It was noon when we left the marina which would allow us to catch a favorable current through New York City as we headed to Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.
It was a hot day and the skies were clear but it’s always somewhat challenging cruising on the East River. It’s a narrow river with lots of boat traffic zooming by. The boats kick up waves that bounce back and forth across the river churning up even more rough water. Between that and the swift current one has to be hyper vigilant all while ogling the iconic landmarks.
We chose to stay in Sheepshead Bay on the recommendation of a fellow boater who recommended the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club there. Jonny tried to contact them through various means to no avail. He saw that there was another marina nearby with mooring balls and called them. The fellow he spoke with at the Miramar Yacht Club was very welcoming and even offered to buy us beers when we arrived. So we obviously made plans to go there instead.
We arrived at the bay by 3:45 and called in for guidance as to where to tie up to the mooring ball. The launch came out to meet us and it turned out that it serves both yacht clubs that just happen to be next door to each other! There were too many lines on the mooring ball and they were very tangled so the launch driver went back to get help and she brought David out, the fellow Jonny had talked to on the phone. He straightened everything out and urged us to come join him for a beer once we got settled. And so we did, of course taking Archie with us so he could walk onshore.
David introduced us to several old salts who were fellow yacht club members. This was a very casual, low key yacht club that primarily caters to sailors. The Sheepshead Yacht Club next door had more going for it with a restaurant and pool but apparently their phones weren’t working which is why they never called us back. No matter. We had a fun time sitting outside exchanging stories with the Miramar members about our respective sailing mishaps!
Afterwards we took Archie for a walk along the main drag which was very busy and not at all attractive. We learned that Sheepshead Bay is the name of the bay we were moored in as well as the name of this Brooklyn neighborhood. It gets its name from the sheepshead, an edible fish found in the bay’s waters. It was originally a summer fishing destination and over the years it became a popular tourist destination along with Manhattan Beach across the bay. But it was eventually surpassed by the growth of Coney Island. The community has had its ups and downs over the years. It is quite diverse with a an especially large Jewish and Russian population similar to nearby Brighton Beach. We didn’t see enough of the area to get a really good feel for it. Next time we pass through we will be more likely try staying at our original choice, the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club. The photos below are the most attractive shots we got from our approximately one mile walk.
That night we had antipasto salad which we had purchased in City Island and and leftover pasta from our dinner out. It was just as good the second time around!
As the sky darkened we laid out on the foredeck looking at the few stars that permeated the city lights and watched a big beautiful full moon rise. Pretty special!
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