Stardate 11978.9

Captain's Log: Stardate 11978.9
It's been an interesting and eventful past couple of months, starting on Stardate 11959.7, where the Enterprise departed City Island, NY for the last time.

The day prior, I had taken some work colleagues out on a morning cruise, only to have some fuel problems with the impulse drive -- the primary filter was clogged with some Denebian slime and we had to be towed back in. After lunch, it was a hectic afternoon changing filters and accommodating the delivery captain and his crew with some of the nuances on the Enterprise in preparation for her over-1,400-mile journey. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Chris Cloe and preparation by Jim Schwartz, she was ready to go the next day under the temporary command of Captain Rick Brass, who usually helms the USS Imzadi out of North Carolina.

As we stood the dock watching her go, still somewhat excited over the upcoming house and office move, as well as the start of a whole new lifestyle, I admit I was a little melancholy about the end of an era on City Island with my CIYC friends, the brave crew of New Freedom and the end of EBYRA.

And then I thought, Fuck it. In a little over month, these people will be winterizing their boats and I'll still be applying sunblock.

Later that day, my father was out on his vessel, the Great American Nude, and was able to see the Enterprise pass under the Verranzano Bridge, go between Staten Island and Brooklyn, and venture out to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving New York behind.

Thanks to the SPOT transmitter Captain Brass bought aboard, as well as my own hidden GPS tracker, I was able to follow the voyage down to the South, switching back and forth between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. In North Carolina, a passing fishing vessel was able to take this beauty shot:

The trip was not without its perils, including a week-long stop in Marathon for fuel polishing and a replacement lift pump, but I'm told the Enterprise was performing well. On that last day at sea, it looked like the arrival would be close to midnight and we just HAD to go out to see her arrive.

Now, just about 40 years ago (December 6, 1979, or Stardate 7993.2), a film hit theaters, which, to be perfectly honest, was not very good. But, in rare moments, had some beautiful sequences, such as this one, where a brand-new refitted Enterprise has departed space dock and is leaving Earth's orbit:



The ship -- The lighting -- the moment -- all beautiful. Perhaps a moment that will never be captured again.

That is, until my wife Ellen grabbed her iPhone and shot this footage of our Enterprise clearing the Venice Florida Jetty:



Add a little score from Jerry Goldsmith and we may have just topped it!

So now the Enterprise is at her new home, her slip at Venice Yacht Club:

She can sail here year-round -- and explore so many beautiful places like Tampa Bay, Clearwater, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Naples, the Keys, and so much more. Her new home is well-maintained and the pool and tiki bar are just a few steps away. The club features a calendar stuffed with events and the restaurant is beyond delightful. The members are all friendly and more than welcoming.

Granted, some may be a little older -- For example, this was heard just last weekend being yelled from one table to another at Sunday Brunch: "You're here??!! I thought you were dead!!"

Perhaps it is sad that one person thought another had passed on, but, personally, I find it even sadder that I didn't get to use such a line on Richie Coar when I had the opportunity.

New friends. New adventures. New life. And, like everything else, we are excited to face it all. Boldly Going.