This Week in AtlantiqueBy Kirsten CorssenHere at Atlantique all the members of the community are truly like a family. Just walking down the docks you will see them all in conversation. Being a boaters’ community brings us closer together because of our intimate proximity. You can just be relaxing on the back of your boat and spark a delightful conversation with your boat neighbor of the week. Also what makes the boating community so nice is that your neighbors are always changing. Every week when you pull back into a slip you never know who will be next door; you might even meet a new friend.This close knit community also comes with many good times and traditions that take place throughout the summer. One of my favorites is when different people on the dock have dinner together. We’ll bring a little this, you bring a little that, and bam you all have a delicious dinner and great conversations. Another fun event that takes place only once a summer is the Annual George Hallock and Friends Clam Tournament. The 6th annual tournament took place this past Saturday, Aug. 22. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the 150 of us to race off to our secret clamming spot in the bay in hope of finding as many clams as possible.This event was started by Larry Hallock in honor his father, George, along with all those who enjoy the Great South Bay and the tradition of clamming. The tournament’s goal is to see who can collect the most clams in two hours. After the air horn is fired, all the boaters participating take off to what they hope is the best clamming spot in the bay. With only two short hours to clam, we all dug our toes in the sand with high hopes of getting more clams than the other teams. When all the boats returned there were hundreds of clams on the dock and a lot of smiling faces. This year’s winner was the Eve-n-Steven team with a total of 275 clams.The day spent clamming is always so much fun, but the best part is the cooking contest that follows. The east wall was filled with clam dishes lined up and down the dock. This year we had everything from stuffed and baked clams, to clam chowder, linguini and clam sauce, and my favorite, shrimp jambalaya. With limited kitchen space on most of our boats, it’s hard to believe these remarkable clam dishes were prepared in such tight quarters.Traditions such as this one truly make Atlantique a family, bringing us all together with some good company and food. So next year make sure to sign up early and find a good spot to clam because the tournament is always looking for newcomers to participate in this fun event, and new clam dishes for all of us to enjoy.Email Kirsten atatlantique@fireisland-news.com.
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