Day 315

We left the transient wall at the Hudson River Maritime Marina in Kingston, NY, on Friday morning, 07/23/21, at 9:30 am, since we had a short travel day ahead of us. We lucked-out and sneaked past the weather gods, because we found ourselves cruising in perfectly, calm, clear conditions. Skies were partly cloudy with brilliant sunshine and the air was haze-free, thanks to the low humidity.

Cruising farther northward up the Hudson River, we passed the riverside villages of East Kingston, Barrytown, and Annapolis-On-Hudson, NY, and slipped underneath the Kingston-Rhinecliff (NY Hwy 199) Bridge. In this very clear air we could fully appreciate the lush green rolling hills and bucolic countryside that covers both sides of the Hudson River for miles.

We passed Tivoli Bays, Falling Waters Preserve, the Saugerties Lighthouse, and the small hamlet of Glasco, NY. Next came Malden, Bristol Beach, West Camp, and Cementon, NY, to our port, with Germantown to our starboard.

As the morning progressed, we cruised through the expansive Livingston State Forest to our starboard, as we approached Catskill, NY, just a little ways up Catskill Creek to our port. And then we passed underneath the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

The weather continuously improved all morning, with skies clearing and the sun shining more and more brilliantly. Temperatures were in the mid-70s. Couldn’t have been more perfect! We passed Athens, NY, to port, and Hudson, NY, to starboard, as we approached the long, skinny island called Middle Ground Flats, right there in the middle of the Hudson River. On the far southern end of Middle Ground Flats, stands the Hudson City Light Lighthouse, warning mariners about the ground directly in front of them.

In many places, the Hudson River is surprisingly wide – much more so than either one of us had expected. Toward the end of today’s journey, we passed Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Refuge, Coxsackie, Newton Hook, and Stuyvesant, NY, before reaching New Baltimore, where Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina is located.

We arrived at Shady Harbor about 1:30 pm this afternoon. After refueling and a pump-out, we cruised over to our slip for the next several days. To our surprise, we saw Captain Crusty and his wife, Dorothy, aboard their trawler, Magic, tied directly behind us at Shady Harbor. Small world!

After settling in and showering, we walked up to Shady Harbor’s very own marina restaurant, The Boathouse Grille, for early dinner and libations.

Position: N 42° 27.078, W 73° 47.206

Distance traveled:  41 SM

Total distance traveled: 4404 SM

Total marina nights: 292

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 314 – 315

We lazed around on Wednesday morning, 07/21/21. Steve cooked us a full breakfast aboard, while I caught up on laundry. When we got off the boat, the Jamaican men constantly working on Belle Aventure’s extensive teak smiled really big and bid us a cheerful good morning. We walked all around historic downtown Kingston, exploring this interesting village with maritime origins.

We enjoyed cocktails on the patio at Ship To Shore, then walked to nearby Mariner’s Harbor for dinner.

On Thursday, the 22nd, we toured the Hudson River Maritime Museum, to which we received free tickets with our transient tie-up payment at the affiliated marina, and learned all about the history of the Hudson River.

That evening we selected an Italian restaurant named Savonas, in historic downtown Kingston, NY, for dinner, enjoying two scrumptious entrees.

Position: N 41° 55.137, W 73° 58.821

Total marina nights: 291

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 313

Even though the weather at 7:45 am on Tuesday morning, 07/20/21, was hazy, misty, and almost foggy, the protected waters of the Hudson River were super smooth – our favorite. As we traveled northward, we passed Haverstraw, NY, to our port and Crugers, NY, to our starboard. Soon we came to Stony Point and Tompkins Cove, NY, then Verplanck, Jones Point, and Peekskill, NY, where we’d shopped at Walmart via rental car last week. As we passed Highland Falls, NY, and West Point Academy to our port, we had a completely different vantage point from the one we’d experienced earlier, via land. The Academy actually overlooks Highlands State Park on the opposite side of the Hudson River.

Eventually we passed Cornwall-On-Hudson, New Windsor, and Newburgh to port. There was no doubt we were traversing the Hudson River Valley, as magnificent mountains rose up out of the water on both sides. They were beautiful, despite the partially obscuring haze that still hung in the air all around us. Few good pictures today, unfortunately…

A highlight of this portion of the river was Legacy cruising beneath the Bear Mountain Bridge, which we’d crossed multiple times in our rental car the week before. We passed Cornwall-On-Hudson, (where we floated right past the very old Bannerman Castle where it sits out in the river on a small island), New Windsor, NY, then cruised underneath the Newburgh-Beacon (NY I-84) Bridge, when we reached the town of Newburgh, NY.

The air began to clear around us a bit as we continued northward past Castle Point, Chelsea, and New Hamburg, NY, before reaching the point where the Wappinger Creek flows into the Hudson River. Craggy hills and rocks rise straight out of the Hudson River all through this portion. And, at one point through this area, our depth gauge read more than 100-feet in water depth.

