2008 Cruise Planning

Our trip this year starts on Saturday, July 12th and we are scheduled to
return to City Island on Sunday, July 26. Our goal is to
get to and spend as much time at Block Island as possible. We worked things
out so, this year, we expect to be there for 5 days with some delightful
stops along the way and during our return.

It's a good cruise for a couple of reasons. Except for the long (39 nm) leg
from Port Jefferson to North Cove, all the legs are all relatively short.
We get plenty of rest time, and there is some slack in case we get delayed
enroute. This works out well for any club members that can't start out with us
but might want to join us for part or all of the second week. There are
several spots where we can take on passengers that may arrive by rail or
ferry. We even threw in extra theme nights for them in the plan, with a new
one for us anyway "Tapas Night" on Saturday, July 19th, while we are in Block
Island.

There are lots of inexpensive nights where moorings or anchoring are
viable alternatives to staying at docks. For those not familiar with our
shorthand, A = Anchoring, M = Moorings and S = Slip. Generally speaking, where
more than one letter is indicated for a port, it will be captain's choice.
The phone numbers shown were good at least up to a year ago. Mileages shown
are approximate and (except for Hamburg) are the to mouths of harbors, not
necessarily from and to your slip or mooring.

In addition to the scheduled activities we often put together impromptu
"Dink-and-Drinks" where we all jump (figuratively speaking) into our
dinghies along with our favorite beverages and shareable snacks, which get
passed from dink to dink.

The cruise has been planned so we have favorable currents with us going east
and also for our return, heading west.
The wind and the weather, unfortunately, are not so predictable except that
a wind coming from the southwest is more the norm than not at this time
of year. Remember, each captain is responsible for the safety
of his or her vessel so be careful when following someone who may or may not
know where they are going. Uncorrected or not up-to-date charts can present
problems.

We monitor VHF Channel 72 in addition to 9 and 17. Everyone that lets
me know that they expect to be with us, even it's just for a day, will
get, via e-mail, a full listing of all the other Harlem vessels on the
cruise along with cell numbers. A club burgee will help us recognize
you as a member and cruise participant, so fly it proudly.

Experienced sailors as well as newbies are always welcome on Harlem
cruises. We are a great mix of power and sailboats. Hardly a cruise goes by
where someone who needs something can't get help from one of the other
boats.

In addition to all your cruising basics like a compass and up to date
charts (paper or electronic), a recent edition of a Long Island
cruising guide always comes in handy. Nice too if you have a working
GPS, an autopilot and even a radar since, we do, on occasion,
encounter fog. A foghorn and bell, while you're at it, are important
too.

Don't forget a dinghy. Beg, borrow or buy one if you don't already own one.
A motor that starts and runs too would be nice to have along with fresh
clean gas (stored safely outside, on deck.)

No additional cruise planning meetings are scheduled before the cruise but
we generally try to get together during the July 4th Rendezvous (Oyster Bay)
for final tweaking. Our first night, Cove Neck, in Oyster Bay, will be a
good time to check in so we'll know your plans. Not all participants are
with us every night of the cruise; it is much appreciated if you let the
Fleet Captain know if your plans change, so we won't need to send search
parties out looking for you.

To sign up, you can fill out one of the cruise forms on the club
bulletin board and put it in the Fleet Captain's mailbox; send him an
e-mail or give him a call. You'll find additional forms in the
mai.lbox if you need them.

Feel free to call the Fleet Captain, P.C. Ernie Odierna (914-834-2162) or
e-mail him (fleetcapt@hyc.org) if you have any questions.