Thursday - June 30, 2011

Lat 41 30 15 Long 74 00 26, Fuel 148 gal; engine 902.39, Newburg


Left Newburg around 9:15, not without some difficulty leaving the dock. I got a little scratch on the gel coat which will have to be fixed on our return to South bay Cove. Wind blowing in as we tried to move out from the face dock. First time I have done that. Got out in the river and set the throttle at around 1650 and for some reason we were traveling at an average of 9.5 knots up the river. Didn’t make any sense since yesterday we were traveling at the same RPM’s but only going around 7 knots. The tidal current and the face wind must have had something to do with it since we arrived at our next destination – the Catskills marina at around 2. Who was there to greet us but Bade Boomer who had been taking their time going up the river. We are moving a little quicker since we have to be back in Toronto on the 16th for a wedding and are trying to get into Canadian waters in plenty of time.
The trip down the river is extremely beautiful, passing by the old homes of the Vanderbilts and the Roosevelts at Hyde Park. We also passed by the CIA, not the oone you normally think of but the Culinary Institute of America, America’s foremost chef school. They do serve the public on certain days of the week but reservations are required some time in advance. In any case there was no place to anchor and the climb up the hill would have killed us much less the climb back down. The river banks are quite steep and lots of big houses are perched on the top of the banks.

Wednesday June 29, 2011

Looking back at New York







Lat 40 42 60; Long 74 02 47; Eng 894.12; 160 gal, Liberty Landing, New Jersey

We left Liberty Landing this morning at around 10:15 with no idea where we would stop. Moved out into the river and started heading north. Took us some time to reach the end of Manhattan but that was not he end of New York City since it stretched for several more miles until we got almost to Tarry Town. In case you don’t remember, Tarrytown is the home of the headless horseman. We considered anchoring around Tarrytown in the but since it was only 12:30 we continued to press on. Brenda thought that Newburgh was only about 20 miles upstream which would give an arrival time of around 2:30. It was a little further than that and we arrived at around 5:30. Passed by West Point but could not stop as no place to anchor. They apparently have tours.

We settled in and then went to dinner at a dockside bar with great ribs and chicken.




Along the river






West Point

Tuesday June 28, 2011

We went over to New York around 10 and found the Path which will take us back after the musical tonight to New Jersey. It was right beside the World Trade Center. Then we went uptown to wander around a bit.

We made a visit to the Museum of Folk Art and saw the quilt exhibit. Very impressive – the quilts were all made in the 19th century and very beautiful. Three floors of quilts were displayed with lots of description as to their origins. Walked uptown to Central Park and along the west side to the Museum of Natural History. As it was around 3 we joined into the last walking tour around the museum and while it did not go everywhere it did it a number of highlights. The leader provided some good information about the museum and its displays including the dinosaur exhibits, the gem display, the space display etc. There was a lot more to see but it was around 5 when we finished so we left to go pick up our tickets for the musical at the Marriott located at Times Square. Picked up the tickets had a nice drink in their revolving restaurant and then went to 44th street (about 2 blocks) away and saw a great musical. Lots of songs that everyone of our generation would recognize. It is much the same as Jersey Boys. The music is great.

Left the theatre after the musical, caught the subway (E line) down to the Path where we caught a train to the Grove Street Station in Jersey City and then a $7 cab ride back to the marina in less than an hour.

Monday June 27, 2011

A garden in the city





Caught the ferry over to New York around 9 and then the subway to Times Square where we then walked up 7th Avenue, intending to buy some tickets to a show or musical. Brenda ran across two people who were hawking tickets on the street which is something you find quite often in New York. We were going to see what was on sale at Times Square but the lines are usually long and you take your chance with what you can get. In any case we went to their office and order two tickets for Tuesday night to the musical “Baby, It’s You” which we thought would be good. Based on the story of the woman who discovered the Shirelles among other groups. Lots of songs by the Shirelles and others.


After that we continued walking around, went over to the Empire State Building where I got into the line up to go up. Brenda decided she didn’t want to go up and was going to go around the corner to the Starbucks and wait for me. I got into the line up, went through security which was like at the airport and then waited and waited to buy a ticket. Finally gave up and came back downstairs to find Brenda waiting for me on a bench right outside the Empire State Building. She couldn’t find Starbucks which right around the corner.




