Crossing the Sound with Alistair, Rick and Alex. December 24, 9:00 a.m.
Everybody sing! [to the tune of “Over the River and Through the Woods”]:
Over the wind waves and through the shipping channel
To Hempstead Harbor we go,
The chart shows the way, so paddle and pray
Yer drysuit ain’t got holes. Oh!
“Lookit, a seal!” “Is that a loon?”
You ask me like I know.
We crossed the Sound, high-fives all ’round,
12 nautical miles, all told.
The maiden voyage of Alistair’s new kayak AND snazzy red drysuit, recently replaced by the
manufacturer. Alistair drove a couple of hours from his home upstate for the pleasure of our company and the opportunity to “visit Long Island without paying tolls.”
NW winds 5 to 10 kts delivered us to Morgan Memorial Park
A little bit of Sound history… after his wife died in 1926, famed financier J.P. Morgan decided to build a public park in her memory. Acquiring the lands surrounding the former steamboat landing, the estate of another millionaire, and a Civil War-era hotel, Morgan brought some of the most skilled landscape architects in New York to work on the design and construction of the park. When it was completed in 1932, Morgan leased the park to the residents of Glen Cove and Locust Valley for a period of 999 years for $1.00. Note to self: come back in the summer for the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival.
Jean saw a gray seal checking us out on the way over. None hanging out on the Hempstead Harbor breakwater, however.
Jolly geeks, with raisins.
The “road” ahead: Home sweet home (New Rochelle), as seen from Long Island. Winds shifted slightly, now coming from the east. An easy paddle back, although when you’re tired and looking forward to lunch, “Objects are farther than they appear.” (Rick). The only other traffic we see all day is an oil tanker heading to NYC.
Winter afternoon sun on Mosquito Cove and Sea Cliff, to the south
2 Geeks @ 3 Knots 