Month: April 2024

It was no coincidence that we selected our anchorage near Cape Santa Maria – this locale brims with historical significance as the third island stumbled upon by Christopher Columbus during his legendary 1492 expedition, which ultimately led to the revelation of America. Legend has it that in his journal, Columbus waxed poetic about Long Island, hailing it as the most exquisite land he had ever laid eyes upon. Just a jaunty two miles north of Cape Santa Maria stands the Columbus Monument, a testament to Columbus’s fateful landing on Long Island’s shores. Our journey to reach it was no walk in the park – traversing through the untamed forest from the beach near our anchorage to the monument proved to be quite the adventure. Alas, unlike Stocking Island, there were no well-trodden hiking trails here; we had to channel our inner pioneers, akin to the intrepid crew of Columbus’s trusty ship, the Santa Maria. Ahoy, adventure awaits!

After lounging around George Town for what felt like a never-ending vacation (thanks, weather and boat troubles!), and bidding farewell to our son Yaroslav (who finally decided he had enough of our salty adventures and headed home), we decided it was time to bid adieu to the cozy confines of Elizabeth Harbor and its great boaters community. Off we sailed towards the mystical Long Island, with its majestic northern Cape Santa Maria. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus himself christened this cape back in 1492, inspired by one of his trusty ships. Our voyage spanned a mere 30 nautical miles, during which we fancied ourselves as seafaring pros, making not one, but two CTD casts along the way. As dusk descended upon us, we reached our destination, dropped anchor, had a dinner and plotted our grand expedition for the next day: the daring exploration of Cap Santa Maria. Let the adventure begin!