A gift of France and a quote from,  “The New Colossus”, a sonnet that American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887) wrote in 1883 to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World).[2] In 1903, the poem was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal’s lower level. -Wikipedia

June 7 – 12, 2019

June 7 – GKYC to Haverstraw Marina including the NY Harbor (55 miles)

June 8 – Haverstraw Marina to Poughkeepsie Yacht Club (44 miles)

June 9 – Poughkeepsie Yacht Club to Shady Harbor near New Baltimore NY (46 miles)

Miles traveled this blog:  145

Total Miles traveled: 5,760

We cast off the lines at GKYC early as we needed a holding tank pump out and were the slower of three boats headed to the Statue of Liberty for a once in a lifetime photo shoot.  As we rounded the corner from Staten Island the Verrazano Bridge loomed large as the entrance into New York Harbor with Brooklyn on one side and New Jersey on the other and Manhattan straight ahead.

 Verrazano or VZ Bridge into NY Harbor

To say that local boat traffic was intimidating would be the understatement of the year. After the VZ bridge a large area to the left was purposed for freighter and barge anchorage with many freighters and barges resting there.  Hey, wait, is that anchored boat moving?  Indeed, it is!  Next came the Circle Ferries, Staten Island Ferries along with a host of smaller tour and private boats.  It’s a moving circus.  Just as we approached the statue standing serenely on her pedestal, a NYFD fire boat motored up letting loose her millions of gallons of water as an enormous fountain.  We still have no idea if that was a drill or some real emergency as helicopters buzzed overhead for another 20 minutes adding to our chaos.

Ferries circling Lady Liberty

Fire Boat putting on a show for us!

 

The traffic cleared momentarily and we (B-Side, Golden Daze -a beautiful 55’ Fleming-  and Namaste) saw this as our opportunity to move in for the shoot.  Within 10 minutes, all captains navigating the boats and all admirals taking as many pictures of one another as quickly as shutter speeds could manage, the mission was accomplished.  The thrill of looking into the soft eyes of the Lady, the sense of peace and gratefulness was overwhelming.  My wish is for all to be right with the world!

Namaste passing in front of The Statue of Liberty on June 7, 2019

Soon the three boats dispersed (texting pictures and thoughts to one another) and we were on our way past Manhattan, and up the lower, midtown, then upper west side identifying as many landmarks as possible along the way.  The stunning newness of the financial district compares drastically with the historical feel to the remainder of the city.  The Empire State Building, while clearly identifiable, is minimized and yet stately by comparison.

The financial district from the water.  Wish I could offer Mrs. Seagull’s eye view!

The contrast in architecture and ambiance of Manhattan as we moved up the Hudson.

As we continued north, we passed under the George Washington Bridge, by Englewood Cliffs, NJ where Jim regularly traveled to Volkswagen Sales and Marketing headquarters years ago, and finally under the Tappan Zee Bridge, some 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan.  We were relieved that the boat traffic on a Friday morning gradually diminished so that we could focus on the skyline of this great city.  So many thoughts, so little time!

The George Washington Bridge!  Note the tiny red lighthouse that in it’s day was the stately navigational aid, now overwhelmed by the bridge.

The Tappan Zee Bridge

It was a long day but we eventually decided to pull into the Haverstraw Marina where we learned that fuel was $2.99 a gallon and probably the best value before entering Canada so we filled up, pulled to our slip, had a swim and a lovely dinner at their outdoor restaurant.  What a day!

Haverstraw Marina Pool.  Not too crowded by we did get in the water.  Note the Hudson River in the top center of the picture.

Sunset at the Haverstraw Marina in a beautiful and peaceful cove just miles from NYC.

Acutely aware that laundry hadn’t been done in more than two weeks and one of the two filled bags inadvertently got wet in the aft cabin shower, we delayed our departure to throw in three loads, drink our fill of Biggby coffee and eventually got on our way up the majestic Hudson River.  I had been looking forward to this section of the trip but really had no idea.  From the palisades and lush river valley to the small towns and the jaw dropping mansions and famous institutions, the Hudson is glorious and yet purposeful for commerce and fishing as well as recreation.  How much of our livelihood depends upon the rivers of the world!

Englewood Cliffs NJ and home to Volkswagen of the early 80’s

U. S. Army West Point Academy

This night we pulled into the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club.  They were advertised to be a friendly group and charged only $1/ft/night as compared to “the” city where the dock fee was $5.50/ft/night.  The tiny yacht club lived up to the friendly and value descriptions.  However, upon arrival, at the very last minute we discovered large bolts protruding from the dock at about mid-hull which would have done major damage to the gel-coat if we hadn’t gotten fenders (large white air-filled bumpers) and boards in place instantly.  Whew, that was a close one!  On the other hand thankfully it was a peaceful night except for the AMTRAK trains that run passenger cars up the east side of the Hudson and the more upscale side to NYC and freight cars on the west side to Jersey City where the religious and private institutions abound.

Poughkeepsie Yacht Club

Sunset on the Mooring Field

80 mph into the City

The following day was more of the same beauty with the Catskill Mountains and multiple lighthouses as our landmarks.  All along the way we dodged debris such as tree branches and “dead heads” meaning the larger part of the log is underwater and not visible.  If hit, these do major damage to expensive props hanging below the boat.  So far so good!

Maid of the Meadows lighthouse near Hyde Park, NY,  note the Catskill Mountains in the distance.

Lighthouse in the Kingston, NY area

New York Open Water Swimmers, each accompanied by a kayac on an early Sunday morning.  Police boats required that we come to a complete stop and allow the ten or so swimmers to pass.  Water temperature was 70.6 degrees!  What an inspiration!

In the late afternoon we pulled into the Shady Harbor Marina to a welcoming committee of friends who, like us, showed up for a pig roast beginning within the hour.  Thankfully, Jenny Lynn had made an extra dish-to-pass so that we could attend without guilt.  It was sunny and hot with tasty food choices (like a Lutheran pot-luck, I am told) and a good band.   Boater appreciation day at the SH Marina.  With NYC behind us we will stay put for a few days to regroup and figure out where next.

Shady Harbor Pig Roast

Good Boat Name:   Summer Salt – recently purchased Albin ’36 (just like ours) by a couple over 90 who have sailed around the world X2!  They are starting the Loop!

Bad Boat Name:  Schmitt House (now, I get it but really???)

Happy Father’s Day to all those who have Dads or who are Dads!

Quote:  “Every single illegal alien who is employed, got hired by a law-breaking American.   Instead of cracking down on those poor sods who seek a better life, go after those who get rich on the backs of the most vulnerable people.”  -Uncle Uwe’s, World of Wonder