August 25. The day started out wet and dreary, yet again. The early fog was pretty heavy when we got up and we hadn’t planned to leave until around noon so the fog had a chance to start to burn off.

We sailed for the first 2 hours and then were forced to motor for a couple of hours. Just as we reached the north shore of Long Island the wind picked up. We were traveling separately from Scout but ended up arriving at the green # 1 at the same time.

This led to a really fun tacking duel as we headed into Oyster Bay. This only lasted for about 20 minutes as fate, in the form of a Catalina 350 interrupted our good time. We were both side by side on port tack doing better than 5 knots. There was a Catalina 350 about 50 yards ahead running the same course off our starboard bow. The Catalina tacked and was now running across our bow. It was all going to work out alright as we were going to cut across his stern as he passed across in front of us. He was moving slowly coming out of his tack but we could bear off the wind and actually gain some speed and then resume our course as we passed behind him. That was until he decided to tack again, directly in our path, on our course, right in front of us. We’re flying and he’s dying.

He was barely moving, we couldn’t bear off the wind because on top of everything else they butchered the tack and fell off the wind. So now they’re pretty much sideways in front of us. We couldn’t tack because Scout was there in our hip pocket and there wasn’t enough time anyway. We couldn’t go to starboard because the Catalina was headed that way even though he was not really moving. We couldn’t go to port because that’s where the wind was coming from, but we had to. Christy put the wheel hard over and we backwinded the genoa and come to a practical standstill. As were flying past the Catalina I give him the big “Are you f***ing kidding me?” All the people in cockpit jumped and turned around. It was as if they had never even seen us. Imagine your surprise if you were to get a 13 ton enema and didn’t even see it coming.

By the time we got it back together, Scout was well ahead and we followed her into the anchorage. After dropping the hook, walking the dogs and taking a short swim Christy and I headed over to dinner on Scout.

Again it was a great evening. Nanette had even brought us some tomatoes fresh from her garden. They’re huge, they look like pumpkins and they’re even orange when they’re ripe. They look a little odd but they’re very good.

Boat Name of the Day: No place, other than New York, would I expect the Master Baiter. We heard him on the radio for hours. Whatever happened to naming your boat after your mom, or maybe he did.