One afternoon in the marina, we talked to a New Yorker, who has his boat on a mooring next to ours. We told him that we were going out that evening, and when we met him the following day he was surprised that the boat hadn’t moved. Weren't we going out? He thought we were taking the boat out, but we just meant, we were going out in the city. We had to explain to him that we didn't just sail for fun of it!

Before we came to New York we had talked about maybe going sailing up the Hudson River or around Long Island, since we were going to stay in New York for so long, but for some reason we find it very difficult to go on a sailing trip. We only sail from A to B, and we have no plans on moving the boat before we start sailing south in the beginning of October. However, we don't want to cheat ourselves of the experiences!

Last weekend we therefore rented a Harley (to stay in the American spirit) and went sightseeing. I always like getting off the boat, even though on a motorbike you can't bring anything and always have bad hair days! Nevertheless, I'm glad we went by road. There are lots of nice anchorages around Long Island, but if you want to go to the little towns where Madonna and Steven Spielberg visit, then you need a vehicle. Many of the marinas on especially the south side of Long Island are placed some distance from the towns, so you need a bike and really good legs to get around, if you visit from the seaside.

I don't know why it so difficult for us to go sailing “for fun”. Maybe because we sail so much? (Since the same time last year, we've sailed about 7000 nm). Our neighbour sailor in New York often takes friends and family on a trip up the river and back again, but we really have to be forced to do the same. I wonder, if we be sailing just for fun, when we get back from this trip? Or do you get an experience for your lifetime, when you go cruising like this, but ruin your chances of having a lifetime of joy with your boat? We still have the waters in Northern Europe left to experience, though, so maybe there are still miles left in Capibara, when we at some point return back home.

Signe Storr Freelance Journalist & friend of Boatshed