August 8 & 9 -- Shelter Island, NY to Mystic, CN

                            August 8 & 9 -- Shelter Island, NY to Mystic, CN

            While at anchor in Coecles Harbor, I realized after checking forecasts that the weather was not cooperating with our plan to meet Damon and Griffin in Mystic on 8/8 and run with them on to Newport, RI for that night, and then run to Nantucket on 8/9. A strong SW wind was forecast for Monday and Tuesday with a small craft advisory in effect through Tuesday morning along the Rhode Island coast. We decided instead to just run across Long Island Sound to Mystic and hole up there until Wednesday, when the wind was forecast to diminish and shift to the NE, while Damon and Griffin went ahead with their travel plans (and nonrefundable hotel reservations!) by car instead of by train and boat. 

            We weighed anchor about 9:30 and pulled into a fuel dock on the Mystic River about two hours later. Despite the small craft advisory along the Rhode Island coast, the run across Long Island Sound wasn't rough at all. The highlight of the ride was seeing a partially submerged submarine underway. It was heading inland through "The Race" passage between Plum and Fishers Islands, probably heading back to the US Navy Submarine base in Groton. I spotted it because I thought I saw a second lighthouse west of the Race Rock Lighthouse, but the chart didn't show that, and as I looked more closely, I realized that the "second lighthouse" appeared to be moving and had odd waves around it. It was a submarine conning tower headed roughly towards us maybe a mile away. Very cool. One of the best things I've seen on our trip. 


            Mystic is a lovely harbor, with lots of sailboats, marinas, shipyards, and picturesque houses. Stereotypical New England seaport. We didn't take any pictures, but I did take a picture of the nice aerial photo that was in the office of the guy who ran the shipyard where we stayed. Downtown Mystic is in the right foreground with the bascule bridge, then the Amtrak railroad bridge, then a series of marinas and anchorages leading out to the mouth of the Mystic River. Our marina (Mystic Shipyard West) was about half a mile downstream from the Amtrak bridge on the point sticking out into the river. 

            

            It was a bit too far to walk into town from our marina given the hot and humid weather, but it made for a very nice dinghy ride. We rode into town for a late lunch on Tuesday, and again for dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Our return rides were in the dark, which was kind of fun. Janet held a battery-powered port/starboard light to keep us legal. During our night rides we got to see the Amtrak swing bridge all lit up and moonlight over the Mystic.



            We spent our day and a half in Mystic doing chores and some simple maintenance work. Laundry, shopping, cleaning, etc. Very busy but very productive days. We had lovely evening meals in town to reward ourselves -- Tuesday at an excellent Italian spot (Via Emilia) and Wednesday at a classic Irish pub (The Harp and Hound). We just parked the dinghy at the town dock and walked a block and we were right in the middle of restaurants and tourist shops. The town was remarkably busy for weekday traffic. 


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