The Rest of ILENE’s 38 Day Summer Cruise

My most recent report, from Fogland Point RI, dated July 24 described the first 14 days of the cruise, beginning with the Harlem Rendezvous on July 11. This report summarizes the remaining 25 days of ILENE’s cruise which ended August 18, back at the Club

It includes a delightful, serendipitous, unplanned second 2026 HYC Rendezvous — in North Cove, Old Saybrook on Day 36. Kasmin and Ester, on their Caliber 41 “Estica” recognized ILENE, called us, and we broke bread in town. They were nearing the end of a two week cruise with another boating couple who keep their boat on Long Island.

Here’s our itinerary from Fogland:

7/25 New Bedford YC, Padanaram, MA 29 NM Rough passage beating into Buzzards Bay against the tide.

7/26 Clarks Cove, on the Padanaram/New Bedford border. 4 NM

Big, and unused because no access to shore; open to SW winds but good in NE, sheltered under a seawall and factory.

7/27-29 Cuttyhunk and two lay days 12 NM

On an inside mooring. We usually anchor outside. Pretty good visibility. Breakfast at the Fishing Club and oysters with all the trimmings delivered aboard with dinner.

7/30-31 New Bedford and lay day 18 NM

There is a lot to do in New Bedford, museums, history, shopping, good eats. Our first time that the Sailors Bethel church, where Moby Dick sort of began, was open.

8/1 Mattapoisett 13 NM

First and only foggy day, but it lifted for a nice sail. Dinghy to town and long walk to Turks Seafood restaurant, but Food not as good as we had remembered it. Uber back to dink.

8/2-3 Hadley’s Harbor and lay day 11 NM

Nice gentle sail. The Admiral wanted to go early to avoid later storm with the effect that we got a great, free, well protected mooring, courtesy of the Forbes family where we rode out the 30 knots of wind during the lay day.

8/4-9 Anchored outside Vineyard Haven seawall and five lay days 8 NM

Lots to do in Martha’s Vineyard. Laundry: showers and two dinners with Mark and Kyle, two movies, the Felix Neck Nature preserve, a day at the Public Library, watered and fueled ILENE, craft fair at the Grange in the island’s center and visit to Gay Head.

8/10 Edgartown on MV 11 NM

A big-money town, inhospitable town: If you fail to depart by 10 am and notify them by VHF that you have, there is an $80 fine plus a second night’s mooring fee. We took launch, walked, shopped for a bracelet and provisions and dined ashore.

8/11 Hyannis YC 18 NM

Wind picked up until we were overpowered by the Genoa and reduced sails. My non sailing friend we we visited here in prior years passed away, giving a pall to the place. The Club is big and beautiful but the food in the restaurant was not as good as Anne’s.

This was the furthest from the Harlem we got, either longer passages on the way back

8/12 Menemsha MA 30 NM

Known for its sunsets and for rafting four zbeast on each of its two transient moorings. A sit down restaraunt rather than take out from the fishing boats.

8/13 Third Beach, Sakonnet River, the east side of Newport RI 24 NM

Nicely sheltered from the expected SW wind, with lots of room, but after our anchor was set and snubbed the friendly harbor master insisted we were in the mooring field and said his moorings at $20/night were the best deal in the area.

8/14 Stonington (again) 36 NM

Four hours of this passage were without the Yanmar, sailing with favorable tide. No need to go ashore this time.

8/15 North Cove, CT River 23 NM

We once got stuck in the sand that silts in here so we always ask. “Stay in the Center Aisle” is the advice and we saw no less than nine feet. This time we used the YC’s launch, showers and club house for a $50 fee rather than one of the three free town moorings.

8/16 Charles Is. Anch, Milford CT 35 NM

The last 15 miles the wind had come up strongly so we switched to the small jib.

With SSW predicted and only one other boat, we let out a lot of snubbed chain , but wind came in from the SW, with waves, but not wind, broken by the peninsula, even at high tide. During the night wind was SE making for a night of pitching like we get in the HYC field. Problem retrieving the anchor because the snubber hook came off and got wrapped around the chain, but it only delayed our start.

8/17 Zeiglers Cove (again) 24 NM

We never get tired of this Cove. However, the serenity of the morning view, looking east, continued the next day, making for all motoring the next day.

8/18 The Harlem YC 21 NM

Sadly our mooring had not been rented out during our absence, based on the growth on the penant. I rewatered and washed the topsides and all (including kitties) were asleep in Manhattan by 9:30 pm.