Sandy Beach: Week 3
- Ximena Camarena
- Dec 14, 2018
- 7 min read
The many days that we didn't move gave me time to reflect, to take action and to continue on this journey with a calmer mind.
DAY 15 + DAY 16 + DAY 17
Nov. 26th, 27th and 28th
Since I downloaded a 14 day free trial of a working out app, I’ve been really active. It feels so good to see the strength and endurance I have built in the past couple weeks.
I suppose I’ve always known that I thrive when my body is moving, but I had forgotten.
We are in Stamford, CT and will be until the wind lays down. It’s been blowing gusts of up to 40 kts. While we waited for the next good weather day, we stayed mostly on Aquila, and took a few walks close to the marina. On one of those walks, Mike and I passed a rock climbing gym and yoga studio. I was intrigued, so I went in. The place is called BETA and it had just opened in August. The woman at the desk told me they offered drop-in yoga classes, so on Tuesday (day 16) I went.
The class was sweet, not only because the teacher was great, but there was just another woman taking the class. I had missed practicing along with others, the collectiveness of it is so powerful.
Chatting after the class, I told them about the sailboat and the trip south. Elissa, the teacher, asked if I had an Instagram account where she could follow the trip, or if I had a blog. At the time, I hadn’t made this blog public, but was writing entries and designing it. That’s when I was reminded, once again, that I should just go ahead and share.
Insecurities had been stopping me for a long time, a lot of what-ifs: what if it’s not good enough? What if no one reads it? What if I’m judged by it? What if I don’t finish the trip south? What if I fail and everyone knows about it?
All of these worries came out of fear. In theory, I know what I have to do to grow and thrive and get over that fear, but when it comes to actually doing it, I tend to hold back. Well, not anymore. Here I am, ready to show who I am, who I truly am.
DAY 18
Nov. 29th
From Stamford, CT we headed to New York City, NY. There were some big waves as we approached the entrance to the East River, but they didn’t cause too much trouble. We were able to enter and make a slow approach towards Hell Gate.
Hell Gate is were the East River meets the Harlem River and it can be a pretty treacherous area. The convergence of the two rivers creates weird waves and eddies, and the current runs over 4 kt sometimes. Thats why we got there at slack high tide, as the tide starts to go down, the current pushed us into New York City.
As we got closer to the city, I got a whiff of a very peculiar scent, the smell of humanity. You know, the one that sticks to your nostrils and doesn’t leave. It’s like when Mike cooks with too much garlic. The only remedy to cure that ailment is to breath cold, fresh, pure air for an extended amount of time, up to a week sometimes. I’ve been away from urban life for some time.
When some see a city, especially one of the magnitude of New York City, they see opportunity, freedom, a new life, growth and wealth, all their dreams can now come true.
When I see a city, I’m in awe of humans’ capability to mold Earth’s resources into massive urbanizations. Opportunity, freedom, a new life, growth and wealth, I find those in silence, in solitude. Out in nature I know my dreams will come true, in the sunrises and sunsets, within smiles and stillness.
Yet, i do find the New York City skyline very beautiful from afar.
We got diesel at Liberty Landing Marina and realized we had only used 4 gallons since we left Saybrook, CT which is 100 nm from where we were. That’s pretty good! We’ve reduced our carbon footprint significantly since moving into our sailboat. There are still many changes to be made, we are striving to eliminate our plastic use. Right now we recycle and reuse, but I want to do more to help our planet.
Mike had always wanted to anchor by the Statue of Liberty, and I was pretty stoked about it when I found out we could do it. From there we got a billion dollar view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty protecting us for free. Sweet, sweet American Dream.
DAY 19
Nov. 30
We slept in today, opened our eyes at the strike 6 a.m. I think it was because we were rocked fast asleep by Mother Ocean’s arms of water, with her sweet lullaby of wind, and tender caress. Last night was the fist time we stayed on anchor since the beginning of the trip. I had been missing it and didn’t even know it.