After Crown Heights and Milton, we reached Poughkeepsie, NY, and passed beneath the Mid-Hudson (US Highway 44) Bridge. Next we saw the beautiful buildings of the Culinary Institute of America perched high up on the hill to our starboard, and recalled the scrumptious dinner we’d enjoyed there exactly one week ago.

The Crum Elbow portion of the Hudson River, north of Hyde Park, NY, is the deepest part of the entire river, where the depths reach a staggering 135-feet. Soon, we passed the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site to our starboard, but could only see its rooftops through the tall trees surrounding it. Not far past it, to our port, we saw the impressive Holy Cross Monastery. We passed Straatsburgh, NY, to our starboard and Esopus Meadows Preserve to our port, before reaching Port Ewen, NY, Sleightsburgh Park, and the mouth of Rondout Creek where it spills into the Hudson River.

Hudson River Maritime Museum and Marina are located on Rondout Creek, not far off of the Hudson, and we arrived there at approximately 1:45 pm that afternoon. The harbor master instructed us to tie-up to their transient wall on Legacy’s starboard side, facing into the current. Once Legacy was “all tucked-in”, as our friend Brandee Sharp likes to say, we showered and then walked into the town of Kingston, which is directly adjacent to the marina. There are multiple restaurants, bars, and shops right there close-by that make Kingston an enjoyable place to stop along the Hudson River. We decided on Ole Savannah Southern Table and Bar for our early dinner on Tuesday, 07/20/21.

Position: N 41° 55.137, W 73° 58.821

Distance traveled:  56 SM

Total distance traveled: 4363 SM

Total marina nights: 289

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 306 – 312

On Tuesday morning, 07/13/21, we finally got an Uber to drive us from the marina up to the local Enterprise location to pick-up our rental car we reserved for our week’s stay in the Croton-On-Hudson area. We lucked-out and were issued a brand new Nissan Rogue SUV, which was very nice and still had that new-car smell. 🙂 We drove our rental to the local USPS, so I could mail off some recently-completed crocheted sections to Warm Up America! and pick-up some more mailing boxes. We then ventured to Walmart, in nearby Peekskill, NY, to buy more yarn and other supplies.

Upon the recommendation of several people, we tried our luck and actually scored dinner reservations for that evening at The Culinary Institute of America, in nearby Hyde Park, NY! Any Looper that stops in Croton-On-Hudson tries to get meal reservations at the CIA, but not everyone is successful, so we felt especially fortunate. There are several restaurants inside the large school, and we got to sample the delicious dishes from the American Bounty restaurant. Even though our drive was more than 42 miles, one way, the experience was well worth the drive – especially since we had such a nice vehicle in which to make the trip. Before and after our meals, we explored the lovely grounds of the institute, something else that was suggested. The food, the drink, the ambiance, and the entire experience was very much one to remember.

The next day we drove our fancy ride to a nearby Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a grocery store, where I managed to find a new plant for my growing collection of boat plants. During our travels that day, we crossed over the impressive Tappan Zee Bridge, west over the Hudson River, into central New York state. The SUN was actually shining that day, which was a real treat for both of us, even though more storms were forecast for that afternoon and night. Just as I’d expected, though, the sun being out made all the difference in the Croton-On-Hudson area. Every direction we looked was so much more interesting and beautiful with natural light shining on it. 🙂

Another day, again upon recommendation, we drove up to Croton Gorge Park, located just a few miles from our marina. This whole area reminded both of us of the Smoky Mountains, down in eastern Tennessee. There is an impressive dam, multiple waterfalls, and rushing creek surrounded by park-like grounds, hills, and forest.

We drove to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Sleepy Hollow, NY, which is a large and lovely old cemetery built on and amongst steeply rolling hills. Dogwoods, rhododendrons, and roses of Sharon bloomed prolifically during our visit. I was in love! I had never seen so many different species of Japanese maple trees all planted in one location. Some of them were very large, as Japanese maples go, so I knew they’d been growing there for many years. Those trees gave the entire place a magical, dream-like appearance.

Steve parked our car in the shade and waited for me as I walked all over the grounds, taking picture after picture. In every direction, I was surrounded by countless old and interesting grave markers, lovely flowers, and lush plantings with sunlight streaming through them. What more could I ask for? Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, and Leona Helmsley are among the hundreds buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which was incorporated on 10/29/1849. Steve commented that the Helmsley mausoleum is larger than any house we’ve ever owned. And he was right!

