On crowded anchorages and too many power boats

[Ross]

Nancy and I took a little time this week for us and the boat. We had planned to get underway by 9 AM but the fates conspired against us and it was 1130 before we slipped our dock lines and set out. The wind was 12-15 and gusty from the SW, built a 2-3 foot chop with only about a boat length between crests. It was very much a two reef day. On a six mile run we saw only one other small boat. 5 Miles up the Sassafras River we anchored in a favorite place and watched a completely deserted river until dark. During the night there was not a single power boat wake to disturb our sleep. On Wednesday I counted six boats for the entire day and two of those must have been for sale because they came down river and soon turned and went back toward Georgetown. This morning we shipped the anchor in a glassy calm and left a bubble fringed wake in a dust covered river made silver by the morning sun. My brothers can't understand why I wanted to have a boat.

 

[Jim]

Never many power boats

I have oil stock and love them!

 

[GuyT]

What your brothers don't know.

Hey Ross, most boat owners love to talk about the tinkering they do. They rarely talk about their serene moments like you posted.You talk about cutlass bearings, stuffing boxes, ball valves and binacles. They dont understand the language and they see your boat as a ton of work. What they dont understand is that "Boats are a Labor of Love".Working on them is self-rewarding and gratifying and the moments we have on the water is just icing on the cake!

 

[Shippy]

Try that over the week-end

Ross, unfortunately I am not as lucky to get away during the middle of the week to enjoy a peaceful calm Sassafras, instead I typically hit it when the 200 + power boats all decide to made that dash for the bay, than decide it is too choppy so they turn around and hit me with the wake again *grr.But when I do get out during the week, I agree it can be extremely peaceful.

 

[Ross]

Skippy,I have been on the Sassafras on a weekend

It is almost as bad as the channel from H de G to Spesutie Island. Nancy refuses to set foot on the boat on weekends. maybe 4 dollar gasoline will put a damper on them.

 

[Benny]

Sailing and golf are gentleman sports if

they can be practiced during the week. The best place to be over the weekends is at home or offshore. Once pulled into a marina at Cape Coral on a late Saturday morning and made a comment about the number of boats in the river and the dock hand who was helping us said that was the reason that he worked weekends so that he could go sailing on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

[seadaddler]

Gardiners Bay ,New York

Was out all day yesterday in gardiners bay all day yesterdayand not more than two other sail boats and maybe a dozen powerboats mostly just fishing.Not much traffic during on the water during the week so far,easternLong Island is one of the best sailing area's around it also is a great fishing area.I have been going out with all my retired friends during the weekand its just great having the so much open water all to our self's.It's great being retired.Nick

 

[Ross]

Seadaddler, My sister and her husband have a place

in Orient so I have seen Gardener Bay and it does indeed look like it would be a great sailing ground. There is an old but still used osprey nest on a platform on the pebble beach on the south side of the highway. While the osprey occupies the top the sparrows make nests in the lower stories.

 

[tweitz]

Gardiner's Bay

We sail in Gardiner's Bay and it is a wonderful sailing ground. Its really never crowded (except for the weekend of the Boys' Harbor fireworks) and the natural scene is spectacular. There are lots of occupied osprey nests and lots of nearby places to visit. Fortunately there are not an enormous number of marinas, so it is not too likely to get overcrowded.