30 July Sag Harbour, Long Island, NY

We've left New England and come west to the east end of Long Island, NY and the town of Sag Harbour – Hamptons territory where the rich, famous and anorexic come for the summer. People who have so much money they buy size 0 clothes, exclusive handbags and sip hand filtered calorie free water.

ospreys nest on SB marker

original Customs House

Billy Joel has a couple of houses here: one is being turned through 90° for a better aspect and a new build will link the two properties. Julie Andrews' daughter runs the local theatre which boasts appearances of Hollywood B listers. Art galleries with blisteringly fashionable abstract pieces at eye watering prices and a bijoux clothes shop with a simple t shirt a snip at $150. This is not traditional cruiser country. We were anchored in the cheap seats beyond the $2 per foot per day mooring balls.

typical architecture

However, the anchorage has pleasant scenery and plenty of water, though it can roll when boats go in and out of the harbour. In town the wooden houses are postcard perfect late eighteenth century. The builders were wealthy whale industry people.

Annie Cooper Boyd cottage

We visited the restored Annie Cooper Boyd cottage, one of the oldest houses in Sag and now owned by the historic society. In fact it was a personal tour because the house was closed to the public on that day and we were lucky to start up a conversation with the curator who invited us in.

Along the road is an interesting museum of whaling sited in an 19^th century Greek Revival house of richest whale fleet owner at the time. Across the road is an oasis; the John Jermain Memorial library with it's fine architecture, reading rooms, air conditioning and free wifi. We spent a couple of afternoons here because our subscribed Metro PCS internet service doesn't work on Long Island.

Whaling museum

occulus inside museun

1910 library

While we were here I received an email from my sister in England saying our elderly Dad was in hospital with pneumonia and I should come home. We left without catching the bus across the island to the Atlantic side to see East Hampton.