On our way back from Sleepy Hollow, we stopped in downtown Ossining On Hudson, NY, at Sing Sing Kill Brewery for an afternoon craft beer and some wine. We sat outside and people-watched in that day’s glorious weather. Our general musings about Ossining, and this entire part of the country, were that the buildings here are obviously very old and not necessarily kept up. Almost to compliment the age and general dreariness of the area, the surrounding landscaping appears rarely manicured, being allowed to grow up around streets, sidewalks, and buildings, giving a rather unkempt appearance.

That evening, when we arrived back in Croton, we tried Black Rock Kitchen for dinner, upon the advice of a couple we’d met earlier at our marina, and agreed the couple knew what they were talking about.

On Friday, 07/16/21, we journeyed up to the US Military Academy at West Point, in Highland, NY. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), West Point was closed for tours due to Covid restrictions, but there was a very nice exhibit and museum we were able to walk-through and tour, which was better than nothing. I was able to take some pictures and we both learned a lot about the school, which was originally established in 1802, even though the site and some of the buildings were first utilized as a fort, dating back to the mid-1700s. Back when Steve and I had both worked for Sprint PCS, our director was Matthew W. Anderson, who was a graduate of West Point and an elite Army Ranger, to boot. It was fun reading about the place and imagining our friend once attending there. In fact, what I learned about the school, its core and values, and its rigorous curriculum, along with the teeming number of cadets enrolled today, gave me renewed faith in the youth of our country and their ability to carry our country forward.

After West Point, we drove up into the Catskill Mountains to visit Woodstock, NY. We were discovering that the terrain of New York state is much more scenic and beautiful than either of us had realized. Once again, we remarked on how comparable it is to the Smoky Mountains in the Appalachians. As we drove around the historic little town of Woodstock, NY, we were reminded that Woodstock itself was not the actual site of the infamous 1969 concert, even though it shared this town’s name. The iconic concert, itself was held 59 miles away on Max Nasgar’s farm, in Bethel, NY, where there is now a museum and memorial site constructed to commemorate the famous event. We vowed to drive to that exact site later in our stay in the area. One of the things that intrigued me most about the kitschy little town of Woodstock were all the young people strolling its streets, dressed exactly like Hippies. From the tie-dyed clothing, to the bell-bottomed jeans, long or dread-locked hair adorned with flowers, the round, wire-rimmed sunglasses, to their Birkenstock sandals, these kids appeared to be stepping out of the annals of time. It was so realistic and surreal, that I pondered if perhaps these true-to-life-looking youngsters might actually be reincarnated Hippies that had once roamed these streets some 52 years earlier, as it was certainly physically possible…(?)

With the aid of Google Maps, we left the main streets of town and found the actual location of Levon Helm’s Studios (think The Band) that were still supposedly located at 160 Plochman, there in Woodstock, NY. We found the gate to the property, which was standing open, with a paved alley winding down and into a grove of woods that obscured the house/building itself. Steve was too respectful to enter that alley, even though I would’ve been game, since the area was completely void of any no trespassing signs. To be honest, the area did appear much more residential than commercial, and since Levon himself passed away in 2012, we weren’t sure if that property was even still owned by the Helms family. Plus, Steve said he didn’t want to be responsible for “causing an incident” in the laid-back town of Woodstock, NY.

On Saturday, 07/17/21, we took advantage of more nice weather and drove to Bear Mountain State Park and Hessian Lake, another very scenic area, which had also been recommended. As we drove around this part of New York, we were struck by the number of towns, counties, and areas with names that end with “kill” or “kills”. Finding this odd, I researched it and found that the Middle Dutch word, kille, meaning “riverbed” or “water channel” was used in areas of Dutch influence in the Delaware and Hudson Valleys and other areas of the former New Netherland colony of Dutch America, to describe a strait, river, or arm of the sea. Since there are so many streams, rivers, and waterways in this part of New York, it explains the high number of communities with “kill” in their names. Another thing I’ve noticed here in New York (although completely unrelated) is all the Veronica Speedwell flowers growing wild in the medians and in the fields along the highways. And my favorite color, to boot – fuchsia!

We had plenty of time left in this day of rural exploration, so we consulted our GPS and headed for Bethel Woods, outside of Bethel, NY, and the actual site of the famed Woodstock concert, held exactly 52 years earlier, during the period of August 15-18, 1969. And what a treat this place turned out to be! It was so much more than either of us had imagined. It was unbelievable, actually! We found an impressive memorial establishment, beautiful grounds, a breathtaking view of the hillside valley location, at which the monumental event had originally occurred and had precipitated the area we were now enjoying. The museum and it’s exhibit, which included beautiful artwork exhibits, music, and videos, was informative, fulfilling, and moving. We learned so much about this concert and just how much was involved in bringing it to its fruition. Not only were there many key people involved and major challenges overcome, there were very likely a couple of miracles involved, as well. 🙂

