They Do Come In Three's!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

I had no sooner finished Thursday's blog entry than I went out to my car and found a parking ticket on the windshield! Now the spot where I was parked was on Pequot Avenue just down from the club and I have been parking there since I have been a member of TYC. And not only me but all the members of the club have parked there at one time or another. It is, as they say, common practice.

Now I have to be clear, there is yellow painted curbstones within 15 feet of the corner and 10 feet on either side of the fire hydrant four or so car-lengths from the corner. There is one sign by the yellow-painted bricks at the corner, to indicate "No Parking" but the placement of the signage makes it at least "unclear" where the "No Parking" really is. As with most people, "unclear" meant "permitted" and for as long as I have been a club member, people have parked there with no hassles from the local gendarmes.

That is changing and, as one wag at the club said, "It all has to do with revenue!"Over the summer, several people have gotten tickets for parking infraction s on the streets around the club, and indeed throughout all of New London, and Thursday, it was my turn. I was quickly followed by another car getting tagged and then on Friday, still another I actually called the Police Department and they sent a supervisor down and we went over the situation. And while he admitted that the signage was a little "iffy," still in indicated "No Parking" and that was that. He said I could contest the ticket and that I could probably get a hearing and perhaps "walk" on the ticket this time. The thought of the time and possible expense that would come with the hearing lead me to simply pay the ticket and leave wiser if poorer.

Friday was a rather nice day. The weather was crappy, cool, cloudy and damp, but what made it
a nice day was that we were hosting the OPTIMIST Regatta and the club was over-run with kids from various sailing programs, eager to "strut their stuff!" While the races were going on, the kids from outside New London were treated to the thrill of have a 688 Los Angles Class submarine coming up the river. (This was old hat for the kiddoes from TYC, an almost weekly occurrence.) If the timing of the race or the entrance of the sub into the river had been timed a little different, the OPTIs rounding the leward mark would have been well inside the "Defence Security Perimeter" set up by the Coasties around the sub. It would have been something to see how the Coasties, in their rubber boats armed to the teeth, would have dealt with a fleet of 8 foot sailing prams, manned by kids all under 16!

Friday was also the day when most of the members of the New York Yacht Club, who were participating in their "Summer Cruise," came into New London. In truth, they by passed New London, and all but a few, passed under the bridges and moored or docked at the Coast Guard Academy. Still it was impressive to see these huge motor yachts and huge sailboats come up the Thames River and pass our racers. But what was really impressive was the kids. A quick peak or two at the "impressive parade," then it was back to what was really important . . . racing their Optis!