June 9 More NYC then up the Hudson to Kingston,NY

June 9

After our little boating mishap on Friday we decided we needed some “away from the boat time” so decided on Saturday to take the MTA Metro North train from Poughkeepsie to NYC for the day. 

It’s about a 2 hour train ride along the eastern shores of the Hudson for almost the entire route making for a rather scenic trip.  You really need to get used to train noise along the Hudson with the MTA and Amtrak rails running passengers along the eastern shore and Conrails freight trains running regularly along the western shore.   Our train dropped us off at Grand Central Station.  While the underground platforms aren’t much the station itself is quite impressive.  

We headed to central park for a walkabout along with about a zillion New Yorkers all out enjoying a sunny and warm day.   Seems there’s always some event going on in NYC.  The annual Peurto Rican Parade was going on somewhere but not near us.  We did happen to come upon a few blocked off streets hosting some sort of Indian (from India) celebration.

A quick stop at St. Patrick’s cathedral was in order since we were passed right in front of it.  Dang that's a big church!!

 Another block down was St. Thomas Episcopal Church.  A much smaller church but the amount of architectural detailing was unbelievable.

Continuing our walk, we made it to the corner of Central Park where a huge gold leaf gilded monument of William Tecumseh Sherman.  It honors his “successful” march across the south “with the lady victory proudly showing him the way while his horse stomps on pine cones and boughs representing his destruction of the south”.  Perspective is everything and that’s definitely the northern version. 

Our walk continued across the park passing through the small zoo and under the famous clock bridge with statues of animals playing musical instruments.

 By now we had worked up an appetite so headed to Tavern on the Green for their weekend brunch menu dining alfresco on the outdoor patio.  Burger and beer for me. Eggs Benedict for Martha.  While it was pretty good, I’m fine with marking it off the bucket list.

  Heading back to the train station we walked down Broadway and  got to see where the Steven Cobert show is shot at the Ed Sullivan Theatre.   Passed a number of theatres and it looks like repeat city with plays for Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, King Kong and several other older movies. Worked our way down to Times Square which is celebrating 10 years as a pedestrian open space.   Just another sea of humanity elbow to elbow on this day.

Chrysler  Building 

 I’m not sure where my country boy mentality comes from, but I just don’t see the attraction in big city life.  I’ve got to admit the city seemed cleaner and safer than I ever remembered it being but there’s still plenty of trash, homeless people, and crowds.   Glad to have taken in the city for another day while we’re here but I’m looking forward to exploring the smaller  historic and quaint towns along our route.  As we settled back onto the boat for the evening, we got a nice show on the Poughkeepsie Bridge as its lights were turned into a rainbow of colors in honor of  Pride month.

At sunset from our slip on the Hudson

Lit up in colors for Pride month

So with that said we headed out today from Poughkeepsie to Kingston, NY.   It was a short 15 mile cruise so after an awesome Sunday brunch buffet at Shadows Restaurant we released the lines and headed upstream once again.  We knew the current would be against us the entire trip but planned it to arrive at Kingston at 3 o’clock during slack tide.  We passed the Culinary Institute of America as well as FDR’s home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park.   Saw a few more of those turn of century industrialists “summer places”.  Even passed by a few more lighthouses. 

Esopus Mud Flats lighthouse

Rondout Creek entrance lighthouse

The timing worked out perfect for our arrival and we were able to get our docking mojo back with a seamless stern in maneuver.    Our slip is literally on a part of the old Delaware and Hudson canal on Rondout Creek.  This was a huge terminus during the early to mid 1800’s for coal being shipped from Pennsylvania.  It was barged here on smaller boats, then offloaded, sorted and and stored before being loaded on larger barges and steam ships for shipment down the Hudson.   By the late 1800’s direct shipments by railcar from the coal fields eventually put the canal out of business but Rondout Creek continued to thrive for another 100 years with a large sawmill and boat building industry during WW1 and WW2.  The following years saw it decline before finding and embracing it’s waterfront heritage. There’s now some nicely restored older building along the water ideal for restaurants and shops along with a Mariners Museum and Trolley Museum. 

Waterfront park and  buildings in Kingston at dusk

Journey for June 9

June 7 Croton on Hudson to Poughkeepsie, NY

June 7

It’s funny, but after being in the same place for just 3 days I now start getting the itch to get moving again.  We’re neither behind the main pack of loopers nor at the front end but hanging about mid pack. We seem to be moving at about the right pace and that gives us time to visit a few places at each stop.   At Croton on Hudson we rented a car to visit a few of the local tourist spots.   Croton Dam was an engineering marvel built from 1896 to 1902. The lake behind it is one of the water sources feeding the aqueduct that provides all the fresh water to NYC.  