On Sunday, 07/18/21, we drove to Tarrytown, NY, and toured the magnificent Lyndhurst Mansion, on its acreage perched high on the Hudson River. I had read and heard about Lyndhurst through the years, so I naturally jumped at the chance to tour it. This elaborate example of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture was built by William Paulding, Jr, the then mayor of New York City, in 1838 as a summer retreat for his family. The Pauldings called the house “Knoll”, until .it was purchased, enlarged, and enhanced by the George Merritt family, who double the size of the mansion and renamed it Lyndenhurst, after the many Linden trees planted on the 67-acre estate. Merritt also created the English naturalistic style setting of the grounds. Sadly, the Merritts only lived in the home for six years, before Mr. Merritt died from kidney disease. Mrs. Merritt sold the house and property to self-made railroad tycoon, Mr. Jay Gould and family, in 1880, who shortened the name of the house to Lyndhurst. A portion of the grounds were dedicated to a private rose garden and spacious green houses by Mr. Gould, who fancied himself a horticulturist. He was especially fond of orchids, and nurtured hundreds of them as a hobby. The Goulds were one of the richest families in the world at that time. For 80 years, the home was occupied full and part-time by at least one member of the Gould family, before it was bequeathed by Anna Gould to the National Historic Registry, upon her death in 1961. The estate remains in the hands of the Registry, is maintained by funding, and open to the public for tours.

We ate dinner that evening back in Croton-On-Hudson at The Tavern at Croton Landing, enjoying the perfect evening weather by dining outside. When we returned to Legacy after dinner, we found her rocking wildly in her slip, as the wind had risen considerably throughout the day. So we got to live and attempt to sleep on a roller-coaster that night… UGH.

The next day was cooler, cloudy and a misty-rainy day. We drove the Rogue into town for groceries and adult beverage supplies, then drove to the Maya Riviera restaurant, in Briarcliff, NY, for a Mexican lunch. The place was all but abandoned, but we received terrific service from the staff, and the food tasted about like you’d expect a Mexican restaurant in a small New York town to taste. 😉 Reluctantly, that afternoon we turned in our rental vehicle to the local Enterprise office and walked back to our marina, which was only about a mile away. We sure did hate to see that car go!

Position: N 41° 11.802, W 73° 53.392

Total marina nights: 288

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 305

On Monday morning, 07/12/21, in very hazy but calm weather conditions, we left our tie-up at Great Kills Yacht Club on Staten Island at 7:45 pm. We were headed north-northwest through New York Harbor, toward the mouth of the Hudson River. All morning long, the sun fought hard to break through the haze, but never succeeded that morning, sadly for us, as this was our day to cruise through the magnificent New York Harbor, directly beneath New York City’s large and historical skyscrapers, bridges, and park areas, for which it is so famous. But, we could barely see any of them through the haze. 🙁 I was disappointed and frustrated!

As we cruised, we could see silhouettes of buildings and landmarks, but of course scoring any decent pictures was pure fantasy. We could see the famous Verrazano Bridge up ahead, through the heavy haze, along with the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City skylines. Still traveling in the Lower Bay of New York Harbor, we passed New Dorp Beach, Midland Beach, and South Beach, all part of Staten Island, to our port. Our cruising waters were smooth, but there was an undeniable roll coming from the ocean. which kept my stomach on the queasy side. I was very ready to get off of the ocean and into some protected waters!

Once we crossed underneath the Verazzano Narrows Bridge, we passed Fort Wadsworth to our port, right on the Hudson River, just north of the bridge, and just like that we were now cruising in the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. As Legacy passed the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, now barely visible through the thick haze, I was grateful we’d gotten to view them earlier that week, even though it had been rainy off and on. Stormy skies trump hazy skies any day!

The Upper Bay is far busier than the Lower Bay, there’s no question. Legacy found herself with lots of over-the-water company, as we were passed by multiple ferries, barges, and container ships. We passed endless buildings obscured by haze, as we slowly cruised northward on the Hudson River, through NYC’s Battery, Tribeca, Lower Manhattan, Soho, and Greenwich Village areas to our starboard. We passed Hoboken, NJ, to our port, with Manhattan proper to our opposite side. We passed Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and Washington Heights before we cruised beneath the George Washington Bridge. Then it was on to Inwood, Riverdale, and North Riverdale, NY, before we reached Yonkers, NY. It broke my heart that we were coming through all of these well-known and historic areas, yet I could not photograph their actual beauty. 🙁

Just south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, on the eastern side of the Hudson River, we could just barely make out the Lyndhurst Mansion up on a hill. I told Steve I really wanted to tour that place if we got an opportunity. We learned that “tappan zee” is an old Native American term meaning “natural widening”, and indeed the Hudson River does widen considerably through the Tappan Zee.

