July 08, 1982 - Weather Finally BreaksSECOND SECTION
Tbe *Uffolh MMC5 JULY 8,1982
Weather Finally Breaks
We had planned to pick up a boat in
Oakdale and have a leisurely sail home.
Our trip actually started late Friday
afternoon with a strong southwest wind
and an overcast sky. Were we headed for
another rainy Saturday? There were only
a few boats on the bay when we left. We
flew down the Great South Bay and
wondered how waves could build up as
they did in such a small, shallow bay. We
anchored off Watch Hill on Fire Island and
spent a rather rough night bouncing
; around, even though we were in the lee of
the Great South Beach.
Next morning we were off early, headed
east again. Now sailing would be
impossible as we were going to be
traveling most of the time through narrow
channels. Just past the Smith Point Bridge
we got too close to the edge of the channel
and ran aground. Another sailboat way off
to our starboard was hard aground. He had
been there since early morning. A friendly
mariner passed by, felt sorry for us, and
P swung back to pull us off, but could do
nothing for the other boat. Later we found
out he spent the entire day there and was
finally pulled off about 9 o'clock at night.
By now what started as an overcast day
turned into sprinkles, which brought out
our rain gear.
We'd come as far as Moriches, where we
always find fleets of small fishing boats.
The local fishing stations must have been
doing a good business and everyone was
out to get their share of flounder and fluke.
As we passed through the fleet, we could
see boats were catching small flounders
and using killies for bait.
Further on there was a congestion of
sailboats. What could it be? Some were
into the wind, some across the wind, some
downwind. They were every which way.
There was only one explanation. They had
all run aground. I couldn't believe it. Boats
that drew two, three and four foot of water
were stranded and unable to move.
Luckily, I came about before we, too,
went aground and promptly dropped the
anchor. Here we waited.
One of the men who tows the small
fishing boats out from the station to the
fishing grounds told us the story.
Waiting for High Tide
The channel has been getting worse year
after year and this year if you drew more
than two feet you had to wait for high tide.
li The tide was going out, which was bad
news for us. We'd have to wait, he said,
until 8 that night for flood tide. Possibly he
said we could try at 5 or 6 if we wanted to.
Everyone else had the same bad news.
To add to the bad news, it started to rain.
The effect on the fishing boats reminded
me of children running out of the rain on a
picnic. All the anchors came up and
everyone headed for shore, except one die -
hard fisherman who stayed the entire day.
i In no time the bay was empty of every
fishing boat. The only ones left were the
ones that were stranded.
Well, it gave us time to catch up on sleep
and do a bit of reading. I even noticed a
flock of shorebirds low on the water
ftafl,(�
heading up bay. They already had been far
to the north and raised their young for this
season. Now these energetic bundles of
feathers will head south. What a trek for
such a small bird each year as it migrates
between South America and Hudson Bay.
By 6:30 the tide had come up enough and
some were trying to move. After one boat
got through, all anchors started coming up
and in no time a procession of boats
headed east again. Our instructions were
to pass the red buoy within six feet and
then follow the edge of the bar to deep
water, watching out that the tide didn't
pull you onto the bar.
We made it. Most of the boats got
through. One boat was swept across on to
the bar, and we hope was pulled off soon
after.
Now it was clear sailing across the small
bays and into the long stretch of narrow
channel that passes behind Westhampton
and Quogue. Darkness and rain took over,
and as we putted along within stone's
throw of elegant summer homes we envied
the candlelight and sparkling crystal as
they dined. There's was a different world
than ours as we glided along with the rian
running off our hats and the channel
flattened with raindrops.
Up with the Bridge
All along the way the drawbridges that
connect Westhampton and Quogue to the
outer beach opened their great red- lighted
arms to let us pass through. Ponquogue
was our last bridge. It meant that we were
now entering Shinnecock Bay. Behind it,
the bright red flashing light of Shinnecock.
Inlet flashed in the darkness. All about
were fireworks lighting the shoreline and
great booms rolled across the now quiet
bay.
The wind had all but left us. Slowly we
picked our way from red to green flashing
buoys and cautiously throttled down to
pick our way toward Shinnecock Canal.
The great highway bridge east of
Hampton Bays loomed above us as we
pulled up to dock below a lush and dazzling
restaurant. Here would be our reward. A
beautiful seafood dinner made the whole
world look brighter. I remember checking
the lines of the boat and crawling into bed
but that was the last I remembered until
the bright sun greeted us next morning.
