Hopkins Wharf and
The North Haven Yacht Club
July 23, 2005 | 10:25 a.m.

Sailing lessons had just begun, and before taking this shot I watched all the kids in Optimists crash their little dinghies into each other as they set off into the Thoroughfare. I vaguely remember once doing the same thing -- but that was about 17 years ago. The water was so limpid that day, and appears in this shot so much bluer than it really is.

I was waiting for the ferry to arrive, bringing friends for the weekend. In this shot, you can see a speck of white on the horizon and that's the ferry rounding the bend from the bay into the thoroughfare.

To a degree, the island social life revolves around the ferry's thrice-daily arrivals. Everyone turns out to see who has arrived, even if they themselves are not expecting anyone. The ferry truly is a bit of the outside world being brought to this most remote place.