We didn’t leave our anchorage on Monday, August 16 until 11:25 for the short cruise across Long Island Sound to East Hampton on the eastern end of Long Island. It was a beautiful day and the seas were calm - just what we like. We passed the beautiful Southold Lighthouse on the way.
We arrived at our anchorage in Gardiner Bay, just a couple of blocks from our friends Ernie and Sophie. We had visited them two years ago and anchored in Three Mile Harbor, on the other side from where they live. This time Ernie recommended Gardiner’s Bay because there would be light winds out of the south making the bay very calm and we would be just 100 feet off of the beach at the end of their street. It was a lovely anchorage - we were the only boat and we could bring the dinghy right up to the beach and leave it there safely.
Ernie was there to greet us when we arrived and we walked up to their home. Sophie arrived a couple of hours later. They made us a delicious dinner which we ate outside on the comfortable deck and planned our time together for the next two days.
We dinghied back to Zendo and had a very peaceful and calm night on board with this amazing sunset!
The next day was our 35th wedding anniversary which we had celebrated over dinner in Stonington the night before. After walking Archie on the beach which he quite enjoys, we put him in his crate on Zendo because Ernie had planned an outing on his fishing boat for us. He picked us up after lunch and whisked us away for the afternoon to give us a tour of the waters and shoreline where he fishes. He has a charter business and takes people out on fishing expeditions. It was a very different experience being on his boat which travels at 30 mph compared to Zendo which travels at 8 mph! The eastern Long Island coastline is stunning and there is everything from multi-million dollar mansions of the rich and famous to deserted beaches to striated cliffs.
It’s really quite dramatic. We cruised into Montauk Harbor which used to be a sleepy fishing village and is now home to faboulous yachts.
We also periodically stopped at different locations where Ernie would take his rod and reel and throw out a line. He eventually snagged a decent sized bluefish but his policy is to catch and release.
That evening Jonny and I decided to make dinner for them. We made ravioli from our trip to Little Italy and homemade marinara sauce. Sophie made a wonderful tomato and mozzarella salad and Ernie made garlic bread on the grill. We sat on their deck and feasted to our heart’s content.
Our last day in East Hampton was filled with more exploration. After a lunch of fresh tomato sandwiches and delicious leftovers, we set out to visit Long House Reserve. This 16 acre garden was planned and owned by Jack Lenor Larson, an internationally known textile designer. It has a fascinating array off sculptures, art works, water vistas, ornamental plantings and a fabulous exhibit of his gorgeous and unique textiles. We stayed for a couple of hours and could easily have lingered longer.
Our plan was to move Zendo that night to a Shelter Island anchorage that had been recommended to us. Ernie and Sophie wanted to show us Shelter Island by car so Ernie, who hadn’t been aboard Zendo yet, joined us for the short one and a half hour cruise while Sophie drove to meet us there in her car. She had to take a ferry to get from Sag Harbor to Shelter Island.
By 5:30 we had a arrived at Shelter Island, another beautiful anchorage with a plethora of stunning sailboats. There was a very sweet fleet of little wooden sailboats (Herreshoff dinghies) flitting all around us as we arrived. It must have been a women’s sailing group because they were all about my age and having a great time.
Sophie met us at the dock where we dinghied in with little Archie. She then proceeded to drive us around the island which is more rustic than East Hampton with a mix of more traditional waterfront homes along with others on the winding wooded streets and lanes. It’s a beautiful place but a bit more remote since one has to take a ferry to get there!
By this time, it was getting late, so we stopped at a local pizza place and ate dinner outside at a picnic table on the lawn. Sophie drove us back to the dinghy dock and we said our good-byes. Ernie and Sophie certainly showed us a great time at their lovely home and the stunning area in which they live. We are most grateful!
We are grateful to be experiencing so many new places vicariously through your blog! Stay well.
ReplyDeleteDuane and Diane
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