Finally heading south! Today has been a good day. I made 60 miles from Coeymans to a cozy bend in the river at Cornwall that is as close to an anchorage as I’m likely to find around here. The river was rife with junk and debris from all the flooding, which made for a zig-zaggy kind of day. I guess I’ll be ready if torpedoes ever become a problem, so that’s good.
It’s been a day of firsts. It was my first day of single handed cruising on this beast, my first time anchoring her, first time this Mantus has gotten wet, and this will be the first time I’ve anchored overnight on my own. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous about that last bit, but she’s holding like a champ so far. She’s swinging like a happy dog’s tail, but I’ve got all the room in the world, so let ‘er swing, I say.
Another big first for today was a hot shower aboard. You read that right, a hot shower. I finally decided to feed that damnable thermostatic valve to the local swan, and just installed a different unit. It’s a cheap RV job, but it works, and even looks good enough that I’m happy to leave it alone until it breaks.
My father has been staying with me for the last few days, and he headed home this morning. He’s been super helpful, and I couldn’t have gotten it all done without him. The poor guy has been worried sick about this whole adventure. Not that he needs a reason to worry, but now that he has one, he’s going at it full force. I know it’s a dad’s job to worry, but boy, he’s in a class of one in that department. I wish I could convince him that I’m not out here trying to get killed or worse, but he’ll never believe me.
Anyway, there’s a casserole in the oven, the temperature is good, the internet is fast, and I’m content. I’ve got New York Harbor in my sights for tomorrow.
