Thursday, 12 June
The sky is a gray scale, from a bright near-white through tiers of smoke-gray to the charcoal that threatens rain as it has all day. Boats continue to swing on their moorings, now facing so’east most often as the wind clocks to that quadrant. The dinghy keeps spashing in the short choppy sea that is the harbor of Port Washington, New York.
NOAA confirming the likelihood of brisk winds and more rain, Steadfast remains here today. But, being a boat, the day is far from wasted. There are tasks always and these consume the morning. Well, until a voice is heard hailing, “Ahoy, Steadfast!”
It’s Jimmy Flemings—remember, the water taxi cap’n?—in a role reversal, him hailing us instead of the other way around. He pulls alongside, grabs the gunwale and hands up a Ziploc bag with a book inside, “The Last of the Fairhaven Coasters.”
“This is a good story, about the sailing ships that used to go in and out of here. The last one went down in the storm of ’38. You’ll enjoy it. And when you’re done, just pass it on to another sailor.”
With that, he’s off but promises to return to take us ashore later. That trip starts at noon with a brisk walk up Main, then out Harbor Road to a fitness center called Power 10. Kate’s found on line that, for a small fee, we can join a circuit class at 1230. By 1300, at least one participant notes the irony that a fee is paid to feel this way. The price of fitness, one supposes.
Shortly after 1400, the walk begins back down Harbor, along Shore and out to Salvatore’s Coal Oven Pizzeria in ManorHaven. Brian reports that Sal’s related to the Grimaldi family which used to own Manhattan’s top-rated pizzeria. Zagat, he says, rated Sal’s the third-best in the US! The crew of Steadfast rates it well worth the walk.
Brian is happy to tell you the story about Sal, the Grimaldi’s and Coal Oven Fired Pizza.
From Sal’s, it’s three blocks to Manhasset Bay Marina and the water taxi back aboard Steadfast. Shortly before sunset—well, before the clouds got darker—horns sounded and the evening’s entertainment began as more than a dozen boats raced up and down the bay for this week’s Thursday Night Regatta.
Undeterred by looming clouds and the threat of rain, Thursday night’s regatta went off as planned.
Where’d the day go? In Port Washington, the answer’s easy. And with the promise of yet more rain tomorrow, she may be asked to supply answers again.
Steadfast out.
At Sea with Steadfast 
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