupy my mind, will I become one with the ocean. We set sail with five (Da Capo, Emmie Lou, Yeraz, Wise Eyes) other boats from Milford to Westbrook’s Duck Island with Armando, one of my best friends at my side, my first mate he is, helping with navigation to cleaning the dishes. No one can ask for a better friend to be by my side on this epic 120 mile voyage.
We arrive at Duck Island in time for dinner where we meet up with a few more boats (Jill E, Apple O’day, Second Wind). As we anchor and begin our meal for the night behind Duck Island I wish do we that our sail could take us away to new places traveling amongst the stars to be untied from a dock, from a life on land, from the daily motions of the civilized world. A few drinks and a puff from a fine cigar, to live life as Peter Pan intended it.
Friday morning we awake to a beautiful sunrise, a sunrise not witnessed by many and our thoughts on the arduous sail ahead of us. We are going to be crossing the Long Island Sound an estuary, a place where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from rivers and the land. The Race, as referred to due to the dangerous currents had to be timed precisely. The Oday group indicated our best time to cross the Plum Gut between Plum Island and Orient Point was 2pm so we set sail at 10am. We sailed with a flotilla of Odayers, at first we were under sail averaging 5-6 knots then had to power up our motors for the next hour. As we were approaching the race we found a bit of wind which helped us through the gut with sail only. Armando and I felt a feeling of accomplishment as we sailed into Gardiners Bay, in fact, we were so confident that we continued sailing through Gardiners Bay to our final stop in Greenport, Long Island. Unfortunately as we were passing Orient Beach the current grew more and more waves. After about 6 tacks we decided that with 5-6 foot waves breaking our bow that continuing to sail would not be a good idea. We fired up our trusty outboard and took down the sails to power into Orient Harbor. While in the harbor powering our way to Greenport we did manage to open our Jib just a bit to take advantage of the wind to take us into port in no time. As we approached the docking and thinking our adventure that took us to places so boldly where many men have not treaded.
That night after long needed shower and meal our sea legs we have acquired, a bit shaky, but eventually came around to see where we had come around. A drink of Crown Royale and a cigar we were dreaming the night away of many voyages yet to come.
Saturday morning we awoke to visit many of the Oday owners face to face in workshops setup to help you keep in shape while under sail to a narration of fellow Odayer whom annually sail from North Carolina to Connecticut via the intercostals’ waterways. What I had learned about this group is the camaraderie, a spirit of familiarity and trust existing between people that may have only met once but hold a strong bond with ownership of an Oday boat. The Brewer Stirling Harbor Marina in Greenport is a Jewel in the North Fork in Long Island. The amenities included new looking docks, a pool, bathrooms and poolside cabanas, picnic areas, and exercise room. Our time at the marina helped us charge our batteries for the return trip home. While at Greenport, we decided on a visit to the local village. Strolling the sidewalks, we found many unique boutiques, ice cream shops, museums, restored Art Deco movie theater and restored old Jail house. Next door to the Jail house was the local brewery which was hosting an open house. After tasting all their unique beers I need to mention that a stop at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company is worth every minute.
Back at the marina, the Oday owners group had hosted a great dinner. Using one of the picnic areas as a banquet hall and a local catering group we enjoyed a meal of a lifetime. To cap off the night the Oday SOS Band got together for a great sing-along.
The next morning we spent some time readying our boat for the return home which we decided on a one day adventure back. With GPS in hand and the knowledge of when to cross the Plum Gut we were confident as we headed out of Greenport Harbor. We motor sailed to Plum Gut averaging 6 knots with Rich (Jill E) right behind us. After Plum Gut we were faced with a west wind which helped us cross the Long Island Sound but was going to prove a tough sail west ward to Milford. Luckily half way across the sound we received a more southern wind which helped us tack closer to a western track. We finally saw Connecticut land in Old Saybrook and kept our westward tack with land in sight. This proved to be a challenge because after we passed the Westbrook Duck Island we experienced a heavy chop of waves at times getting 5 to 6 feet in height finally subsiding as we approached the New Haven area. Unfortunately somewhere in the Branford area we experienced enough wave height that our grill cover bounced off the boat never to be seen again in the depths of the sound. Although we did learn to tack closer to the wind by taking a utility line and attaching it to the end of our boom to the cleat in port side of the boat to pull the boom over the center line and enabling our westward track. In hindsight next time we will take a farther from shore track back home and hopefully avoid some of the current or wave chop experienced by being in sight of land.
As we were approaching Milford we were hailed by an unlikely Odayer, Mike (Da Capo) came over the radio with a call to estopa. Armando and I looked at each other as if we were dreaming until the call came out again. Without hesitation we hailed back to Mike to find out that he was in Milford Harbor on the hook wondering if we made it back in one piece. After some small talk on the radio recanting the adventure we just experienced we were glad to hear Mike has also experienced the same thing. We were greeted in Milford by Mike and cold beers celebrating our joyous occasion.
As I slept the night away finally back on land I kept thinking of this voyage and how much I learned that I am here at this time to find out who I am and revel in that finding. That this voyage had prepared and made me ready for a long voyage through life and love and thought!
Sailing Trip
Length
Area
Elapsed Time
Average Speed
Leg 1 Milford to Westbrook
Leg 2 Westbrook to Greenport
Leg 3 Greenport to Milford
Sincerely, George and the estopa!