Port Washington, NY to Westbrook, CT - Our Home Port

This morning we took one last cruise as part of our Great Loop experience. We left Port Washington on Long Island Sound and made our way to our home marina. The Long Island Sound was fairly flat and the current was pushing us, so we made good time. 


The water looks so blue!  I didn’t remember the Sound having such blue water.  But compared to some of that river water we saw …

We saw a tow, which we don’t remember seeing in the Sound in this configuration before. Usually we see the tows here pulling the barges, but this one was pushing them. 

A tow pushing a barge

We also saw a lighthouse out in the middle of the water; it’s marking a shoal.


And here’s Taurus all tucked into its own home slip

And now it’s time for some reflections.  

Deb

Our first day on the Great Loop adventure was June 26, 2021. Looking back, there was so much we had to learn. We had never done a lock, we were in different marinas almost every night. That means a different way of tying our lines almost every night as well as using our fenders in various positions. The Captain learned a lot about driving our specific boat. His knowledge of using the engines to turn the bow or stern has increased a hundred fold.  He spent a lot of time in the engine room learning about the various parts and more intense knowledge of how it all works together.  

We were away from family and friends.  It showed us how important they are.  I really missed all that.

But we have accomplished what few people do.  Approximately 125 boats complete the Great Loop each year.  That’s less than the number of people who climb Mount Everest each year.  

The main question we get from people who are not on the Loop was “How do you get along with your significant other on a boat for that long?”  True, it is a small space compared to our home.  My answer is that this experience actually brought us closer together.  We had to work as a team in order to stay safe and keep the boat in good condition.  I know there are some people we met who we will remember. There are also some people we met who I wish we could forget.  People are the same everywhere - we all want the same things from life.  

Fred

Completing the Loop is a sense of accomplishment.  The experience of turning North at the Statue of Liberty to start our adventure, and eleven months later approaching the Statue of Liberty from the South in the Atlantic Ocean, as my Grandfather did when he immigrated to the US, is the experience of a lifetime. Deb and I had a great time working together as a team, and it was fitting that we ended the day before our 42nd wedding anniversary. 

Many people plan significant adventures but it is often said that the key to moving from planning to doing is leaving the dock.  Well, we left the dock on June 26, 2021 and completed our most memorable adventure on May 23, 2022. 

Success, achievement, and lifetime memories for Deb and I. 

(Note: we each wrote our reflections separately)





THE END


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