As the sun rose over Manhattan, we untied our lines and left our home for the night, Liberty Landing Marina, and continued up the Hudson. The next three days we were trying to gain some ground and hopefully catch up to any slower boats traveling the Loop and not be all alone at the end of the pack. Over those 72 hours, we covered about 114 miles ultimately landing in New Baltimore in anticipation and, much trepidation, of the Troy Federal Lock. I’ll get into that dreaded lock system later once I find my work gloves, life jacket and, oh yes, a knife.
Just a side note, the Hudson River is actually a tidal estuary, whereas the salt water from the ocean combines with the fresh water from the north and it is subject to the ebb and flow of the changing tides. As I scout for logs barreling our way and can’t escape the confines of the fly bridge, Duane has used his down time to educate me on the mysteries of the waters. I should be taking notes as I am certain there will be a quiz later to prove how much I really listen to his “fun facts.”
As we took our last turn out of Manhattan, we passed by the Frying Pan where I have spent many a Happy Hour and, more notable, the Intrepid. Getting two more major bridges under our belt, the George Washington and Tappan Zee, the river seemed to narrow and the water just rippled under us as we cut through the channel.
The view up the Hudson was many shades of green as we glided around the bends with trees and mountains on either bank. On the first day, our destination was Verplank, NY where we were meeting a friend and staying at the Viking Boatyard for the night. Michele and her daughter, Madison, took us to a delicious dinner in town and we fed the ducks at the marina before saying Goodbye (Not too sure how smart that was since they seemed to multiply exponentially and lingered on well into the night angrily quacking begging for more granola). Michele and Maddie will be the last familiar faces we would see for awhile…or so we thought.
The next morning we rose early to continue on our quest to gain more ground, or water may be a more appropriate word. Going under the Bear Mountain Bridge we were soon in the sights of the massive campus of West Point. Another teachable moment -West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. This “fun fact” aside, I was distracted by our impending arrival in Cold Spring and, with perfect timing, my friend Tracy was going to be waving from the pier. We have had a world wind of friends and family meeting us since we left our home port, but after this brief encounter yelling to each other over the rumble of the engine, it was just going to be Duane and I for the foreseeable future. For a fleeting moment, I pictured myself jumping overboard. Maybe not literally as the murky Hudson scares me, but I was all in now and there was no going back.
The rest of the day was filled with more beautiful scenery. As we passed Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island we marvelled at the ruins from long ago. Purchased from the Taft family in 1900 it became a military surplus warehouse which has long been abandoned.
Right at this point Duane was starting to get “hangry.” Out of necessity to stop the complaining, we resorted to some engine cooking. Yes… you heard me right…We wrapped some leftovers and sandwiches in tinfoil and placed them on the engine to “slow cook.” At first I thought he was punking me, but after experiencing it and not having to grab the fire extinguisher, this is a cooking method I see myself mastering over the next year. As we ate warm homemade paninis (AKA wraps of salami and half melted Swiss), we decided to anchor for the night near the Rondout Lighthouse in Kingston. So far I have realized that New York has no shortage of lighthouses and bridges and, of course, a pirate ship or two.
That night we took a dinghy ride down the creek on Baby Belle and happened to see a Looper boat, Gypsies Palace. The owners, a wonderful couple, Debbie and Steve, welcomed us onto their magnificent boat, which indeed was a palace. They were gold Loopers having completed the trip and gave us so much helpful advice from locking up the Erie, to securing your lines to the rails and the all important– docktails.
The next morning we took off heading for Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina in New Baltimore. Along the way we just happened to see, what else?? … a lighthouse and two bridges. Passing through the Catskills reminded me of days gone by spending winters on Hunter Mountain. I have to say this view is much more appealing.
At Donovan’s we were able to recharge our batteries, have a cold drink at a real bar and take a shower. We were introduced to “little beers” which tasted like a vanilla shake. It was a great way to end our three day stint up the Hudson in anticipation of traversing the locks in the morning. Now where is that knife??