We then toured around Washington Irving’s house Sunnyside, drove around Sleepy Hollow cemetery and actually found Washington Irving’s grave, then drove around Lindquist – a turn of the century Vanderbilt family summer house (castle).  Martha also decided a trip to see SingSing Prison would be fun.  I found it unnerving when we could clearly see the armed guards in the towers looking at us.  SingSing was built starting in 1826 right on the water and the place where prisoners coined the phases “The Big House” and “Going up the River” as metaphors for the prison.  And of course, their electric chair was famously named “Old Sparky”.

Lindquist Manor

So today it was time to move on and we had picked Poughkeepsie as our next stop.   The trip would take us through the Hudson Valley area that was famous at the turn of the century for its artist colonies and naturalist painting style. 

 We passed around Bear Mountain and the 1924 suspension bridge that at the time was the longest in the world.

Then by West Point and it’s granite surfaces rising straight up from the river.  We then passed over “End of the World” were the Hudson reaches it’s deepest point over 175’ down.   

 Storm King Mountain was next raising up from the rivers western shore and showing the scar of a road cut into its side in the 1940’s. 

At the end of this stretch is Pollepel (Bannerman’s) Island and it’s eerie abandoned and caving in medieval mansion.  Frank Bannerman was a munitions dealer who made his fortune during WW1 and built the castle as a munition’s storehouse and summer house.  Unfortunately, the munitions storage area blew up in 1920 doing significant damage that left it abandoned.   A fire in the 1960’s burned out the interior leaving just the exterior facades.  

After passing through this extremely scenic area the river widens, a few more bridges beckoned us onward and we eventually landed at Shadows Marina.   With the current running 1.5 knots it was not our day for a pretty docking as we got sideways to the current and pushed against the raised outboards of a docked boat which gouged and scraped the lower starboard side of the boat before we got our position corrected. 

Not the best way to finish an otherwise very enjoyable day on the water.   To work off those pent-up frustrations we took a walk along the waterfront to the old Conrail bridge which has been converted to a walkway bridge over the Hudson.   It’s the crossing point of the Hudson when on the Appalacian Trail and has fantastic views both up and down the river.    Tourist day Saturday as we take the train into NYC for a final visit. 

View down the Hudson from atop the old Conrail bridge

Journey for June 7

June 4 Going through NYC

June 4

Today was the day we took on the waters of New York City!!  We couldn’t have asked for a more idealic day.  A cold front had pushed through  giving us  cool clear skies with light winds.    So off we went leaving our dockage at 7 AM from  Great Kills Yacht Club along with Cat and Dogs, Avalon, and Vitamin Sea.  We left as a group with the intention of staying  as a pack so that once we made it to Liberty Island we could take pictures of each other in front of the statue.   The trip was tranquil for the first hour as we slowly approached the Verrazano Narrows bridge but started getting a bit dicey once past it.  

A sunny morning and calm seas as we approach 

The Verrazano Narrows Bridge 

New York looms ahead on the horizon

A few tugs, the Staten Island Ferries, a container ship, a coast guard boat, a sailboat all jockeying around each other and us.   Two in our group had to peel off course to stay away from traffic.  The sailboat got a nasty 5 blast “danger, danger” warning from the ferry captain to get the heck out of his way.  

The big ferries are on a schedule and give way to no pleasure boaters

We finally made it safely to Liberty Island and circled around a few times taking pictures of each other as well as the Statue of Liberty and then continued our travel north up the Hudson and past more of Manhattan. 

Headed to Lady Liberty

As you Wish passing under her torch

The Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

  This is the area where it really got interesting as the smaller high-speed ferries crisscross the river in every direction. We just held our course and they went around, in front and behind us at their leisure.  The biggest issue is all this fast traffic creates a very confused and choppy wave pattern that made for a bumpy ride.   It was hard to appreciate the scenery while staying focused on the water but quick looks upward showed us going past One World Trade Center , the Empire State Building  and others.   Once past the ferries and the midtown area things quickly settled down as the traffic all but disappeared and the waves flattened back down.  

I don't understand the fascination with this leaning tower architectural style

Lower Manhattan  looking southward

The George Washington bridge beckoned ahead with the little red lighthouse by it’s side.  You can read about it in a children's book. 

 

  Then we were suddenly in the start of the Palisades area with high stone cliffs reaching down from the NJ side.  As a kid growing up in NY during the  60’s I can still remember that old jingle for Palisades Amusement Park “Where your dime buys the most, swings all day and after dark…  Ride the coaster and get cool.., in the waves... in the pool, you’ll have fun ..  so … come on over”.   Never made it there as we always went to Rye Beach and Playland  Amusement Park instead.  Despite it being the largest amusement park of it’s time -or perhaps because of it creating traffic problems  in the local communities – it officially closed in 1971 with the land sold off to developers.  

