The Call of the Sirens  

By Terry Carboene

1990

For many of us Douglastonians spring signals the start of another boating season and the prospect of alternating between two yards- the backyard and the boatyard Spreading fertilizer competes with spreading wax, sprouting gardens try to compete with sprouting masts, but the gardens are always a close second. The call of the Sound is a Siren call. What follows is only a slight echo, something to convey the fascination of the tall sticks in the Bay; what life can be like (and often is) on a sailboat during a summer weekend on the water.

Most sailors just leave their moorings for an afternoon and sail, depending on wind direction, from the Bay to Stepping Stone Lighthouse, City Island, Throgs Neck Bridge and return at dusk. The guests on our Cape Dory Motorsailer, RX, love to sad under the Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges to LaGuardia Airport and watch planes taking off and landing. If you're planning a trip through Hellgate, the tide must be with you. The captain must carefully compute the time of the tide and its change when deciding to sail the East River to Manhattan. The name Hellgate was no accident.

On other occasions we might sail to another yacht club for dinner. Stamford Yacht Club in Connecticut and larchmont Yacht Club in Westchester share reciprocal privileges with the Douglaston Yacht Squadron. Advance reservation for mooring and dinner are required as most clubs have limited guest moorings.

Getting there under sail can take an average of three to four hours, depending on the wind, necessitating leaving our mooring in early afternoon. Once we ax-rive at our destination and settle in, we toast the boat's performance with a cocktail. Sometimes even the skipper's. A leisurely shower and a change into proper clothes at the club's facilities prepares us for dinner.

Watching the sunset over pre-dinner cocktails from the porch of one of these lovely old clubs overlooking the Sound is reward enough for the day's work of sailing. However, we were quickly brought back to reality at dusk by the blast of the Yacht Club's cannon signaling the lowering of the American flag. A well-prepared dinner in the dining room completes the evening.  

Later, back on board, sitting in the cockpit, watching the stars and twinkling lights on shore is a mesmerizing experience. A deep night's sleep to the tune of gentle slapping waves on the softly rocking boat is an experience no one should miss.

Whether at a guest mooring or at anchor, Joe rises first, allowing me to awaken to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee perking on the ship's stove. A breakfast of orange juice and one of Joe's special omelets fortifies us for the trip back to Douglaston.

There is no finer sight than to return to Little Neck Bay on a summer's day and see in the distance the Manor's stately homes and our unique Promenade (Shore Road) that allows our residents the luxury of strolling or jogging along our special waterfront.

As the Squadron launch drops us off at the dock and we W our land legs, we feet like we had been away for days. We're totally relaxed. Our RX was filled-, its tonic will lift us through the next five days as landlubbers.