As we had been told previously, many massive, majestic bluffs and lush forests line both sides of the Hudson River, and we could tell this part of the country was truly beautiful, if we could only see it… In the middle of all this natural scenery, as we progressed, we passed right by Sing Sing Correctional Facility. 😐

We arrived at Half Moon Bay Marina, in the town of Croton-On-Hudson, NY, at 1:15 pm. Our slip there was literally RIGHT BESIDE Bella Vita, owned by our friends, the Sharps. We’d known she was there, but thought it funny we ended up with the slip right next to her. Bella Vita was staying at Half Moon Bay while her crew drove home to Florida to check on the progress of the remodel of their home in Ft. Myers for a couple of weeks. I texted Brandee a picture of Bella Vita to let her know we would be able to personally watch their boat for at least a week. As I was placing fenders to pull into our slip, I noticed there were still portions of crab carcasses littering Legacy’s deck, left-over from Todd and Terry Turns’ feeding frenzies at GKYC. 🙂

We had heard great things about Half Moon Bay Marina, the town of Croton-On-Hudson, and the lovely bucolic scenery on the banks of the Hudson River in this area. Unfortunately, we could not fully enjoy it as we had experienced cloudy and/or hazy weather pretty much ever since we’d arrived in the state of New York. We were both very ready for some clear, blue, sunshiny days, so we could view that scenery properly illuminated by Mother Nature. Eventually, we learned all that haze was not due to weather as much as it was residual smoke from the forest fires out west slowly drifting eastward. We were in dire need of a cold front to come through and clear away that haze.

Our slip at Half Moon Bay was decent, as there was a make-shift “sea-wall” made from vertical, buried pilings that were partially submerged surrounding the marina to provide “protection” from Hudson River traffic. It protected us fairly well from the wakes of southbound traffic, but was pretty much wide open to any and all wakes generated by northbound traffic, so Legacy experienced her share of rocking at that marina.

Position: N 41° 11.802, W 73° 53.392

Distance traveled:  54 SM

Total distance traveled: 4307 SM

Total marina nights: 281

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 301 – 304

The weather cooled off a bit for our trip into New York City on Thursday, 07/08/21. One of our marina harbor masters was kind enough to drive us from the marina to the Metro train station in Great Kills. He also obtained a Metro pass card for us, so we could ride the train stress-free. This was a new experience for both of us, as even though we rode the NYC subway when we visited back in 2013, we never ventured outside the city to any Metro train stops. Our harbor-master made sure we knew to board the train going to St. George (at the eastern end of Staten Island), as that was where we would catch the Staten Island Ferry over to Manhattan. When the train arrived at our stop, we could not dawdle! It stopped and the doors opened for maybe 45 seconds before closing again. During this time, riders had to exit and boarders had to enter and get seated before the doors slid closed and the train took off again. Our train’s driver stated something over the loud-speaker, but the sound was so poor, we couldn’t understand what he/she was saying. We hoped the information they were sharing didn’t pertain to anything potentially life-threatening… 😐 We rode the railway through a small bit of countryside, but mostly, we zoomed through borough after borough, village after village. Many homes backed right up to the train-tracks. So close, we could look out our window right into the residents’ tiny backyards or up onto their back decks. I tried to imagine what it would be like to live right on the Metro train tracks, knowing that it runs constantly – 24/7. I supposed in the evenings after work, we could take a bottle of wine out onto our deck to sit and watch the trains run, waving at the passengers as they rumbled past our house. Wouldn’t that be a blast… Our train would ride along for several minutes, then begin to slow as it approached the next stop. We’d wait while more riders left or boarded the train at each stop, then the garbled loud-speaker message would play overhead, and we’d take off again. Each stop has a large sign posted along the tracks to tell us where we were. Inside each train car, a large map of the train’s route was posted near the ceiling for easy viewing. Between the Great Kills stop and St. George were stops with names like Oakwood, New Dorp, Grant City, Dongan Hills, Grasmere, Stapleton, and Tompkinsville, just some of many boroughs on Staten Island. In less than hour, we reached the end of the line – St. George, where we left the train and followed signs to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Steve was walking his usual, break-neck pace, while I tried to keep up with him, simultaneously viewing the sights and snapping pictures.

When we reached the boarding gates for the Staten Island Ferry, we were surrounded by a sea of people of all different nationalities. Most of them were wearing masks so all we could see were their eyes. Which meant we were really part of a sea of eyes… We had purchased our tickets online, so we didn’t have to wait long to board, find some seats, and view the sights as we crossed New York Harbor on our way to Manhattan. The weather was not ideal, as there were storms in the area, but we saw Lady Liberty in all her glory, along with Ellis Island, for which we were bound that day. We’d not had time to see Ellis Island when we visited NYC back in 2013, so I definitely wanted to tour it this time. Once we reached Manhattan, we walked some more to catch a smaller ferry that would take us over to the Statue of Liberty and then to Ellis Island.

We walked around the grounds upon which the Statue of Liberty stands, but had not purchased tickets to climb up inside her, which had to be obtained in advance, and offsite. We then hopped back onto the ferry to cruise over to Ellis Island, where we did the full tour. Most of the immigrants who came through Ellis Island were from western and southern Europe. My ancestors are of English descent and have been traced back as far as the 1600s in America, while Steve’s ancestors are Irish and have also been on American soil for centuries, so it’s doubtful our families came through Ellis Island, but we still found the place riveting and almost vibrating with history.

Our ferry was about to leave Ellis Island to take us back to Manhattan, when the storms that had been looming nearby decided to let go. Of course, we had not brought our umbrellas, so we got soaked hoofing it back to the boat. Lovely… As we rode back across the water, I was able to get some great pictures of the area with a big, black storm in the background.

One of the not so great things about our tie-up at GKYC was the complete lack of Verizon cell service or wifi internet service. 🙁 To get any kind of connection to the outside world, we had to walk up the dock finger almost all the way to the yacht club, and even then adequate reception was iffy. As I’ve mentioned before, we are both so spoiled to the conveniences of modern technology, that being “off the grid” really cramps our styles and puts us in bad moods. (You know how, on social media, you see those posts asking, “Could you live in this remote cabin for a month with NO internet or cell service, for $100K?” Our answer is a resounding H*LL NO!)

Since GKYC has no courtesy vehicle, we had to find our own rides. One morning we miraculously secured enough wifi service to schedule an Uber to take us into town for errands. While Steve got a haircut at a very local barbershop there on Staten Island, I walked to a nearby CVS to pick-up some prescription refills. Everywhere we went felt like we were starring in an episode of Taxi, as we were engulfed by New York accents and mannerisms! Steve decided to live on the edge and asked his barber to shave the back and sides of his head this time, leaving only a little bit of length on the top. We then walked across the street to Frank and Sal’s, a bonafide NYC Italian market. Inside, we bought brands of pasta and sauce that just screamed “Old World Italy”, some ground beef and sausage, and some ready-made Tiramasu for dessert, all to prepare an authentic Italian dinner aboard the boat that evening, which turned out to be delicious, and wound up being our dinner for three nights, rather than just the one. (See – we DO cook onboard every once in awhile – LOL!

Position: N 40° 32.692, W 74° 08.177

Total marina nights: 280

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 300

After a stormy night before, on Wednesday morning, 07/07/21, we untied our lines and left our slip at Captain Bill’s Landing on the Manasquan River, around 8 am. We cruised back out into the Atlantic Ocean and headed northward up the east coast toward this day’s final destination of Great Kills Yacht Club, on Staten Island, in Great Kills, NY. We never did purchase a yacht club membership (which automatically ensures you an overnight slip at any yacht club anywhere), but Great Kills Yacht Club has a T-dock at their marina where they often host AGLCA transient boaters for a reasonable nightly rate. Our cruising waters today were relatively calm with only minor swells. It was a better travel day than Monday, the 5th, had been. Never the less, I had taken several different seasickness medications, simultaneously, in an attempt to enjoy my ride.

We passed Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Lake Como, and Avon By The Sea, NJ, all to our west. Next came Asbury Park Boardwalk, Loch Arbour, and Allenhurst, NJ. We were again cruising far off shore, so my picture-taking opportunities were minimal. Eventually, we passed Hawthorne Woods Park, the Highlands, and the Gateway National Recreation Area Sandy Hook, NJ. All along the way, the quintessential Jersey coastline was crowded with side-by-side Cape Cod style beach houses.

The winds stayed relatively low as we passed Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, and Sea Bright, NJ, and we crossed the state line from New Jersey into New York in the Lower Bay of New York Harbor. Had the weather not been so hazy, we would’ve been able to see more than just the faint outline of the Manhattan skyline to our north. Just before the entrance into Great Kills Harbor, we passed Crescent Beach Park and Crooke’s Point, NY.

Great Kills Harbor is on the southern side of Staten Island. Great Kills Yacht Club is located at the far eastern end of Great Kills Harbor, so after traversing the full length of that harbor, we arrived at Great Kills Yacht Club at noon. Per instructions from the harbor-master, Legacy was tied to the T-dock on the very end of GKYC’s long dock finger. Our welcoming committee of older, “salty-looking” gentlemen was both helpful and entertaining. 🙂

All settled in and cleaned up, we walked quite a distance to a restaurant called Cole’s Dockside for a late lunch. The air was humid, the sun very bright, and the temperatures high. By the time we reached our destination, we were both soaked in sweat. We commented on the irony of being so far north, yet dealing with such intense heat! My “perfect weather” had most certainly left the building… 🙁

As we were seated by our hostess, I overheard many strong, northeastern accents coming from tables all around us. No question we were very much in the northeastern US!

Great Kills Yacht Club                                                                                                                                     

Position: N 40° 32.692, W 74° 08.177

Distance traveled:  40 SM

Total distance traveled: 4253 SM

Total marina nights: 276

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 299

Tuesday, 07/06/21, we decided to cut ourselves some slack and spend a lazy, non-traveling day in our slip, while at the same time avoiding some less-than-perfect weather conditions out in the Atlantic.

We enjoyed an easy morning, drinking coffee, and watching dozens of hungry seagulls dive-bombing Legacy’s bow, as the local fishermen cleaned their catches right next to our slip. 😐 Once again, the working world carried on around us, as we continued to fully enjoy being retired. 😉

We scheduled an Uber to pick us up in the parking lot of the Shipwreck Grill and then take us to CVS to pick-up our latest prescription refills and other supplies. As we rode around Brielle (which is directly adjacent to Manasquan), it turned out to be a prettier area than we’d expected. Just around the corner from CVS, we found Esposito’s restaurant for lunch. This place served some of the best pizza either of us had eaten in awhile, so we basically stuffed ourselves before catching another Uber ride back to our boat.

We laid low for the rest of the day, observing the sights and sounds around us in this working marina, and staying out of the early July weather that had suddenly turned sweltering. I worked some more on this blog while the captain planned our upcoming cruising routes.

Position: N 40° 06.333, W 74° 03.186

Total marina nights: 275

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 298

After saying our goodbyes to Bella Vita and her crew the day before (they were making a looong run from Atlantic City, NJ, all the way to Liberty Landing in New York Harbor), Legacy left her slip at the Golden Nugget Marina in Atlantic City northward, toward this day’s ultimate destination of Captain Bill’s Landing in tiny Manasquan, NJ. We left at 7:00 am on Monday morning, 07/05/21. We typically try not to cruise on weekends or holidays (which this day was), but the captain wanted to take advantage of the good weather window, so we braved the waters anyway. The waters out in the Atlantic Ocean were mirror-smooth that morning, but some slight swells had us rolling a bit. I had taken two Dramamine, earlier, just in case.

As we progressed slowly northward, we passed Barnegat Bay, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Tom’s River, and Seaside Heights, NJ, all to our west. Soon we cruised outside past the small communities of Ortley Beach, Lavallette, and Mantoloking, NJ. Even though the waters were full of 4th of July revelers, we steered clear of them as best we could, enjoying the day’s spectacular weather.

Up ahead of us in the ocean, we noticed a lot of splashing and commotion in the water that we were cruising straight toward. Through the binoculars, Steve and I could see dolphins leaping out of and back into the melee. We decided these dolphins were possibly “herding” fish into a circle to trap and catch them, in a group effort. Experts say dolphins sometimes herd fish together by surrounding them on all sides and packing them in tightly. After this, each dolphin takes a turn to pass through the concentration of fish and feed one at a time, while the others keep the school of fish packed together, making each turn through the fish more efficient for grabbing the largest number of fish in one pass. Of course we had no way of knowing for sure that was actually happening, as the pod of dolphins had dispersed by the time we reached the area, but it was still cool to think we might’ve witnessed something like that. 😉

After about 5 hours, we passed Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, to our port, which was just south of Manasquan. Coming into Manasquan, and at the Captain Bill’s Landing dock-master’s instruction, we pulled Legacy up to the marina’s fuel dock located in a narrow channel, where we were at once surrounded by holiday boat traffic. Because of all that activity, the waters in this channel were rough and choppy against a really high, fixed dock. I tossed lines to some men standing up on the dock, so they could help keep us in place while we received our slipping instructions. The dock master told us where our slip was – farther on up the channel and into some more fixed docks, just past the railroad bridge. Captain Steve proceeded slowly on up the channel, dodging flying jet-skis and racing center cockpits all the way there.

We reached our slip (more like bounced to it) about 1:15 pm to find it located just inside a tiny channel to our starboard, sandwiched in between more high, precarious-looking fixed docks and pilings, and almost right underneath a highway bridge. Naturally, since we were trying to maneuver a large boat into a tiny space, the wind came up. UGH! Amazingly, Steve was able to reverse Legacy into that narrow slip like a pro, while I placed and raised fenders as high as possible, and attempted to lasso pilings with lines. Fortunately for us, we received some assistance from the man currently aboard the boat slipped next to us. Finally, by 1:30 pm we were tied-up and plugged-in as the wind died and the hot sun beat down.

The height, age, and condition of the docks here at Captain Bill’s Landing reminded me very much of those we’d endured at C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle, FL, earlier in the year. 😐 In fact, the only way to leave or board Legacy was to climb up and stand on Legacy’s rail cap, with absolutely nothing to hold onto… YIKES! I kept having flashbacks of again slipping and plummeting into the marina water below, but somehow managed to avoid a repeat performance of that unpleasant stunt.

