Three Miles Harbor to Cutchogue Harbor

On our way out of Three Mile Harbor, we stopped for fuel and a pump-out. While getting fuel, Dwayne noticed some divers cleaning hulls in the marina. He got their attention and talked them into putting a new anode on our driveshaft. We were wanting to get this done and since they were already on site, it only cost us $45 to get them to do it. Sometimes things come together in good ways.

Divers Install a New Anode On Foreign Affair

Our journey to Cutchogue Harbor took us past Sag Harbor, through Little Peconic Bay, around Great Peconic Bay and into Cutchogue Harbor just north of Robins Island. We had just settled in for a quiet evening when a fleet of about 40 sailboats began to enter the harbor for the Wednesday Night Races. A couple of fellows on a Catalina 27 sailed by our stern and we hailed them to determine if we should move. They said not to worry as we would most likely not be in the way and if a few boats headed our way, there was plenty of room to maneuver around us. Dwayne advised Carla this should be interesting and he was curious how the Catalina 27 like our Lucky Ones would fare in the race as they are not noted for speed. Our Lucky Ones back at Lake Perry was pretty slow and tender under strong winds.

We watched as the boats came out of their harbor and wondered how many starts there would be as there was quite a mix of fast racing and slow cruising boats represented. Also, we could only identify the starting line. We could not see any marks for rounding. We were surprised to see the fleet prepare for the start and realized there was only one start for all entered. There were no multiple starts for slow boats and fast boats. More surprising was discovering the entire fleet was tacking toward us and bearing down with good speed. For a while, we were in the thick of it and found ourselves surrounded as boats passed within feet to the right and left of Foreign Affair. We cheered them on as they passed. It was almost as exciting as being aboard one of those racing.

In the Midst of the Racing Fleet - Photo from Foreign Affair

We watched as the fleet kept on the same tack for miles heading toward the north end of Robins Island. We wondered if we'd have the same experience on their downwind run. No, instead, the fleet disappeared behind Robins Island and it became evident, there was no need for marks on the course as the course was "around Robins Island". Eventually, we saw the fleet rounding the southern end of Robins Island and heading back toward the finish line. About a third of the fleet were flying spinnakers which made for a beautiful sight as the sun was low and reflecting off the water. A J34 was the first to cross the finish line followed closely by two J105s. Surprisingly, the Catalina 27 finished well ahead of many of the high performance racers in the fleet. They must have sailed well and knew the waters around Robins Island well enough to cut some corners on the rest of the fleet.

The last of the boats racing headed in for the night just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. We enjoyed the show and went below for the rest of the evening. Dwayne worked on the blog while Carla read. Another great day came to an end.