Coecles Harbor is located on Shelter Island and is a hidden cruising gem in eastern Long Island, since it is difficult to find and the entrance is extremely narrow, but if you are looking for a secluded harbor to relax then this is a must location.  The entrance is located on the eastern side of Shelter Island in Gardiners Bay and while the entrance is extremely narrow, it is relatively short.  I was on a 40-foot sailboat going through the narrow channel and a man was fishing about 8-feet from the boat in hip-high water.  I was unsure if we had enough water, but the captain ensured me there was enough water as he had been there several times.

Proper mainsail trim is important for boat balance and speed and the importance has increased over the years as many newer designed sailboats have reduce the size of the headsail while increasing the size of the mainsail. Proper mainsail trim takes into account wind speed as well as wave conditions.

Many sailboats have a host of mainsail control lines – mainsail sheet, Cunningham, traveler, backstay, boom vang, mainsail halyard and outhaul. All these control lines change the shape of the mainsail.

The mudslide is a great drink after being on the water all day during the summer, as the drink is sort of like a slushie, since it contains lots of crushed ice from mixing the drink in a blender.   The best mudslides are made at Traders Vic, a tiki bar at the end of the dock at Champlian’s Marina on Block Island, Rhode Island.  What makes Traders mudslides so tasty is they add New England Coffee Milk to the recipe.  If you do not have New England Coffee Milk, substitute it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream from Carvel.

Midslide Ingredients

1/3 vodka

1/3 Kahlua

1/3 Bailey’s Irish Cream

A scoop of vanilla ice cream from Carvel if you do not have New England Coffee Milk. If you don’t have either don’t worry, this ingredient is not necessary for a great drink.

Plenty of ice in a blender, so when you crush the ice it’s like a slushie.

If you want to be healthy you can add a half of a banana before mixing the ingredients in the blender.

Damn, after writing this, I realize it does not have to be the summer to enjoy this drink. I firing up the blender, it’s always five o’clock and summer somewhere and my mind is always dreaming of the waterlife.  Cheers!!!!!

One question, frequently asked by customers at boat shows is how do you care for our Squall Rain Suit or Intrepid All Weather Shell?  The most important care instruction is DO NOT wash waterproof apparel in the washing machine with laundry detergent as this will breakdown the waterproof chemicals in the fabric as well as the fabric resulting in reduced waterproofness.