Today was the Captain’s birthday and we woke to an amazing sunrise. Our eyes were set on the prize–Bayville, NJ—as today was going to be a long day on the water in more ways than one. The port engine had a water pump leak and starboard was also leaking and having a belt issue causing it to run extremely hot…neither of which we could fix at anchor. We just prayed neither engine gave out before we made it to Karin and Tommy’s house and tied up off their property. After our time hanging out in Florida so many months ago, we were excited to be able to make this visit happen as they were the first of many friends we planned to see on the return tour to Connecticut. In addition to engine issues, we had to ride out on the ocean for the first few hours before ducking back in at the Little Egg Inlet. The travel conditions were not stellar as we fought the wind and waves and pitched and rocked the whole way. It was exhausting and most of the day we were moving at less than 6 mph to ensure we didn’t break down.
Finally arriving in early evening, Tommy come out on his skiff to thankfully lead us into the canal from Barnegat Bay. Kelsey, Katelyn and Karin were patiently waiting for us and grabbed the lines. We had made it in the nick of time as the port engine stalled just as we approached and the Captain let out a sigh of relief as he shut Bella Donna down. It was a long torturous day and now it was time to relax, catch up and celebrate. The engine problems could all be sorted out in the morning with a clearer head. Grabbing the birthday boy a drink, we made our way inside their beautiful waterfront home. The interior was open and airy with the perfect beach decor. The deck, with its prime water view, was the quintessential outdoor location for dinner, drinks and conversation. We were exactly where we wanted to be.
Our friends were definitely rolling out the red carpet as they had a spread of food laid out for us and Karin was the ultimate hostess never letting our drinks go dry. Duane entertained with travel stories…some of which made Karin cringe. We caught them up on the destinations we had been to since we last saw them…namely the Bahamas. Morning was upon us before we knew it, and after a long hot outdoor shower, Tommy made us eggs and bacon. Two things I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying in months and the rough day we had yesterday was now a distant memory.
Karin and I went off to do some shopping as I left Duane to figure out the engine situation. In the end, Tommy took him to the store and he had to replace both water impeller pumps and one belt. Of course the pumps had to match the rest of the engine ensemble so out came the blue spray paint. I thought it was bad juju to keep the bad parts in the engine room so it looked like they would be riding in the salon for the remainder of the trip. Maybe I could hide them in the sock bin?
Karin and I were not the best bakers and had thrown together a cake before we left. The girls helped us out by decorating the cake for Duane’s birthday and it looked perfect. Our friends, Nicole and Tom, had a house in Bradley Beach and drove over that evening to see us. The last time we saw them was in downtown Manhattan over a year ago when we had just started the trip. In addition to indulging in shrimp and a spread of appetizers, Tommy grilled up some tuna steaks to perfection. Giving Nicole and Tom a tour of the boat, they remarked that it wasn’t much smaller than my old apartment so it was probably easier for me to get acclimated, well aside from the whole floating thing. Laughing and telling stories over drinks well into the evening, Katelyn lit the candles on the cake and we sang Happy Birthday to Duane. We were slowly accepting the reality of getting back to life off the boat. Seeing friends and, realizing we hadn’t missed that much in the last 13 months, made us feel a little better. But, when I say a little better that the trip was coming to an end, I mean very slightly.
Karin and I headed down to the beach the next day. Tommy took us for a leisurely ride over to the dock near South Seaside Park Beach on the skiff. We walked over to a friend’s shed where they kept some bikes and rode down to the sand. My best friend Lauren had driven to New Jersey from Long Island and was meeting us there to have a relaxing girls’ afternoon. It was a great day of reminiscing about college life when we were all together and about how life has changed so much since then. Lauren drove us back to the house and we sat out on the deck continuing our trip down memory lane. The boys joined us after the boat work was completed and we had dinner and leftover cake before Lauren had to head back to her sister-in-law’s house where her daughter Katie was waiting for her. I wished I had had more time to spend with her, but I was so grateful she made the long drive and we had at least an afternoon to catch up.
Tommy and Duane went out fishing early the next morning as Karin and I relaxed around the house. An obviously successful venture, they returned with the cooler full with 48 blowfish (AKA pufferfish) and 1 kingfish. The boys got right to cleaning their catch much to the delight of the birds in the canal who were fighting over the heads and skins discarded in the water. After everyone cleaned up and smelt much better, we drove over to Shady Rest Restaurant for some lunch. Karin and Tommy were friends with the owner, Bob Popovics, of the low key popular eatery where everyone seemed to know each other and welcomed strangers with open arms. It was a pleasure to meet Bob who was a saltwater fly fishing legend. He revolutionized the sport not only in perfecting fly fishing techniques, but also in the groundbreaking design of the flies. At his recommendation, we sat outside near the vibrant rose garden which gave the space a New Orleans courtyard feel. The martinis were amazing and the food was exceptional as we enjoyed our afternoon a mere 4 hour car ride from home.
Karin’s neighbors came over the house that evening and we had a rousing night singing karaoke. After a few glasses of wine, I thought I was trying out for American Idol and belted out a few songs albeit way out of tune. Duane slyly recorded the event and will probably whip out the performances at future gatherings for a laugh.
And just like that, it was time for us to move on. The last three and a half days had been just what we needed and we were so thankful to have friends like them to spend time with who also went out of their way to accommodate us and the boat and help us get the repairs done…. as well as give us a ton of the blowfish to take on our way. The whole family helped us cast off and we slowly drove down the canal toward Barnegat Bay as we took one last look over our shoulders and waved Goodbye. Watching us on the live feed from the Manasquan webcam, Tommy sent Duane pictures of us on the move.
There was lots of traffic out on the bay as it was the kick off to Labor Day weekend. The cigarette boats flying around at warp speed were particularly loud and obnoxious. We stopped for gas in Bay Head and ended up anchoring outside the Bay Head Yacht Club for the night. It was surreal to imagine that this was literally the last time we would be getting gas until the next boating season as Bella Donna was going to rest for the winter as soon as we got home.
Tommy had given us cornmeal topping to bread the blowfish with, so I coated the fish as Duane fired up the barbecue. Skeptical at first by the look of them, the blowfish were simply delicious. We sat on the bow as the sun was setting devouring our meal listening to the music emanating from the Yacht Club. The engines had performed great after the expert repairs by the Captain and his assistant, Tommy. After tonight, we would be in familiar waters heading into New York stopping in Long Beach for the holiday weekend.
