New York City

Aug 17

dinghy dock, 79th street basin

NYC !!!  We pulled the anchor a bit after 7 this morning.  The Tappan Zee bridge just ahead.  The state of New York is building a new 4 Billion dollar bridge next to the old one.  It is in need of too many repairs to fix.  A staggering number for one bridge.  As we pass by / under, the see 20 - 30 cranes, barges of all sorts with tugs coming and going.  Police pattroling the area to enforce the no wake zone.  A crew boat dropping off  the next shift.  Earlier this week, we passed a ‘shipyard’ with HUGE I-beams… we guessed at the time what they might be for.  Now we know.  Bridge trusses and supports.  The bridge spans about 2 miles, more with the approach ramps.  It appears to be in the initial stages of construction.  Only a few vertical structures in place but tons of activity everywhere along the new placement.  

To starboard are steep rock cliffs; New Jersey, in contrast to the urban New York side.  Heavily populated. Industry, housing, churches.  

In the distance, we can see a city outline… can it be New York already?  We are still about 20 miles away.  The sky is thick with haze, 10 am.  It is already verging on hot… nearing 80.  

central park

A bit further, we can see the George Washington Bridge.  Majestic, the sun illuminating the silver metal of the 2 spires.  And as the sun burns off the mist and haze, Yonkers to port.  The current is going against us about a knot.  A call to the 79th Street Basin marina informs us there are NO mooring balls for transients today.  Anchor of move on.  So, we anchor.  At the END of the mooring field as instructed… over mile from the marina via dinghy.  Yes, we still have to pay or we can’t use their dinghy dock.  It’s only $26 dollars.  Still quite a bargain for being at the base of the city.  The tide is going up s we drop the hook, 1pm.  We grab a bite to eat aboard, pack a shore bag and head to the Big Apple!  The dinghy ride is uneventful but takes a while.  We tie up and make our way to the office.  The attendant is less than helpful or polite.  One of the only ‘games’ in town, she apparently doesn't need to be.  

Rockefeller center

We head up the pedestrian path and onto 79th street.  Jan was here a few years ago and has a good idea where to go and how to get around.  We decide on Central Park first.  It is lovely.  Huge Elms that survived the ‘Dutch Elm Disease’ are plentiful through out.  Bicycle carts can be wet by the minute, a driver (peddler) taking you around the park.  There are huge outcroppings of rock everywhere adding to the beauty of the park.  A few lake / ponds and lots of vendors with quick eats or beverages.  There are free concerts and movies featured at different venues and dates throughout the park.  Sadly, Elf is no where to be seen.  

We continue on heading in the general direction of Times Square.  Just as we are about to leave the park, a bit of a pedestrian jam… “They” (?) are filming a movie.  We watch a few takes… the same scene then continue.  Non of us recognize the actors, but we have snaps just incase.  It is a bit of a hike to Times Square.  It is HOT.  I am melting… The guys take pitting on me and we stop for ice coffee.  

Times Square.  It is amazing.  It is lots of people.  It is LOTS of electronic flashing billboards.  Tons of tourists… It seems impossible that thousands of people can fit in this relatively small area on New Years Eve.  We see the ‘Ball’, and a couple of nearly naked girls… They are wearing paint and a G string.  For a few bucks they will pose with you… Yes, he did…

street scene

We walk by NBC studios, Rockefeller Plaza (it looks WAY bigger on T.V.).  A stop and pay homage to the Late Show (sign) with Stephen Colbert!  I am nearly a puddle, so the guys start us on the long, hot path home.  The City is much more grand than I imagined.  It seems very diverse in inhabitants and architecture.  Old and new mingling together.  A couple of sweat breaks for me on the way back.  Then the loooong ride back to the boat.  

Feet up.  Watching the City.  The breeze cooling the afternoon and us down.  I check the maps app to see where we are in relation to the City, just off Grants Tomb.  The boat is swinging at anchor off from 102 street.  

Aug 18   NCY

New York City sky line

Our night was cut short by a bit of a squall.   The rain started about 5 am, we quick closed the hatches and got to the cockpit just as the skies started dumping in earnest.   Pillows and cushions and anything that might take flight getting tossed below while we were given a morning shower, minus the soap.  The wind peaked at 26 knots.  We are swinging all over as are the other boats.  The wind and tide / current fighting each other and tossing us all about.  Our closest neighbor a huge, old wooden ketch, Styrr, bounces to and fro in front of us.  His boat looks like something from Pirates of the Caribbean.  The captain is from Sweden, the boat registered in one of the ‘Islands’… he looks like you might expect a captain to look like living on a cool, old ship.  Long, shady blonde hair.  No shirt, a mysterious scar on his chest.  And a great accent from a faraway place.  

We try to get some sleep but the wind is whistling, the anchor alarm sounding, and the jostling about keep us on our toes.  Within the hour all is calm again and we catch a bit more sleep.  

We missed the out-going tide for our ride to the dinghy dock due to our ‘second sleep’ so it’s slow going to shore, the current against us.  A quick stop at ‘Styrr’ to say good morning.  

We catch the subway (can you say air conditioned!) to South Ferry, / Battery Park at the end of the peninsula, then the Staten Island Ferry (free) to Staten Island.  There are several running back and forth and they all look packed with people.  It is amazingly efficient and fast.  We pass by Elis Island and The Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island.  We can see the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge as well, as we make our way over and back.  There is a L O T of shipping and ferry traffic here giving us an idea what we will face in a few days when we head out into the blue water of the Atlantic!  

new friends

We head to China Town for lunch.  A quick stroll through Little Italy and then a treat for me… Taro Bubble Tea… (Julia, it was awesome… thanks for telling me about it!)  With temps near ninety, what do we do?  How about a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge… The pedestrian / bike path goes over / above the auto traffic.  It is worth the walk, even in the heat. We take a break for a nap at Brooklyn Bridge Park before heading back toward home… Transportation: the East River Ferry $4 each… While waiting for our boat we see a sailboat coming through the pass just as one of 2 ferry boats backs out… it’s a close call.  The current is rippin’ through here.  (The worst part of the channel is called ‘Hell’s Gate’.)  The second ferry boat backs out, doesn't see the sail

boat as it is hidden by the first ferry boat… how they missed each other is remarkable… The next ferry is ours.  We are off and it is fast!  We disembark at 34th street… think movie titles.  We walk west more or less to catch the Red Line subway back to 79th street.  All day we have been skirting the new One World Trade Center / Freedom Tower… It is always looming over and around us.  It is awe inspiring.  We plan to visit there before we leave N.Y.   The City is incredibly big.  Walking so much of it gives a unique perspective.  We catch the subway, then head to a deli cafe for dinner before calling it a night.  

The tide is against us again giving us the extra practice in wave dodging.  Getting aboard is a challenge as well, the boat lurching up and down, the dinghy going exactly opposite the boats movements.  Timing is critical, the step being either a few inches of a few feet, while sloshing all over the place.  We abort the plan to use the aft ladder and climb over the side rail where it is safer and less challenging.  The dinghy and us properly secured  and aboard, we sit back and breath a sigh of relief.  We have covered a LOT of ground today and barely seen what the city has to offer… We are so thank to Jan as our tour guide. He remembered what and how to get to all the hot spots from his trip here 3 years ago.  

Aug 19    NYC

We were able to get going and catch the tide still heading out.  We will need fuel for the dinghy soon or we’ll be stuck aboard… While the guys use the showers, I noticed a few of the workers from the pier / barge adjacent to the dinghy dock working near the gate entrance for the marina.  Idea… I ask them if they can help us locate gas within walking distance.  The foreman Dean says, ‘hang on… I’ll get you some.”  And he takes off down the dock.  Lamas, one of the other men in charge, takes the time to have a nice chat with us.  He is third generation Mexican.  Worked hard as did his father and grandfather. He never finished high school but was able to earn a captains license for tug boats, the one we pass every day being used for the barge.  He also is a skilled crane operator.  Very proved of his heritage and hard work. Dean returns with the fuel, Jim fills our tank for the dinghy then returns the can, very grateful.  We fully intend to pay but they wave us off.  ‘Pay it forward’…. we are so grateful.  They have been so generous and helpful, saving us lots of trouble.  

With that behind us, we continue on with the days itinerary.  First up, the subway to South Ferry and Battery Park to continue on by ferry to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.  We choose the audio tour, giving a bit of history mixed with narratives.  

