2016 07 31 Sunday, Hampton Bays, LI to Aquebogue, LI
It’s a quick
run today and once again, the weather does not disappoint. Once again we need to pass through the
Shinnecock Canal. It is early so there
is not the usual amount of boat traffic out yet. As we approach we can see that the canal is
open and unattended. I flinch as I watch
a trawler go through in front of us. The
churn turns him sideways and it takes some doing to get his steering back in
line. We hold our breath and Bert guns
the engine to plow us through without slamming into the canal walls.
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| Lighthouse Marina, Aquebogue, NY (Click any photo to enlarge) |
We head to Aquebogue
which is near Riverhead. The marina was
once called Larry’s Lighthouse Marina, but apparently Larry fell out of favor
since it is now simply Lighthouse Marina.
The facility is beautifully kept and has a very nice pool, so we take
advantage of it. Now that we are five
days in, it’s a good time to do some laundry.
I have two loads……at least I had two loads until I see that the washer
requires $6 a load. Even if I were
willing to pay that, it would require 48 quarters to do it. The dryer was another ripoff, roughly $2 a
load. Miraculously, parsimoniously, I
manage to cram two loads into one.
It’s a
beautiful evening as we head to the new restaurant on the premises, Phil’s
Waterfront Bar and Grille. (I wonder if
Phil bought the place from Larry?)
Anyway, the place is huge and nicely done, but we must wait for a
table. We opt for a drink at the bar
while waiting and meet a nice couple who are having their dinner at the
bar. When we get to talking, they quietly
confess “we are afraid of our boat.” The guy quickly adds, “You gotta
understand…I grew up in an apartment in Brooklyn.” Not to be outdone, I tell him I grew up in a
basement apartment in the Bronx. Really,
it is somewhat sad. He desperately wants
to use the boat to go to local restaurants but is terrified of docking, afraid
of crashing, afraid of having other boaters laugh at him (for the record, he’s
right…..boaters secretly enjoy seeing other boaters make the same stupid
mistakes they make.) Anyway, his wife
just stares at me, then rolls her eyes.
I suggest he take the boat to one of these places when it’s closed and
practice. He almost hugs me. He likes the idea. She just rolls her eyes again. She is unhappy that he is such a scaredy-cat
(my words, not hers.)
We’re
finally seated at a table that overlooks a large waterfront deck where there is
a singles’ event in process. By singles,
I mean no one is wearing a wedding band, but by the looks of the singles, they
are all well into their forties and fifties.
The prowling and picking up begins and I make a mental note to myself
that I am very happy not to be single.
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Leaving Aquebogue - This is all one man's toys...
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CLICK HERE for all the photos from the trip. Warning: There are almost 300 pictures on the photo site. Click on any picture to enlarge, and look for the slideshow option for best viewing.