The anchor we use was given to us by our friend Tod in Maine. It’s a bruce anchor, which is very reliable, so we felt very safe using it; however, we set an anchor alarm just in case. The way it works is that we set up a perimeter around Aquila using our GPS. If the sailboat goes out of that perimeter the alarm is triggered.
At 7:30 a.m. Mike pulled the anchor and we headed toward the Jersey Shore.
My knowledge of the Jersey Shore was based only on that awful MTV show, so I wasn’t too stoked about that part of the trip. Yes, I do know better than to base my whole perception of something on just one TV show, yet my expectations weren’t too high.
As we made our way down the shore, I saw many fishermen in white center console boats, and a beach with fine, white sand that extended for miles on end. It was amazingly beautiful. Not once did MTV’s Jersey Shore came to my mind after that sight.
We went with the current, sailed a bit, motored a bit. Point Pleasant, NJ was our stop. We arrived at 3 p.m.
Captain Bill’s Landing Marina charges $1/ft if you get diesel there, so we did. 4.5 gallons is all we took, so not a bad deal.
That afternoon, we went on a walk. There were very few people around, it was so empty. Certainly, this is a seasonal town. Cute beach cottages line the boardwalk, most of them are vacant. For sale and for rent signs are framed by windowsills.
It’s all very pretty and new. The owner of the marina said that hurricane Sandy destroyed most of the town in 2012, so it was all rebuilt.
I pictured people flooding the place during summer and spring, children running around, loud voices and dogs on leashes. But now it’s cold and empty and perfect for anyone looking for peace and quiet.
Only the aquarium and the arcade were open. We got some quarters and went to the arcade.
DAY 20 + DAY 21
Dec. 1st + DEC. 2nd
You guessed it. Mike woke up at 5:30 a.m. He always gets up before I do. I don’t mind the early rising, but I’m secretly waiting for the day I get to sleep in and… on a bed! A plush mattress with soft sheets, 1500 thread Egyptian cotton sheets, and one of those comforters that engulfs you, and pillows all around me…. Oh one can dream.
That morning, Mike and I got into one of those not-a-big-deal arguments. It was the typical: you complaint too much. But I’m not complaining. I’m not in the mood for this. Me neither.
The tight living quarters and the strain of the trip gets to us sometimes, so Mike got the boat off the slip and into sea on his own. Meanwhile, I continued to dream of that soft bed.
I took the helm at 7 a.m. and agreed to switch on the hour. At noon we decided to go to Cape May, NJ instead of Atlantic City, NJ because Sunday (tomorrow) there will be bad weather. We’d be better protected from the wind at the Cape May anchorage.
At noon, Mike proposed we do 2 hr shifts at the helm, and I was happy to get an extra hour of rest. I also thought time would pass faster, but I was wrong.
Standing 2 hours at the helm seemed like an eternity. I think it was because 20 min into my watch it started to rain and there was nothing to protect me from the elements other than the clothes I was wearing. The rain stopped as soon as Mike took the helm. Seems like I got the short end of the stick.
After nightfall, we were still 4 hrs away from Cape May. It was the first time I did a night watch on Aquila and it was intense. The motor was on and the jib was out, so we were heeling a bit when I took the helm. Minutes after, the sea started to build and so did the wind. Mike helped me take the sail down. The rest of the way was really bouncy and stressful. I stayed calm and let the waves grab us and release us while keeping our course, yet my shoulders were tense. At the same time, I kept a look out for lights or any other objects that hide in the night. We made it safely into Cape May and set the anchor at 11 p.m.
The following day was a day of rest. It was rainy and foggy. We watched movies, did a little cleaning, I worked out. We anchored next to a U.S. Coast Guard training facility. Even though it was Sunday, the recruits were training all day. I could hear them chanting all together as, I imagine, they ran drills. There was also the sound of a commanding voice yelling "Run fat boy, run! My grandma runs faster than you!" I preferred hearing the chants.
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