Newsletter May/June 2005

"The Boy comes to America"

Yes, sports fans, it’s another newsflash from the crew of Pipe Dream. During the months of May and June, Pipe Dream has covered a lot of ground, or water, and we are back in the United States.
In the last newsletter I told you my kids, Jody and Ryan, were coming to Nassau to join us for a week and their visit went by in a flash. Jody brought her new boyfriend, Lou, and Ryan just brought loads of money to go gambling at the Atlantis Casino in Nassau. We spent a few days shopping in Nassau, playing tourist, and then we cut the dock lines and headed for Rose Island for fun in the sun and enjoying the crystal clear water. We experienced some of the best snorkeling we have had in the Bahamas. The water was clear and the fish were abundant. We snorkeled with bags of bread and old crackers to feed the fish. As soon as we opened the bags in the water the fish were all over us fighting for the morsels. I think a good time was had by all.
On our return to Nassau I promised Ryan to do a little gambling with him at the Atlantis Casino. I really hate to gamble, they always seem to take my money. This trip to the casino will be one to be remembered for many years to come. Ryan and I both fleeced the casino on that infamous evening. The Atlantis didn’t close but I am sure they had to dim the lights to save on electricity! Let’s just say it was a very special evening for both of us.
After the week with the kids, Jutta and I waited for weather to leave Nassau Harbor. Our intention was to sail to the Abacos and spend about two weeks exploring before our return to the United States to hide from hurricane season. After being stuck in Nassau with adverse winds for four days, we canceled our plans for the Abacos. The winds were perfect for a sail across the Gulfstream. We threw in the towel, turned Pipe Dream towards the US of A and sailed back to reality, which incidentally really sucks! We made landfall at Lake Worth, Florida, and proceeded to Customs to check into the country. On a humorous note, the customs officer didn’t like the name of our vessel, “Pipe Dream”. For those of you in Yuma, a pipe dream is an unreachable dream. The origin of the words comes from the Chinese opium dens. I guess the customs agent couldn’t take a joke!
Our travels up the eastern seaboard have been a real kick. The crew of Pipe Dream sailed on the outside (The Atlantic Ocean) until we reached St. Augustine, Florida, where we stayed several days. We then entered the Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) for an inland passage through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virgina. At Norfolk, the southern end of the Chesapeake, we sailed outside again and made an overnight passage crossing the mouths of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays to Cape May, New Jersey. After a few days in Cape May waiting for weather we continued up the coast to Sandy Hook and into New York Harbor. Sailing into New York Harbor had been our goal for this season and it was a memorable occasion. Pipe Dream sailed under the Verazzano Bridge early in the morning, past Ellis Island, right under the Statue of Liberty, along the Manhattan Skyline, and down the Hudson River where we grabbed a mooring ball at the 79th Street Yacht Basin in New York’s Upper Westend for $30 a night. We had the best seat in the house to play in New York City. We were four blocks from Central Park and two blocks from Broadway.
After three exciting days in the Big Apple, we sailed along the East River taking in the sights of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s East End on to Long Island Sound. As I finish this newsletter we are about to leave Long Island Sound and sail to Block Island for the Fourth of July bash. You know we never miss a party!
I forgot to mention, we acquired a couple of folding bicycles when we found out they don’t have chicken busses in the US. It’s a great way to get around and get some much needed exercise (what’s that?) in the progress.
After spending the 4th of July on Block Island, Pipe Dream plans to explore the coastal areas of New England and Maine. Well, it’s time to close. We must find a library to send this newsletter – not always an easy task. Unlike Central America, there are no internet cafes in this country.
I will leave you with a thought provoking quote by Mark Twain:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover”.

Remember to keep those dollars coming for the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”. We are still looking for our first real dollar. You could be lucky the first!!!

From the Decks of Pipe Dream

Ferdy and Jutta