Matt tends to be anxious the night before we leave and he’s up at 4 am (by extension, so am I). We leave Liberty Landing Marina at 6:30 am, with the sun rising behind NYC. We pass the financial district and midtown, going under the many bridges (Brooklyn, Manhattan, 59^th Street, Tri-borough, Throgsneck, Whitestone). We fuel up at a marina a few hours later in an area dotted with mansions overlooking the water. I look at the houses and wonder about the lives inside. We pass a lighthouse in the Long Island Sound. That wouldn’t be a bad job, I think, to just keep the light lit. Relaxing, no one around. Not much pressure. An introvert’s dream. Note to self: keep this in mind as a future career possibility.

We have an unexpected visitor in the early afternoon. He comes aboard without permission. He refuses to answer questions. He has no interest in food. We have no idea where he came from. He departs with a nod and a flap. We arrive in Milford, CT in the late afternoon.