Beginnings

    Today is the 12th of October, and I am writing this post from a small marina in Peekskill, NY. It's a members only marina, but they said we could stay here for the night at no charge. They even have power and water. My batteries have been running very low, as we've been squatting restaurant docks where they let you stay the night if you buy a meal. None had plug ins though.
    Perhaps I should explain who "we" is. Cassandra and I were headed down the NYS Barge Canal, racing the clock to get through lock 13 before they closed it for repairs. The lock closed at midnight on the 6th, and I made it through around noon. The following day I pulled into a lock with two other sailboats, and that night we all spent tied to a free wall together. There's Dan and Scotty on their O'day 27, "SomeDay," and Mike and Allison on their Hunter 27 "Impulse"

Left to right, Impulse, Cassandra, SomeDay

Dan is about my age and decided to buy a boat and set off to find himself. His younger friend Scott is joining him. Their back story isn't quite filled in yet, and their boat is old and rotten. I worry it won't last for very long cruising.
    Then there's Mike and Allison. They're a couple, artists. They used to own a gallery in Kentucky, but Mike couldn't take the monotony, and decided to go for broke. Somehow he was inspired to buy a boat and just start going somewhere. He needed to escape from society for a bit. Amazingly, Allison is all for it. Like me they have no destinaton, just a direction; south.
    Both crews have owned their boats for less than a year, and both have so much to learn. I feel obligated to protect them. Perhaps in part because if anything were to happen to them, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I could have tought them the thing that could have saved them or their boats.
    In any case, in the ten or so days I've been out here I have made it to within 50 miles of Sandy Hook. Supposedly Tuesday will be a good weather day to hop down the Jersey coast, but I've yet to verify that.


    Just to update, we all tied up in a small marina in Hoboken for the night last night and went into downtown to see Times Square and get dollar a slice pizza. It's too expensive here for me though. $2.50 per foot per night to tie up, plus bus fares. I'm looking forward to dropping the hook again and staying free. Checking the weather to see when we can make the hop down the Jersey coast. More updates when I have wi-fi again.