Atlanatic Highlands, NJ to NYC to Waterford, NY Day Trip to NYC Thursday, Ellen, Woody, Phil and I caught the ferry from Atlantic Highlands and went to New York City! We went to the World Trade Center Site. We went in St. Paul’s Church first. It is such a wonderful memorial to the peopled who died there, as well as to the brave men and women who worked so hard to help those injured and killed. I did not realize how big a part that church played. It is a miracle that the church itself was not destroyed. The workers received care and comfort there in the days after 9-11. They slept in the pews and on cots set up with blankets, pillows and teddy bears. Volunteers rubbed their tired feet and massaged shoulders. Food was prepared and served. The church became an oasis of comfort and strength for the people involved in the rescue operation. There is new life there now. The deep crater has been cleaned out and the memorial is being built. It was very moving to actually see it.We rode the subway to the Battery, where we had a delightful lunch outside by the water. We watched the ferries in New York Harbor. After lunch, we caught the subway to 79th and walked through Central Park on our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved Central Park. It was so pretty and there were so many people there, enjoying the beautiful weather and the park. I wanted to see the American Wing at the Met. Part of it was closed for renovation, but the part that was open was so interesting. The museum is, of course, wonderful. We all saw different things and loved it all. After it closed, we rode the subway to Little Italy for dinner. We rode the ferry back across the harbor to our boats. It was a good day.Friday, I went to get my hair cut and Phil, in the process of working in the engine room, fell halfway into it. He cut his arm and Ellen came over and bandaged it for him. He was very fortunate and was not badly hurt. We went to Bella’s, a little French restaurant in Atlantic Highlands, for dinner with Woody and Ellen.On Sunday, we went to mass (yes, I went to mass!) with Ellen. After church, Woody met us at a cute little neighborhood café and we had a wonderful breakfast. New York City and Long Island Sound We left Atlantic Highlands, NJ for the Statue of Liberty about 12:15. We planned to anchor behind it if it was not too rough. When we arrived about 5:15 and got anchored, it was rocky and really rolly. We practically rolled rail to rail. We decided to go the Liberty State Park and anchor there. It was a great anchorage, very still and pretty. Woody and Ellen anchored there, also. We could see Lady Liberty over the trees in the park. There was a fireworks display that night that was really great.June 25 – June 30 ~ Lady Liberty to Manhasset BayOn Monday, June 25, we reluctantly left our anchorage about 10:45 at the Statue of Liberty. We went through the Upper Bay, around Governors Island, past the Battery where we had eaten lunch, under the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge and into the East River. Down one side of Roosevelt Island, we entered Hell Gate, which is a swirling, very turbulent area with swift currents where the Harlem River and the East River come together. We saw Rikers Island with all of its razor wire, went around Throgs Neck and into Long Island Sound. Soon we were in Manhasset Bay and docked at Brewer Capri West Marina at about 1:15. There were more huge yachts docked here than I have ever seen in one place. The ship, ShowTime, docked in front of us was 127 feet. There was a whole pier of big, beautiful yachts. Rumor has it that the boat, True North, belongs to Adam Sandler. Every time True North comes to Manhasset Bay, it first goes to Plandome across the Bay where Adam Sandler’s mother lives and stops for a while before it comes to dock at Brewer Capri West. Of course, none of the owners are on the yachts, only the crews, which is nice work if you can get it! Our boat sort of looks like a dinghy compared to those yachts… However, the ultimate happened after we went to a mooring ball (which is like anchoring) away from the marina. The biggest boat yet passed by us on the way to the marina. It had four decks and a helicopter on the back! Today the helicopter took off and was gone all day, came back at dusk and landed without a bobble. What a life! We had a good time with Woody and Ellen while they were in Port Washington. Posted by Moyer's Great Loop at 1:08 PM Hudson River and Erie Canal--NYC to Brewerton, NY From Port Washington to Kingston, NY On Saturday, June 30, our Houston friends, Jerry and Cristina, arrived in Port Washington. We had dinner with the son of some mutual friends of ours who are also doing the Loop. Bob and Jan’s son, Rob and his girlfriend, joined us for dinner and a water taxi ride. Jerry, Cristina, Phil and I left early the next morning about 6:30 for the Hudson River, which meant a trip back through Hell Gate, the East River around .the Battery and into the Hudson. It was a sunny, cool day and the water was fairly smooth. It was interesting to view NYC from the water. What a different perspective! We saw a gabled house built on top of a very tall building in mid-town NYC. We had a great view of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the United Nations Building and a glimpse all the way through downtown NYC to the other side, down a long street. A little further up the Hudson, we also passed a tiny island, Pollepel (Bannerman’s) Island. Between 1900 and 1918, Frank Bannerman, a munitions dealer, built a replica of a medieval castle here as a summer resort and storehouse. New York State obtained the property in 1967and conducted tours until the castle burned in 1969. Because of the deteriorating condition of the building, landing on the island is no longer permitted, although there was a boat tied up there and people walking through the castle! Having seen the Naval Academy in Annapolis, we were excited about seeing West Point from the Hudson River. It is on a high bluff and looks like a fortress. No longer are you allowed to tie up at their dock, it is restricted, even to ex- military personnel. Because of its height and shape, we did not really get to see it, but it was interesting to view it from the water. The Hudson River is much larger than we had anticipated, very wide, as well as rough in the middle. The banks of it are wooded and steep, like cliffs. We saw several big light houses, shaped like regular houses. We turned into Rondout Creek by a beautiful lighthouse and proceeded very slowly because the creek was crowded with many, many boats. On the way to the Rondout Yacht Basin in Kingston, NY, where we had gotten the very last spot on the face dock, we passed many boats and among them was a tug boat with a psychedelic paint job! We had wind and the current and a very small space in which to put the boat so it could have been a mess. However, Phil, as usual, had us against the dock in record speed, exactly where we needed to be docked. There were many people, waiting to help because it was a little tricky, but it was fine. That night, July 1, we saw the most spectacular fireworks display any of us had every seen. They were beautiful, unusual, burst right over the boat and the sound reverberated and echoed off the mountains, surrounding the marina. It was wonderful. I will never forget it. From Kingston, NY to Waterford, NY We left Rondout Yacht Basin about 10:15 on Monday, July 2, feeling like we had celebrated the Fourth of July. It was windy and we were in a tight space, but Phil managed a masterful exit with help from fellow boaters and we were on our way back to the Hudson. Because of the wind, the Hudson was rough when we started our day. It finally smoothed down and it was a pleasant day. We went through the Port of Albany and had a little boat traffic. We went under many, many bridges, all tall enough for us to pass under without having to be opened. We went through our first lock, the Troy Lock, which is in the Hudson River, with no problem. The locks here are a little different from the ones we had been through previously in the Mississippi River and along the Gulf Coast. Those locks filled and drained through the gates, while the locks in New York (the Hudson and the Erie Canal) fill and drain from the bottom. There was less turbulence within the lock because of this during the process of raising or lowering the water level. Soon we came to a big sign, which looked like a big freeway sign, on the bank of the Hudson River with an arrow and the words, ERIE CANAL. Another arrow on the same sign, going straight ahead, read Champlain Canal. We followed the arrow and made the turn into the Erie Canal. We stopped immediately after the turn at the Visitor’s Center in Waterford. It was about 5:30 when we arrived. There were many boats there when we arrived, tied up, waiting until the next day to begin the Waterford Flight. We walked to dinner at McGreevy’s. Our cute little waitress said “Absolutely!” after everything each of us ordered. It was an “absolutely” enjoyable dinner! |
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