We grabbed our hop on/hop off bus since the ticket we purchased yesterday was good for two days and went for another ride around the downtown. Nice way to get off your feet and see the city again. Different announcer and different point of view. After the ride we walked past the Museum of Modern Art and discovered the Museum of Folk Art which had a special display of quilts. Unfortunately it was closed today, but we decided to return tomorrow as one of Brenda’s interests is quilts.

Sunday June 26, 2011

Self portrait

Today we went over for our first visit to New York (which really is Manhattan Island) by catching the ferry from Liberty Landing in New Jersey to New York. As fortune would have it, it dropped us off at ground zero. We took a walk inside the building overlooking the construction work on one of the new towers and a part of the memorial. To say the least it is something that brings sad thoughts to your mind.






We then figured out how to catch the subway up to Times Square and then walked around a bit. Subway was easy to figure out since most lines run north/south with the a few lines running east to Brooklyn. Most of them will take you close to the key tourist sites. They are very clean and very little graffiti. Some of the stations are older but it appears they are gradually repairing them. Never felt any problem on the subway as there are a lot of people traveling the subway. The fare collection is easy and done by buying a fare card with a number of trips included. Toronto should catch on to this idea but that might put few of the sleeping fare collectors out of work.


We went on a hop on/hop off bus tour around the downtown area of Manhattan which took us through Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho, Noho etc and down to the battery and back. Got a real feel for the structure of the downtown part of the City. Passed by a vegetable gardening area in the battery with the owners tending their vegetable gardens. A lot of the buildings in New York have interesting ginger bread carvings on them and a look to the sky shows a lot of unique artwork on the buildings.



Obviously, a lot of people rent apartments in Manhattan, and they try to individualize there balconies if they have one.





After lunch we took the uptown tour past the museums, central park, through Harlem, past Columbia University, Grant’s Tomb etc. Both tours were quite interesting and they had very good conductors knowledgeable about the City. Of course some of it was memorized script but quite often they threw a little personal knowledge in. Took a walk around Central Park and was amazed by its size and that the City managed to preserve it. As this was Sunday the place was filled with parents and their kids. I think living in a city like New York, forces people to use the facilities available in the city to the maximum extent possible, as it is more difficult to leave the city, few roads lead off the island and because it is so expensive in New York, a lot of people don’t have cars.


Central Park


We were quite tired from the bus trip and the walking so we caught the subway back to the ferry terminal and went back to the boat and had dinner in the local restaurant. Very Expensive! Brenda is still amazed at what we paid for her one little lamb chop. But that is New York. The marina is the most expensive we have encountered along the route - $4/foot and we are not even in New York. However if we didn’t want to stay here we could have moved on.

Saturday - June 25, 2011

Staten Island Ferry



Lat 40 25 05; long 74 01 76, fuel 111 gallons, eng 890.24 Atlantic Highlands Marina

Hurrah, the fog has lifted and we are out of here. Being a weekend Sandy Hook Bay was filled with fishing boats, a lot of fishing boats. Had to work our way slowly around them, between them, being careful not to run into them, although they seemed not to care since some of them would start up and cruise right past as if our boat did not exist. Finally got into the shipping channel and moved up into the New York Harbor. This was even crazier than the out in the bay. Lots of large ferries and tow boats traveling at high speed and throwing up big wakes. In addition they do not veer from their course and if you happen to be in the way, well your tough luck because they will run you over. You have to be aware of your entire situation all the time. However I heard it is worse on the weekdays. As we moved down the harbor we went right past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Finally we arrived in Liberty Landing Marina in New Jersey. Stopped and got a pump out and filled up with 150 gallons of fuel. Our slip was right in front of the restaurant and about 20 steps from the ferry which takes you over to New York. Runs on the half hour. Went to lunch at the restaurant and had a great anniversary lunch. Back to the boat for some rest and then I cooked dinner.


Here's Brenda

Thursday, Friday June 23 and 24

Fog – lots of fog, couldn’t see the breakwater, so we waited because it was to lift around 10. Never did lift and there were thunderstorms, so we decided to stay here even if we could not get off the boat. About 6 feet of tide and didn’t want to bring the boat in closer to the dock for fear of losing my bowsprit and anchors. No side docks in this slip. We did a lot cleaning up on the boat and in the engine room. Friday was the same. Nothing like anchoring out in a marina.

I don't think I would come back to this marina again. The staff are not very helpful and they put us in a slip with no dock access. Name of the marina is Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina.