Homeward Bound

We did a few chores around the boat, packed up, brought a few things for a snack later and will board the train about 4:30 to arrive in Chicago at 9:00 Friday morning and Sturtevant, WI about 2:00. We will return on July 1st to continue our adventure on the Great Loop. Blogs will resume as we begin traveling in July. The New York river and canal system looks very interesting, we will be taking the northern route up through Lake Champlain to Montreal. 

New York City and the 9/11 Memorial

Croton on Hudson, where we are docked, sits right next to the railroad lines, and, since we got here a day early – we took the train into New York City today.  I had never been in Grand Central Station before but we found our way from train to subway and subway to downtown Manhattan without a problem.

We spent most of the day at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  The museum just opened this spring and it was a worthwhile experience to be there and see it all.  We will let the pictures speak, and your memories will do the rest.

A five-star, highly recommended stop for loopers or travelers of any description.

Grand Central Station

The Freedom Tower from Ground Zero

Two Pools the Footprint of Towers 1 & 2

76 panels each with 20 names surround the pools

Twin Towers

An assault on our Country

Rescue Work

Destruction

New York City to Croton on Hudson

Inspiring!

We woke up this morning in Liberty Landing State Park, with Lady Liberty just off our bow – what an inspiring sight.  The park no longer has a dock for taking a dinghy ashore, so we took a lot of photos from the boat.   The water was tumultuous as we entered the Hudson River even though there was not a lot of traffic.   The Staten Island ferries are huge, and smaller water taxis were buzzing back and forth.  We only saw a couple of marina areas all the way along. 

Ellis Island, Architecture from a different era

Despite the morning haze in the air we enjoyed the city views; Ellis Island, lower Manhattan and the newly completed Freedom Tower that stands where the Twin Towers used to be.   We could pick out the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Chelsea Pier and we saw the maritime museum where the warship Intrepid is docked with the Shuttle Challenger onboard (under a cover) and a British Concorde airplane.

Sea, Air and Space Museum

There are parkways and green space along the river as you head north and go under the George Washington and Tappan Zee bridges.  On shore we could see large groups of children in their summer camp T-shirts having a great time.  Further up river we picked out the Bronx, Yonkers, Palisades, Newburgh and Nyack and Dennis identified Sing Sing Prison.  I don’t know how he knows some of these things – probably the ever-present Google instant gratification machine.

We are docked at Half Moon Bay Yacht Club at Croton on Hudson.  Nice place, only 5 hours up from Liberty Landing – that’s 38 miles – life at 7 knots.

Riverview Park and River Side Church

George Washington Bridge

Freedom Towers June 2012

Freedom Towers June 2014

Point Pleasant to NYC

Nice home on the Point Pleasant Canal

The Point Pleasant Canal can have a strong current, so we checked the tide tables and departed 7:15 and caught the end of the falling tide. The Conrail Bridge in Manasquan was closing as we approached, the bridge tender was quite helpful the passenger train cleared in about 5 minutes and the bridge was opened for us to pass. Shortly after we heard the siren for the bridge closing again and a second commuter train passed. We entered the ocean and found 1 foot rolling waves, very smooth very manageable, just what we wanted.

Beach Homes and calm waters, perfect!

The Jersey shore is lined with colorful beach homes and long sandy beaches. There is a river directly behind the beachfront homes and we found a large heavily wooded park on the other side of the river. Yes, we have x-ray vision. Actually, we often google areas we travel to see the bird’s eye view of the area. It is especially helpful prior to entering a new marina to get a lay of the land and/or water. Out towards the end of Sandy Hook lies Gunnison Beach a nude beach, from a half mile out we did notice there were no colorful bathing suits and people appeared to be all the same color, hmmm! We also were pleased to spot a whale, at first Carol thought it a large dolphin but when it breached we knew it was a whale, what a great sighting.

Manhattan and the Freedom Tower

From Sandy Hook we could begin to see the skyline of New York City and the new Freedom Tower completed since my last passage in 2012 very exciting. It will remind all of us that lived through the Twin Tower disaster of the resiliency of America. The harbor is quite busy, with catamaran water taxis, car ferries and container ships along with barges, tour boats, towboats and recreational traffic, very interesting. We are anchored behind the Statue of Liberty near Liberty Park in a protected anchorage.