Once we caught our breaths, we realized we were slipped right beside an old Coast Guard Cutter that was actively being restored by its owner. All around us were either fishing boats or working boats. At the end of the dock finger directly to our port was a fish-cleaning station, which meant there were constant hoards of seagulls flying and screeching just above Legacy’s bow, hoping for hand-outs. That also meant Legacy was steadily being coated in seagull droppings, which would not be easy to clean off, once it dried… Oh, HOORAY!

After settling in and showering, we gingerly climbed off the boat and walked up to the nearby Shipwreck Grill for a surprisingly rather upscale dinner and cocktails, then walked back to the boat for an early night afterward. We were both a bit tired from this day’s adventures!

Position: N 40° 06.333, W 74° 03.186

Distance traveled:  62 SM

Total distance traveled: 4213 SM

Total marina nights: 274

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28

Day 292 – 297

On Tuesday afternoon, 06/29, we shared an Uber with the Sharps for a trip to see the Atlantic City Boardwalk. We strolled for awhile, taking in the sights, then walked into Bally’s Casino, where Brandee and TJ immediately started winning at a craps table! It was pretty obvious they’d had practice with the game, but Steve and I were lost as to exactly how the game is played. As we watched and listened to our friends expertly calling out their bets to the dealer, we stood in awe as their luck and winnings steadily increased. I had no desire to gamble, seeing as for my entire adult life I’ve promptly lost any and all money at it, and it’s always seemed easier to just take my money and flush it down the casino toilets, as it would have the same end result for me. Steve, on the other hand, is sometimes successful with gambling, so I was surprised when he never placed a bet the entire time we were in Atlantic City!

The four of us walked to renowned Dock’s Oyster House, where we’d made dinner reservations for Tuesday evening. Dock’s is one of the mainstays in Atlantic City, as in 1897, Harry “call me Dock” Dougherty believed there was a great opportunity to open a restaurant that would serve the finest seafood available, in a clean, comfortable, and friendly atmosphere, and so first opened Dock’s Oyster House. The restaurant quickly became a favorite of locals and tourists alike, with lines often forming out the front door onto Atlantic Avenue, and also at the back door, for those in the know. To this day, Harry’s vision has been carried on by four generations of Doughertys who share his commitment to quality and service. That commitment sustained Dock’s through two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the decline and rebirth of Atlantic City (a few times), and in 1997 the entire community celebrated the centennial anniversary of Dock’s Oyster House. It is still going strong today and we were fortunate enough to score a nice table in this normally packed eatery. Every once in awhile, we fool around and happen upon a really special place to eat. This was one of those times!

On another day, Steve and I Ubered to and from Walmart for supplies. The weather suddenly turned hot and we were dealing with humidity and high temperatures in the mid-90s. UGH! That evening, the Sharps decided to try their gambling skills at several more casinos, so Steve and I walked across the driveway and inside the Golden Nugget for dinner at Michael Patrick’s Brasserie, which reminded me very much of an upscale Denny’s…)

Several days were true rain events (the first being a bit stormy), so we spent most of our time aboard Legacy. On 07/02/21, we wound up with a clogged aft toilet, and so hosted an expensive mechanic onboard for a day and half, replacing parts and repairing the problem. NOT CHEAP. Instead of losing at the craps tables in Atlantic City, we just passed our boat unit straight to the local marine service company… 🙁

After the rains moved through, the weather turned cloudy and cooler. Finally, on 07/03/21, the sun came out, but the humidity was nonexistent, which meant it was downright chilly in the shade. Steve and I walked up to The Deck for some drinks and to watch the band, which – as soon as we arrived – went on break. LOL! Even though the air was completely haze-free, and the sunshine extra bright, we used that opportunity to run back to Legacy and don some warmer clothes! To our delight, when we returned the band had resumed playing and was actually very good. This band, called The Seven, had a talented female lead singer and many instruments, including HORNS – which you just don’t see that often anymore. They played everything from Chicago, to Elton John, to Paula Abdul, and we thoroughly enjoyed their show. 🙂 Later that night we walked back into the Golden Nugget for a tasty Italian dinner at The Grotto.

Sunday, the 4th of July, was another Chamber of Commerce weather day, with temps warmer in the mid-70s. We ate lunch on The Deck and basked in the sunshine. With our marina being pretty much right in the middle of things, we had a great view of Atlantic City’s fireworks display. I had really hoped to be anchored in New York Harbor for this 4th of July, to see the fireworks bursting above Manhattan, but we just couldn’t work it out, timing-wise. Still, fireworks are fireworks, and Atlantic City put on quite the show.

Position: N 39° 22.657, W 74° 25.608

Total marina nights: 273

Total nights at anchor: 23

Locks today: 0

Locks Total:  28