Venture Bound Stops on Long Island, NY One Year On The Boat Days 19-21
Tuesday 5/21/24 Day 19
Leaving Manhattan behind and heading to Block Island, Rhode Island for Memorial Day weekend. We had a fantastic ride down the East River and Long Island Sound.
Our first stop along the Long Island Sound was Oyster Bay, NY. What a beautiful serene bay. Surrounded by small hills, lots of trees, and gorgeous homes. We settled on a mooring, CB02, which turned out to be right in front of Billy Joel’s home….mansion…..compound. So we were told. We went into town to have dinner at Wild Honey which was okay. Drinks at the Oyster Bay Marine Center and on the boat for the evening. It was a peaceful and fun time. Keith’s old stomping grounds. It brought some memories back to him. It was nice to be in a quiet area after being in NYC.
Wednesday 5/22/24 Day 20
We set free from the mooring and headed to our stop number two, Greenport, NY. We had great weather on the way but by the time we arrived the winds were picking up. We anchored in the Dering Harbor in Shelter Island. We left early in the season on this trip. Felt like things were just getting started or open. In this case we were surrounded by empty mooring balls again. This time we found a small area to anchor. We caught some rays and had lunch. During our lunch we got company, the Police! Uh oh! He came by to tell us we were not allowed to anchor in that harbor. He was very nice about it and made a point that many home owners do not want strangers anchoring in front of them. Let me go back a few mins. before…while we were catching rays the winds became stronger. We decided to call the marina we booked for the next day, to see if they could take us a day early And they could. We explained that to the police and he understood that were anchored temporarily. He thanked us, told us to enjoy our lunch and have a nice day. We ate our lunch then moved over to the Claudio’s Marina in Greenport.
When we arrived at the marina we realized it was not your typical marina. It had a long dock along a parking lot for the town. It had adjustable tires hanging on the pilings. A bit different from what we are used to. Keith did a great job docking. We had some help tying our lines which I’m always grateful for. But, as a marina, it’s bare minimal. No fuel, showers, bathrooms, etc. We discovered Greenport offers another marina. Mitchell’s Marina. We may go there next time. Looks like they have protected slips. We didn’t have any issues staying at Claudio’s Marina and the location is great. But I think they are more set up for day docking instead of weekend or long term stays.
We went out for dinner to The Friskey Oyster restaurant. We loved it. It had a wonderful atmosphere, wonderful food & drinks, and wonderful service. Try the Asparagus soup and the Chicken Milanese if you go.. Delicious! Across the street was a pub, The Whiskey Wind Tavern, that we went to before dinner. Played a couple of games of pool. I couldn’t believe they still had an old cigarette machine. And it still worked. Overall a terrific day.
Thursday 5/23/24 Day 21
Another day in Greenport with rain, rain, rain and lots of thunder until about 1:00 p.m. During that we cleaned the boat, got some provisions at IGA Market, relaxed and read. I also did some fun shopping as well. Not that I needed anything but you know……. ;) We met an old colleague’s dad for a drink before dinner at Claudio’s Waterfront. Such a nice man. Claudio’s has several restaurants; The Tavern, and Grill, Claudio’s Waterfront, Claudio’s Pizza and Crabby Jerry’s. Lots of options to eat right near the boat.
The downfall so far as been the weather. It has been really iffy and unpredictable. Lots of rain and windy days. It has prevented us on exploring areas the way we would like. BUT, we are still having an incredible time. And have decided to not let it stop us from getting out there in the future.