The Verrazano Bridge is spectacular, 1.3 mile span, 6 lanes on the upper deck and 6 on the lower deck wow what an engineering feat. Of course the feature of the day is the Statue of Liberty, a relief for us after spending 3 days in New Jersey! Just thing how happy our ancestors were after traveling for weeks in a cramped ship and our grandfathers when they returned from WWI. 

Manasquan Fishing Fleet

Container ship leaving the harbor

Car Ferry with a large wake, why take a car to NYC?

Liberty Landing Park

Tour boat to the Statue

Lady Liberty

Ventnor NJ to Point Pleasant NJ

Avalon Street Bridge Opening

We completed most of the NJ ICW today, threading our way around Atlantic City and north through several large bays.  Early in the day we came through the Ventnor bridges – all very cooperative about opening on request.  Along the riversides were Jersey Shore homes – with about 3 feet between the houses.  Most were 3 stories high and on stilts, with the bottom level including a boathouse and/or dock.

Nice Boat House

Some were quite beautiful, most were built to optimize space on the lot.  One house was in the process of being lifted up so that stilts or an extra story could be placed underneath.  There was one vast marsh area on the ICW, opposite the cities that crowd the ocean side. 

Atlantic City has a skyline of just a few tall hotels and casinos.  We couldn’t see the boardwalk on the sea side but I don’t think there is a “downtown business district” aside from the tourist business.  On the ICW side of Atlantic City was a large windmill farm catching the winds from the ocean.  Great idea for providing energy in this region.

We crossed Barnegat Bay from south to north.  It was crazy with Sunday afternoon/father’s day boats.  Fishermen were enjoying the day in large clusters of small boats with one or two people, or in one case, one large fishing charter that had at least 40 people fishing off the sides;  Sort of a “fishing bus”.  In some areas the sail boats were having a great time on this windy afternoon.  We did see a school of small sailboats out for a race or a lesson near Beach Haven.

Conrail Bridge normally open, but closed this morning

Windmill Farm

The Fishing Bus, behind Atlantic City

Cape May to Ventnor, NJ

Good morning Utsch's Marina

Lots of new construction after Sandy

Our preference today was to go outside in to the Atlantic for the passage from Cape May to Atlantic City. However, the forecast wind was 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 knots and seas 3-4 feet. The wind was already blowing hard at 6:00 this morning and we decided to travel with Choices on the inside route. The New Jersey AICW has been a difficult passage for several years, the regular shoaling has been compounded with the events of Sandy two years ago. Many, many shallow spots and the general advice is to only move on mid to high tide, the tide here is about 6 feet depending on the inlet. So we began our cruise about 7:00 at mid rising tide, we use Active Captain a crowd source information system to provide data on shallow spots and other potential hazards. I also contacted TowboatUS for local knowledge on the passage. 

The inside route is much more interesting than running up the ocean, I did not realize that much of the Jersey coastline is barrier islands and then marshes before the land rises. We also learned that NJ fisherman always fish in the boating channel, a practice frowned on at home. The channels are quite narrow in places and in one case I had to steer between two fishing boats with about 20 feet on each side. I slowed to a no wake speed to avoid any wake issues but still we were quite close. It was necessary to pass in this manner because going out of the channel means running aground.

A floating billboard

We had one grounding today, green marker 263 appears to be way out of place and as I was deciding how to pass the marker the bottom came up quickly and we were pumping mud. I asked a passing boater if the deeper water was to port or starboard and he said the water was a bit deeper on the far side of the marker. I used the bow thruster to position the boat to travel toward the green marker and applied a bit of throttle, we were free and floating once again. Because the bottom contours change rapidly the charts are at times less than accurate, but once again we learned to use the buoy system as the best course to take.

Sue from Choices picked great anchorage and we stopped just short of Atlantic City in Ventnor, NJ. Lots of new construction in this area and docks are still being rebuilt two years after Sandy. I understand New Jersey is the most densely populated state, I would agree based on my boating experience here. Lots of fishermen, speed boats, jet skis and a few kayaks. 

