So we're settling into Manhattan for the season. We've been here a few weeks now and like it more and more as we spend more time here. We've gotten used to the dramatic tide differentiation which makes the boat either sit high next to the pier or very low, making it more challenging to get on and off. Ryan and I have a good system of helping get the kids on and off when the tide is low. One hands the other one down and says "got her!" once she is securely in our arms. Halina is still great about wearing her life jacket when walking on the decks or the pier, which is great. It's just a part of her life, and she's used to it. We're also used to the sometimes strong wakes that come through this marina. Ryan and I are the only ones who really notice. The girls just roll with the boat and adjust their bodies without even thinking about it. Maybe they'll grow up to be yogis with the excellent balance they are developing!
The charters have been slow but steady, and we're looking forward to sailing more with guests as our web site is being overhauled and optimized so that more people can find us. Everyone we've taken out this year-- both in Baltimore and in New York have just been super-nice and a pleasure to have on board. In fact, we're always pleasantly surprised at how extremely friendly and helpful and open the people in New York have been. Part of my routine has been going to one of the many playgrounds in Riverside Park, and I always meet great parents with well-mannered children who like to share and make friends-- pretty much on a daily basis. Ryan goes out to hear a lot of music and get connected to the jazz scene here, and everyone has been really helpful and welcoming to him as well. Maybe New York hasn't always been such a friendly city, but it sure seems to be now. Everyone at the marina helps each other dock and get off the pier, and that's something I just haven't seen at other marinas. Let's hear it for the good people at the 79th Street Boat Basin!
We've been fortunate to find crew to do most of the charters with Ryan. It's cheaper than paying a good babysitter on the Upper West Side I tell you, and it allows me to still be mommy. For example, last Sunday we got a last-minute charter and so I took the girls to the playground and out for a frozen yogurt while Ryan and his buddy Serge went sailing. I do miss going on all the charters, though, and so it was nice on Saturday when we took out my visiting sister and her husband. The whole family got to go, and we had a lot of wind. The Hudson was downright choppy! It was great to see the new Freedom Tower being constructed from the perspective of the Hudson, and the Statue of Liberty always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, no matter how many times I've seen it.
It's turning out to be a hot week, but hopefully that'll just inspire more people to want to cool off on the water here and go sailing with us. It really is cooler out where our boat is. The breeze kicks up and knocks the humidity right out of the air....
