Something New, Something Old

Rocking peacefully in Port Washington harbor, there were a few discussions, around the dinner table about shooting Hell Gate down the East River past Manhattan. In a slow moving boat you don’t have that many options and we were about to lose our last opportunity for weeks to ride the current past Manhattan to the Hudson River in the daylight, but then the Hudson would have a contrary current, which means finding an anchorage in some of the busiest waters in the world.

We timed the entrance perfectly and
another catamaran followed us in. I guess I’m used to turbulent rivers but this was something new as Escape Velocity would slew one way then dart another. I had to hand steer her but she handled it well.

What a great way to see Manhattan! As we approached the financial district I realized that we are not only in some of the busiest water in the world but it’s rush hour!

Ferries were everywhere, churning up the river with huge wakes and of course the wind began to blow 15-20 kts. Marce seemed to be especially concerned about the Staten Island ferries.

Beautiful schooners were sailing about, water taxis, classic commuter yachts, sea planes, nut jobs on jet skis. Let’s just say we felt Insignificant. Marce had found a small yacht basin to anchor in behind the statue of liberty.

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This place allowed us to break up the passage into two days and reach 10kts
through Hell Gate and 7.5 kts. for the whole trip up the Hudson, while running
at a moderate cruising RPM.

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Leaving our anchorage.

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I felt right at home on the Hudson River. I grew up on Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers. While the scale is larger the point is the same except that the Hudson spends a lot of time flowing backwards.

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Tappan Zee bridge, Nyack at night.

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