Densely populated coast line

Lots of boats everywhere

Nice Anchorage

Another anchorage view

Delaware City to Cape May – Crossing Delaware Bay

Nuclear Power Plant or at least the bottom part

At the weather briefing held by Tim in the marina office, six boats, 5 trawlers and a sailboat decided today would be an excellent day to cross the Delaware Bay about a 60 mile cruise. The Delaware River is the upper section with fast currents and the bay section is open to the southeast and a long wave fetch to Africa(The longer the fetch the larger the wave). It is necessary to cruse the river with the tide since the current can reach 3.0 knots. For a 7 knot boat that is the difference of traveling 4 nautical miles per hour and 10 nautical miles per hour making the trip as short as 6 hours or as long as 15 hours. To take advantage of an outgoing tide we departed at 5:00 this morning. Our first and second hour were at 10 miles per hour and 9 miles per hour. Then we slowed some to 6 mph, but as predicted by Tim we were pushed by the flow of rain water running down the bay that was stronger than the incoming tide. So toward the end of our trip we were back at 9 and 10 mph. The winds were predicted to be less than 5 knots and in fact we experience very flat seas and much fog. The sun appeared just as we were in sight of the Cape May Canal. We arrived in the harbor at Cape May at 1:00 all in all a fairly fast and pleasant crossing.

We travel out of the channel, to provide room for ships

This is a very maritime weather center, several fronts that have been passing through the Midwest are now moving through NJ. The wind picked up this afternoon and the fog rolled in from the ocean, then a front passed with some rain and a wind shift. We expect another front to pass this evening, the temperature will drop and the wind will shift to the northwest overnight, more challenges for tomorrow.

Calm and foggy, the horizon is there, I'm sure

Cape May Canal, near the ferry dock, that's "Choices" 

Delaware City

Marina Garden and boatyard

We spent one day in Delaware City, a very nice little town with a whole row of “Main Street” shops.  There is a small hotel being renovated and their first floor tenant will be the Birding Society of America.  Apparently the Chesapeake/Delaware area is abundant with bird species. 

The blacksmith shop called “Forged” was the most interesting place.  The owner and smithee is an iron artist and they do a full business with architectural pieces, furniture, gates, railings, screens and beautiful art pieces.  He has a collection of anvils dating from the 1600’s, and all the work is still hand done. 

Coal Fired Forge

The dockmaster weather briefing was attended by loopers from 6 boats and a pair of sailors.  All things considered, weather, waves, current, sunrise, rain and speed – we will be shoving off at 4:45 AM.  The boats will leave at 5 minute intervals to catch the maximum current southbound down the Delaware Bay.  It has been raining or drizzling for 24 hours already with no end in sight, but everything else looks good so we will just get wet.

We had a fine dinner at Crabby Dicks. I had the best crab legs I’ve had so far, and I am eating more crab legs on this trip than I’ve had in my whole life.

Double ended Anvil from the Ukraine

1/2 mile face dock at high tide

 

Uh!, we'll be 11 for dinner please

Bohemia Bay to Delaware City

Blends right into the landscape

On our way again!  Is going to turn into “hurry up and wait” as the weather remains a threat for the next few days?  But we made it this far and the trip today included the far northern tip of the Chesapeake.  As the Bay narrows, you can really see all the beautiful scenery, hills and woodlands.  We entered the C & D Canal at Chesapeake City, where we visited by car a couple of days ago.  The Canal is the width of a broad river, and about 40-50 feet deep to accommodate big ships taking this shortcut from the Philadelphia to Baltimore, and other ports.  More obvious are the bridges, which are all large spans that rise about 140 feet above the water.  There are 5 of these giants over the Canal. 

Huge span at Chesapeake City

We couldn’t leave Bohemia until almost noon because of thunderstorms this morning.  So our trip was only about 25 miles and we came into Delaware City Marina late this afternoon.   The Delaware City channel is one long narrow cut, with one very long narrow dock alongside.  There is a strong current, but the dockmaster, Tim, is a master at guiding every boat into a spot.  As soon as the boat is tied off, they instruct the Captain to “stand at the helm and do nothing” and then they maneuver the ship 180 degrees to face back up the canal.  This makes every boat ready for departure without turning around in the narrow channel. 

There are 4 or 5 other Looper boats here as well as a couple of sailboats that are all watching the weather and waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting.

Pollution Control Vessel

Shaffer's Restaurant, our Sunday Brunch stop

Chesapeake Inn from the water

Canal Traffic

Our new burgee flies proudly on the bow