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Published: September 9th 2010
The Pallisades
We enjoyed the views of the Pallisades from the Hudson. They are 300-500' columnar basalt. These cliffs are named for its visual similiarity to old wooden barrier fortifications.Going from Nyack to Cape May NJ
We definitely enjoyed the Palisades area of the Hudson River but not the heat while there. We kept listening to the weather reports regarding hurricane Earl and were trying to figure out where we should be during that period of time. Needless to say with all of our delays along the way we were not headed to Long Island and figured that was good with the weather predictions. We knew that Sandy Hook was put on the hurricane watch but the winds weren’t suppose to kick up for a couple of days so decided to head there. It turned out to be a very good decision and was nice as we were able to get a mooring ball and they had a water shuttle so we didn’t have to use our dinghy. The most difficult part of the trip so far was going through New York City harbor. Unfortunately we went through at the worse time of day as it was during rush hour and at times we were surrounded by 4 water taxis and the wake they kicked up. We felt like we were going around in a washing machine, but Bob and
View of Tappan Zee Bridge
This is the view from our mooring at the Hook Mt. Yacht Club in Nyack NY looking toward the Tappan Zee Bridge. the boat handled it very well. Even with the passage through the city it was great to see the Statute of Liberty from our boat. Up to that point it was a return trip for us with Tsamaya as we bought her there. From now on everything was going to be new. Things calmed down nicely once we got through the Verazzano Bridge. We had hoped to get to Atlantic Highland before dark, but didn’t quite make it so it was a little interesting finding the break wall in the dark. The biggest problem is that there are so many lights on shore that it makes it difficult to see the actual navigational lights.
Atlantic Highland is a nice town and there were places to provision within walking distance. The best part of this location was having Bob’s cousin Mike and his family (Mary Jane, Thomas & Christopher) there. They were great as they helped out with running us around to some stores we needed to get to as well as having a nice dinner with them. Great to be able to visit in a small group rather than at large family events. Being able to do the laundry
Gee where are we? Yonkers?
It is nice to know that sometimes your whereabouts is confirmed! and get access to wi-fi was an extra bonus. Mike’s brother Bob and his family (Sue & Bob) also came up to Mikes’ on Saturday for dinner so it really was a great family reunion. Luckily hurricane Earl didn’t have a real impact which was fine with us but we did take the precaution of tying down our sails, took down all of our canvas and cleared the deck of everything. Most of the boats in the area did the same. It would be nice if every hurricane we are near winds up being as mild as this one was. It definitely helped that we were on a safe mooring behind a large break wall.
Sunday we left for what turned out to be a 22 hour trip to Cape May. It was quite a trip. The winds were strong coming out of the Sandy Hook area but it was great to finally get our sails up. When we rounded the point there was quite a bit of boat traffic but also a lot of turbulence with the waves near shore so we moved out to the 3 mile mark off shore which was much better. With this long
Interesting location for a lighthouse
We had never seen such a small lighthouse in such a strange location - under a bridge! a trip we knew we needed to trade off and on at the helm. That worked but between the adrenalin and the newness of an overnight trip neither of us got lots of sleep (Bob got more as he can sleep even sitting up which he proved while in the cockpit with Janice on the helm). About 11:30PM we had to turn on the iron jenny (engine) and motor-sailed as we wanted to keep our speed up so it didn’t turn into a longer trip. One thing we found out is that the lights of Atlantic City can be seen for about 30 miles and really lit up the coast. With it being Labor Day weekend we also had great seats for numerous firework displays along the coast. It really added to the trip. The last few hours of our trip the wind changed direction and we were like corkscrews with the wind behind us and the waves and current tossing us around. We are pleased to report that Tsamaya handled it well as well as all of the passengers (including Sailor). We did notice that Sailor didn’t eat during the trip but seemed to be fine sleeping on our
Old Ferry Graveyard
Bob remembered these ferries from when he was a kid going back & forth to Staten Island. They are now definitely not in use - looked like this is where NYC ferries go to die. bed so she was pretty hungry when we got our anchor down in Cape May. As we were sailing through the night it did get a little chilly for the first time. For those of you that know Janice it was the first time she broke out the earmuffs and both Bob & Janice wore socks but luckily those items in our wardrobe didn’t last long.
While on this trip we celebrated our 3 week anniversary of living on the water. We discussed what we liked and what we didn’t so far. We definitely enjoy spending the time together and meeting some great people, but we still haven’t gotten the boat settled completely yet and that is still something that we are working on. We keep moving things around and trying to find out the best place for things. We know that every time you want something you pretty much have to plan on taking quite a few things apart to get at it, but it is getting better with time. Bob is missing the independence that comes with owning a car because anytime he needs something from a hardware store it is a major event. That means we
NYC skyline
Just one of the many photos we took of the NYC skyline. This is the way to drive through the city have to put the engine on the dinghy (if we are quite a distance from shore or the waves are rough), get to shore wet from the spray, and then try to find a place to get what you want. Definitely not as easy as hopping into your own vehicle but we are getting used to this part of cruising. As Bob says we need to write an article about all of those "little" things that others don't put in their articles about cruising. We still haven't gotten to the point of being able to sit on the back of the boat with a nice G&T (haven't been able to find room in the freezer yet to make ice cubes for them!)
We have been exploring Cape May which we found out is on the national registry of historic sites. The Victorian homes are beautiful and the gas street lights, shade trees and gardens set them off beautifully. It is quite a long dinghy ride to get to town and we are finding that sometimes is problematic as the spray comes up and you get soaked. The salt content in the water here is very high and everything is
Statute of Liberty
A view of the Statute of Liberty as seen from Tsamaya getting coated with salt. We are looking forward to getting to the Chesapeake and fresh water so we rinse everything off. Currently we are waiting for a weather window to go around the Cape May Point as our mast is too tall to get through the Cape May canal. Yesterday we went into town and looked at the waves off shore at the point and we knew we made the right decision not to try going around. Looks like we will be here until Friday or Saturday and then we will head up the Delaware Bay and River to get to the C&D canal (Chesapeake and Delaware) We are definitely ready to leave as we want to move on and explore new areas.
Today is Thursday, Sept 9th and we have had quite a bit of wind today. We have been re-organizing and working on projects around the boat. It is definitely starting to feel like home. Bob is now sitting up in bed reading for pleasure and I am trying to finish this blog entry to update everyone on our activities. Will have dinner on the boat and enjoy listening to the lap of the waves on the
Thanks!
Thanks go out to Mike, Mary Jane, Thomas and Christopher for a great time in Sandy Hook. Really appreciate all of your help while there. We are still enjoying the treats you sent with us to take back to the boat - thanks again! hull. I think we are starting to get into the swing of this life style, however, naturally we are much more conscious of the weather. We also are learning more every day about the tides and currents and the importance they play in planning our travels. As always learning is what life is all about and we are enjoying it. Every day brings something new and looking forward to much more ahead!
Thanks to everyone that has been keeping in touch - we really appreciate it and hope this blog is helping to keep us all in touch - best wishes to you all!
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Laura
non-member comment
Hi, Great pictures, you guys. The photo of the sailboat next to the tanker was especially amazing. It's crazy how small you really are compared to some other vessels out there. It sounds like the trip is going well and you are adjusting to life on the boat. I hope you have smooth sailing towards the Chesapeake and into Annapolis for the boat show. I enjoy reading your blogs and seeing the pictures. Love, Laura