When the Statue was dedicated women weren't allowed to go the the dedication.  They had little to no rights and couldn't vote.  The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, depicted as a woman… yet women couldn't attend… A number of women activists hire boats to take them out and they protested via boat, this is irony.  

subway

We continued on, the boat stoping at Ellis Island, we did not get off.  Back at Battery Park we walk the short distance to One World Trade Center and Memorial Museum.  We had Indian cuisine for lunch… fabulous!  

Brooklyn Bridge

The ‘Ground Zero’ sight has been transformed into an awe inspiring site.  The footprint for the ‘Twin  Towers’ is now lines with 500 White oaks and each building site is now a pool that flows into the depths of the earth.  The names of those lost are etched into the granite perimeter housing the

Natural History Muse

World Trade Center Museum

pools.  Off to the side is the new One World Trade Center.  Grand and dominating the space, as a guardian overseeing her loved ones.   Our volunteer guide, George, was very passionate and informative.  He pointed out numerous things we may have missed.  One, a solitary Flowering Pear tree.  About 20 feet in height.  After the dust had settled and the awful task of clean us began, a lone tree was discovered.  It was nearly completely burnt, all but its roots.  The tree was exhumed and placed in expert hands where it was nurtured for 9 years.  It survived and has been returned to the grounds.  The tree has continued to thrive and produce seedlings every year.  They are harvested and planted as sites across the country where other tragedies have occurred.  A symbol of resilience and tenacity!  

The museum itself is beyond words. The bulk of the museum and it’s artifacts are under ground, set at and in the literal foundation of the Twin Towers.  I can not possibly due it justice.  I hope you will come for yourself.  What I will say is it was very sobering and inspiring.  Beautiful and tragic.   We left there with heavy hearts and lost in our thoughts.  

We called it a day and caught the subway for home.  We stopped at a local grocer just a few blocks from the marina.  Holy cheese bat man!  They had the largest ready to eat food selection I have ever seen.  We filled the basket and were off.  Our bellies full we finished date evening reflecting of today.  Political discussions trying to solve the worlds injustices.  

Aug 20     More NYC…

Times Square

We took it a bit easy today.  Jan did a bike tour on the city.  Jim and I toured the Natural History Museum, A Night Day at the Museum. We spent from 10 - 4 in the museum.  It was quite well done.  Displays, movies, inter-actives. After a visit from my old acquaintance Senior Back Spasssm, I was ready to call it a day.  We grabbed a late lunch at a pub then met up with Jan.  He had had quite a time today.  Two flat tires on his rental bike trip, then a lot of hills in Harlem to contend with, all up of course.  Back aboard we relaxed, then hit the bunks early.  

Aug 21

NYC - Atlantic Highlands / Sandy Hook

Needing to do a few ‘projects’ before heading out, Jim and I stay aboard while Jan headed to the city.  We plan to leave tomorrow for Sandy Hook, NJ. then an over night run to the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay.   Butttt, fate had other ideas.  Jan didn't even make it to the dock when the dinghy motor quit and he had to row the last few yards.  Try as he might it would NOT restart.  The good news, our mail had a arrived at the marina and after many inquiries, Jan was able to get a tow back to the boat.  The shore plan abandoned.  The weather was in our favor and with our mail, we decided to head out for Sandy Hook, NJ then and there.  But, fate again stepped in.  The anchor did not want to free up from the bottom.  We throttled forward, then back. The winch pulling with all the power it had.  The boat bucking with the strain. The current throwing in its 2 cents.  The anchor chain was lodged around something… a rock? another anchor?   car? … It did eventually relinquish it’s hold and we were off, two sweaty guys and a thankful crew.  There was considerable traffic to dodge, but Maritime rules were followed and we all stayed clear of each other.  Ferries being the the most prolific of all the traffic in the channel.  We passed One World Trade Center then Elis Island and Lady Liberty.  It is a most impressive sky line. New York Harbor is littered with barges and ships waiting for cargo: to receive and deliver.  We cross under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge  And, we are officially in the Atlantic!   Salt water.  We have a pretty uneventful motor across the harbor on to Sandy Hook / Atlantic Highlands.  We are able to get a mooring bay for the night.  We eat aboard then use the marina tender to go ashore, get showers and a preliminary look about town.  We spend some time and money at the On The Deck harbor restaurant.  Good internet so we can get caught up on emails, blogs, etc. 

Aug 22

Atlantic Highlands / Sandy Hook
We got some groceries, fixed (we think) the dinghy motor... and if all goes well we are off to the Chesapeake Bay !