Passing Grant's tomb and Church on the River

Palisades Cliffs

Easy cruising

Leaving the Big Apple in our wake

A tranquil ride continued as we approached the NEW   Tappan Zee Bridge.   Quite a site seeing large portions of the old bridge sitting on barges and remnants of the old support columns being dismantled.  That old bridge was always a bit scary so I’m sure passengers are appreciating the new bridge. 

Old bridge supports

Part of old bridge span

Approaching new Tappan Zee Bridge

  More easy cruising with a surprisingly strong upriver current giving us a nice push through some fantastic scenery.  I know we’re not in the best of the Hudson valley scenery yet but you can already understand why the area was such a draw to landscape artists in the 1800’s.  We made it to Croton on Hudson and Half Moon Bay Marina by 1PM after a 6 hour cruise that was as varied as anything we’ve seen in one day.  We’ll rest here a few days and explore the area with a rental car.  

Half Moon Bay Marina at Croton on Hudson

Journey for June 4

June 1 Atlantic City, NJ to Staten Island, NY

June 1-2

Wow.  The start of another month already!!  We got a very early start from the Brigantine anchorage out the Absecon Inlet entrance past  Atlantic City.  

Absecon Inlet Lighthouse.  Hidden by highrises  from the ocean side but viewable once in the inlet.

 It actually was a very nice anchorage.  Well protected with good depths, good holding mud  bottom and a very well marked entrance channel.  We were a bit nervous entering at low tide yesterday but at high tide the area was quite flooded, so we knew there was plenty of water for our 5:15AM departure.

There was a forecast for fog in the morning and that was exactly what we had leaving the channel. Glad I installed that radar!    No other traffic except for a few other loopers leaving for the same trip - even beat the fishing boats out. 

Hazy morning as the sun tried to come out.  Flat calm seas most of the day.

It remained mostly hazy and cool all day as we continued our traverse up the NJ coast which made the scenery a bit mundane. One seaside resort after another.  The forecast for Saturday called for another day of light 5-10 knot SW winds and seas of just 1-2 feet.    Perfect conditions for running offshore.   With a Sunday forecast calling for increasing winds and likely rain and thunderstorms we were shooting to get all the way to Great Kills Yacht Club on Staten Island.  

Seaside Heights, NJ 

 We figured on a 12-14 hour day to make Great Kills so had also picked Manasquan Inlet as a possible bailout point if we got short on time.  While the seas were calm it was surprising that running 1-1/2 miles offshore we were fighting an adverse .5-1+ knot current most of the day.  I had planned on averaging 7 knots to keep on schedule so had to bump the RPM’s up just to keep it at 6.5 knots.  No sweat for the engine – just hated seeing the fuel consumption gauge taking a big jump up.  

We made Manasquan Inlet after 8 hours so figured even if the current continued against us we could still make Staten Island well before nightfall.   And suddenly the current swapped direction and pushed us along to 7, 8 and even 9 knots at times allowing us to make a quick run of the remaining miles.  We wound up arriving by 5:30 with John C., the local Harbor Host, welcoming us and helping tie the lines.  After 12 hours and 95 miles we finished our trip around the NJ coast and made it into NY.   We also passed the 1000-mile mark today on our looping journey.

Rounding Sandy Hook  with a view of the Verrazano Narrows bridge and  the city  through the haze.

A quick dinner out and then bed was calling after a long day for a sound night’s sleep!

Sunday June 2  we got up relatively early and walked up to Hyde Blvd. for a salt bagel with butter for breakfast and then a visit to Fran and Sals Italian Market which was highly recommended as worth a visit by our harbor host.  A great place with numerous premade items at the back counter.   We picked up some eggplant lasagna, eggplant roll ups, baked pastry pinwheels one each filled with sausage, spinach and eggplant.   A couple of house made meatballs and an assortment of olives.    A nice loaf of just baked Italian bread,  a piece of Tiramisu and a Napoleon  from the bakery finished off items for a few dinners on board.  Back to the boat and packed  that all up in the frig. 

Leaving Staten Island looking south to Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Arriving in NYC.  Iconic older ferry terminal getting a rehab.

Next up we took the bus to the ferry terminal where we visited the National Lighthouse Museum which was right next door.   Very limited exhibit and definitely a work in progress which should be a nice facility in a few years as they continue to expand.   Then a trip over to Manhattan, a walk past Battery Park and then a somber visit to the 9-11 Memorial.   

Walking up Broadway and passed "the Bull"

One World Trade Center

9-11 Memorial

After a rainy return trip on the ferry and bus we heated up some of those Italian delights and had a feast for dinner.  Finished the day off with a great  show from a wind and lightning storm which promises some sunny, cool and breezy weather for tomorrow.   Ideal weather for walking around and playing tourist again.

Journey for June 1