We called home for some help and one of
the boys came over with a friend to take
the mast down and step it. A job that
required good muscle and a cool head. We
were now rigged and ready for Peconic
Bay. The mast had to come down to get
under the bridges and once down had to be
stepped at the County Marina on the north
side.
MAZ711FERRO BROS
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
MASONRY WORK OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
FIREPLACE SPECIALISTS
FOUNDATIONS -
BLOCK AND POURED
Engineering Services -
Design &
Construction
PHONE 477 -1285 - 1302 - 1214
FOURTH OF JULY ON THE WATER Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
How lucky we are here on the North
Fork to have such great waters for sailing,
fishing and every other kind of recreation.
The clear weather of the 4th and 5th of July
made everyone almost forget all the rain
we've had. We, too, had forgotten our
difficulties, for we had gotten the boat
back home and were ready for a full
summer of sailing ahead of us.
PAULSTOUTENBURGH
/r
0 0
P 0
MAIN BAYVIEW ROAD, SOUTHOLD, N.Y.
SUMMER WORKSHOPS 1982
REGISTRATION
July 8, 9, 10 (Thu, Fri, Sat) 10:00am to 5:00pm
and 7: 00 to 9: OOpm
July 11 (Sunday) 2:00 to 4:OOpm
FEES
Standard Course (10 hours) : $25 adults, $15 under 16, $20 members
Seminar Courses: $15
INFORMATION
Further questions on course descriptions, class location, materials fee obtainable at
registration, or call Program Coordinators Barbara Lebkuecher at 722 -3850 or
Barbara Albertson at 765 -2698.
SCHEDULE (First Class)
MONDAY to FRIDAY, July 12 -16
ASTRONOMY I, Grades 4 -8 —10am to noon, Barbara Lebkuecher, Chuck
Cardona
MONDAY, July 12
FROM GRAPES TO WINE — 9:00 to 11:00am (Two Seminars: July 12 &
19), Louisa Hargrave (at Vineyard)
TENNIS (Section I) — 6:00- 7:30pm, Shirley Darling (at Youngs Marina)
CHESS, Basic — 7:30pm, Hudson Hagglund
ART OF STORYTELLING — 7:30pm, Carol Longo
TUESDAY, July 13
TENNIS (Section 2) — 11:00am- 12:30pm, Shirley Darling (at Youngs
Marina)
AEROBICS — 1:00pm- 2:00pm (Tue & Thu), Anita K. Adler (at Senior -
Youth Center, Peconic)
GEOLOGY /MINERALS — 7:30pm, Ted Frederichs
HUMAN ISSUES — 7:30pm, Barbara Albertson
WEDNESDAY, July 14
NEEDLEPOINT —10: 00am -12 noon, Sue K. Pivko
CREATIVE WRITING — 7:30pm, Fred Hamblet
ASTRONOMY II — 7:30pm, George Lomaga, Warren Hamburger
HAND -PRESS PRINTING — 7:30pm, Robert P. Long
THURSDAY, July 15
COMPUTER CONCEPTS — 9:00- 11:00am, Carlo Lewis
WEATHER FORECASTING — 6: 30-8: 30pm, George Bartunek
PHOTOGRAPHY — 7:30pm, Peter Van Dercreek
FRIDAY, July 16
HATHA YOGA — 7:30pm, Elizabeth Ortman
EXPLORING MUSIC — 7:30pm, Val Cardona
SATURDAY, July 17
BEEKEEPING /HONEY CULTURE — 9:00 -11: OOam, George G. Long
MARINE ECOLOGY — 9:30am- 2:30pm (July 17 & 24), Charles McCarthy
(SCCC Mar. Sci. Center, Southold)
SUNDAY SEMINARS: July 18, 25, August 1
ANTIQUES — 7:30pm, Mould, Constant, Trowbridge
MONDAY, July 19
ACRYLIC PAINTING —10: OOam to 12 noon, Teresa Shaw
WEDNESDAY, July 22
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING — 9:00-11am, Carlo Lewis
DURING REGISTRATION .
Saturday, July 10, 8:30pm: "Linnaeus 1982 ",
Slide -talk by Sculptor Robert Berks
Sunday, July 11: 2:00- 4:00pm: Exhibit
Opening- Tuesday Morning Art-Group
July 8, 9,10: Southold Library Book Sale at Custer