SUNSET BLUES

I took the dingy to shore and went and picked up some mussels. Another cold front blew through yesterday and the chilly northwest wind made me want to cook up a steaming bowl of Mussels Posillipo for dinner. Though summer still has a few more days left on the calender the chilly northwest wind and the fact the sun was setting before 7 PM had made me a a little sad. I know that soon it will be time to pull the boat for the winter. But, as I tied the dingy to the stern just as the sun set I heard the unmistakable splashes of a school of Bluefish:

Ironically, the local fishermen who often patrol the harbor gazing around the mooring field looking for these powerful fish were no where to be seen. The chilly winds had seem to keep them nice and cozy on shore. Only I was there to witness their return to the harbor in such large numbers. Even in the fading light I could see the silvery flash of their sides just below the surface. I watched them for a few minutes. Which made me think about pulling  John Hersey's book on the fish Blues  from BIANKA's bookshelf. But, then the chilly wind soon had me thinking of heading to galley and start cooking those mussels. Still it's nice to see the Bluefish back in the harbor even though it is one of those signs that means the sailing season will be ending here in the northeast in another month or so.

THE LAST SUNSET OF SUMMER

I was glad to be on board savoring the last sunset of summer 2012. When I awoke this morning it was fall. The sun will continue it's journey south and at some point BIANKA and I may follow it. But, for now I'm content to enjoy each season as it happens here on the Isle of Long.

A SAILOR'S THANKSGIVING

Well this is a day for giving thanks and this sailor has a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I have a boat that I love and have not felt the need to look at any others since I bought it in 1995. I'm also thankful I can spend as much time on it as I do.  To me it's all about being content with what you have and being able to separate your wants and needs. Knowing the difference is important if one wants to be happy and I am thankful that I do.  I'm also thankful for each sunrise and sunset I get to see when I'm on the boat. They never cease to remind me how lucky I am to be on board to see them.

TREASURE BEACH

Well, the small craft warnings have expired and the winds have died down quite a bit. As the sun started to set in the empty anchorage BIANKA was in this fall day:

I decided to row the Porta Bote to shore and take a little walk along the beach:

I've been on board since last Tuesday so a little stretch of the legs would probably in order on this beautiful autumn afternoon. I stopped to watch The Bridgeport Port Jefferson ferry that was almost aglow in the "magic time" sunlight as it entered the harbor:

It was another "pinch me" afternoon as I enjoyed having the beach all to myself. To top it all off I found some treasure along the way. As I walked the wrack line along the shore I found two washed up items that I could use on board. One was a spray bottle still functioning that can always be used for some cleaning uses on board or at home. Even better was five gallon bucket that also has many uses on board:

 I have five gallon buckets that hold spare pieces of line. Another holds some of my dive equipment. Another bucket sits on the stern and holds fresh water for a rinse off after a swim. Not sure what this one will be used for but, it will be used for something. So my little stroll along the beach helped me and helped the environment by recycling a few more pieces of plastic that otherwise would not have been.
What a wonderful afternoon it was.

FOURTH OF JULY 2011

"The fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight"- Bruce Springsteen

 

While the firworks were pretty impressive from my view in the cockpit. I could not help thinking about the sunset show that nature put on before the man made event last night which was also impressive:

While a man made rocket will dazzle our senses for a few seconds before rapidly fading. The show that nature puts on lasts for a long time and the best thing is I never have to wait for one day a year to enjoy it.

BOATWORK & SUNSETS

After spending the afternoon working on the boat I just had to stop and take a few minutes and watch the sun go down before heading home:

Being on or close to the water I just never get tired of this daily ritual. So many miss this view once you are further in land. Let others turn on their TV. I find sights like this the best entertainment value.

CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES: DAY 11

After a very beautiful sunrise we had two nice snorkels to start the day.

  The snorkels we've made have been great. From my experience some of the best I've ever seen. I would expect the diving to be exceptional too. We we are both open water certified divers. Unfortunately, my girlfriends back issues do not make strapping on a 60 pound tank very comfortable and worth the pain. Another reason we are not diving is that it requires special schedules to meet up with dive guides. This would limit our wandering around the atolls and also take more time out of each day to do just the dives. So snorkels seemed the way to go for this trip. After the snorkels we headed for our lunch anchorage at 04 24.787N, 073 35.466E:

After lunch we headed over to some islands that were Maldivian military bases and snorkeled off one that Ibrahim called a "carbon neutral" island. As the power for the islands electric needs were made from renewable resources as you can see from the two wind generator towers:

Lucky for us the light was just right making the channels very easy to see:

You can see how traveling when the light is right is important when navigating these waters.


We then headed for the night's anchorage 04 15.720N 073 30.270E:

While waiting for the sunset I spent my time watching the colorful fishing boats heading back to the ports in the evening. The next day Friday would be the holy day in this Islamic country:

Once again we had very a beautiful sunset for our next to last night night in the Maldives:

It was worth the wait...

CLICK HERE FOR THE CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES POST: DAY 10

CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES: DAY 10

Another morning with several snorkels:

Some turtles and a white tipped shark swam by us and off course lot's and lot's of reef fish. Some that have their own cunning plans to avoid detection. Can you spot them in the video below:

After the morning snorkels it was time to anchor for lunch at 04 37.189N, 073 25.016E inside a nice cozy reef:

After lunch and of course a nap it was an afternoon of sailing across the atoll and moving along quite nicely:

We anchored for the night off another one of the resort islands (04 27.790N, 073 39.541E)

We  finally got a perfect sunset after ten days of watching for one:

Unfortunately, though it looked promising there was no "green flash":

So it goes...

CLICK HERE FOR CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES POST: DAY 8

CLICK HERE FOR CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES POST: DAY 9