Kayaking Through the Thimbles

By Thomas Morrone CFP®, CPA​

Recently I took advantage of a beautiful sunny afternoon and went on a solo kayaking excursion along the Branford shoreline. Armed with sunscreen, my cell phone, a large brimmed hat and a bottle of water, I was ready for whatever the afternoon had to offer. It was high tide which was in my favor and the wind was in my face on the way out and at my back on the way in so the conditions were all around working for me. I exited the Branford River and headed east towards the Thimble Islands without a care in the world and a smile (and sunshine) on my face.

This was not my first time kayaking in these waters and every time there is something different to see and enjoy and this little trip was no different. There is always a parade of boats of all different shapes and sizes and of course there are other kayakers enjoying the day on the water as well. What amazes me more than anything are the beautiful homes that line the shoreline. Many of these magnificent residences can only be seen from the water as they are set back from the road or only accessible from private driveways. Some are on private islands so to get an up-close view you need to be on a boat or in my case a kayak.

There is an island that can be seen from Linden Avenue that has one large white home on it. The home is majestic and sits on the island amidst the sparkling water like a jewel. It is massive and was constructed several years ago in a modular format and floated to the island in sections on barges and assembled on the island like a large Lego set. This home is not like a modular home that probably comes to mind. This home is the real deal with all the architectural details and high-end finishes. As mentioned, this home can be seen from Linden Avenue but rarely have I seen anybody on the island.

A very short distance away is Clam Island. Unlike this first island described with one majestic home, Clam Island has 6 beautiful homes that have more of a summer cottage look to them.  What I immediately noticed is that there were people at all 6 homes on Clam island. There were all the summer time activities happening, fishing, sitting on the porch, playing yard games and just hanging out. I thought that it was so cool to see all that activity and there probably were several generations of family members creating more memories in their magical place. I could almost envision the grand parents in their rocking chairs just basking in the joy from seeing their family experiencing what they have enjoyed for so many years. It appeared to be a place that was frozen time and all that mattered is who was there enjoying themselves at any given moment. There probably is not any Wi-Fi or large screen TV’s with video games on the island. It was a very cool experience for me to witness these events and maybe I was overthinking it, or was I? What I did think is how I was watching the result of legacy planning at its best.

Until the next Tom's Take...