Friday, May 29, 2009

Yesterday when Gale was moving the boat after the mast was down, the shift cable broke and was stuck in forward gear. Lucky for us, the marina guys were around and able to help him get the boat back to the dock. Of course, that meant that he had another project to attend to before we could leave Catskill, NY. He was able to determine that a snap ring had jarred loose and needed to be put back. In the process of fixing it, the ring was dropped and could not be retrieved. After a nice 3-mile walk to the NAPA store and back for Gale and Lucy, Gale was able to fix the shift cable but not before ruining one replacement snap ring, dropping another where it could not be found, and then finally being able to get the last one he had inserted and in place!
We were anxious to get off the dock at Hop-O-Nose Marina and continue up the Hudson. We left Lucy’s “lawn” behind here and hoped that she wouldn’t have any difficulty continuing to use the same spot on the boat as her bathroom. By 3:20 pm we were fueled up and on our way. We motored for a little over an hour and traveled only about 6 miles, but found a great spot to anchor just past the Athens / Hudson Lighthouse. We were west of Middle Ground Flats and just north of Murderers Creek which leads to Sleepy Hollow Lake. After securing Blue Heron for the night, we let the dinghy down and took a little ride along the shore and up Murderers Creek. We took photos of a sailboat used for sunset cruises, some very old, abandoned barges and an old highway bridge which didn’t even span the creek anymore. Maureen had visions of dreaming about Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Another early morning – we were up at 5:30 am so that we could get started on all the things that needed doing. Gale continued to prepare the boat and Maureen set out on more errand running. The mast went down without incident late in the afternoon and we will now be traveling with it “cradled” on the deck. Our plan is to put the mast back up when we get to the Georgian Bay in Canada. We will have to bring the mast down again in Chicago before we go down the Illinois River and will leave it down either until we get to Kentucky Lake or all the way to Mobile.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Light rain showers during the night helped us to sleep very soundly. Skies were overcast and the temperature was 50°F when we awoke; however, since there was no wind or fog, it made for a very pleasant morning. We left our mooring at 6:15 am and continued our journey up the Hudson River. While Gale drove, Maureen worked on organizing photos. We encountered three old and interesting lighthouses on this route and have included pictures of them in the blog. Shortly after 2 pm, we arrived at Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill, New York, about a mile inland on a little creek – a sweet spot for a marina. Here we will have our mast “stepped”, or taken down, so that we can continue our travels on the New York and Canadian canal systems. With the mast stepping service, we were able to tie up to the marina’s dock, hook up to shore power, fill the water tanks and use the shower facilities. Also, there was a very nice little restaurant, Creekside, about 100 feet from where we were docked. For the remainder of the afternoon, Gale worked on preparing the boat for tomorrow’s mast stepping, and Maureen rented a car to run errands. At 7 pm, we walked up to the restaurant and shared a nice meal.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The wind woke us up a few times in the night. We were up at 5:30am and heading upriver by 6:15 am. The temperature was around 60°F, winds were out of the north at 15 knots, and the skies were clear. Gale was somewhat concerned about fighting a tidal current, a north wind and traveling upstream; however, as it turned out, we averaged over 6 knots on the trip by using both a small headsail and our motor which allowed us to make very good time. The further up the Hudson we traveled, the less tidal it became. Interesting sights along the river included Palisades State Park, West Point Academy and the ruins of an old full size castle, Bannerman Castle, on Pollepel Island.
For the first day, we made it halfway to the Erie Canal and stopped at what appeared to be a really small town, Hyde Park Landing. The signs along the riverbank announced that there were two buoys offered for transient boaters, such as ourselves. We hooked on to one of these and spent a very comfortable evening on the boat.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Work before play – so it was laundry, showers and yoga practice on the Hudson River front first. You would think that Maureen and Gale doing yoga on the lawn would attract some attention, but in New York with the thousands of people walking and cycling along the waterfront, nothing seemed unusual. By 1 pm we were ready to take the dinghy to shore again and walk the few blocks to Central Park where we were to meet Chris & Lindsay. Central Park on this sunny and warm Memorial Day was truly a wonderful experience for us. The park was beautiful and people were enjoying themselves wherever one looked. In the Park, we visited a small lake, open fields, fountains, bike trails, woods, heard music from numerous genres, and enjoyed seeing colorful New Yorkers relaxing. We also visited the memorial in the park for John Lennon called Strawberry Fields where many folks had gathered singing his songs, reflecting on his memory and viewing the mosaic “Imagine” placed in Lennon’s honor. As we left the Park, we walked by the Dakota Hotel and spoke briefly with the doorman who was standing at the very spot John Lennon was shot.
On the way back to the marina from Central Park, we stopped by Fairway, a grocery store known especially for its produce, in downtown Manhattan. Here we bought some nice vegetables and steaks for the grill. When we returned to the boat, Maureen put laundry away and straightened things up a bit while Gale changed the engine oil in preparation for tomorrow’s journey up the Hudson. Gale has worked every Memorial Day weekend of his thirty-three year career – this being the first Memorial Day he has had off since 1975 will also be the most memorable.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

We spent the morning cleaning the inside of the boat before leaving for the 79th Street Marina in Manhattan at around 2:30 pm. We were surprised by the number of pleasure boats using New York Harbor – it reminded us of Clear Lake on a busy Memorial Day weekend. Passing by the Statue of Liberty again was very special since we were able to get a little closer to her than we could last evening. We put the headsail up to help us with the current and the tide in the Hudson River and we were able to get to the marina by 5 pm to meet Gale’s nephew and his spouse, Chris & Lindsay Goranson, who make their home in Manhattan. We were planning a barbecue on the boat with Chris & Lindsay and when we arrived at the marina they greeted us with a large bouquet of lilacs, wine, and meat for the grill! What a wonderful meal we shared with them! We had a nice time visiting on board Blue Heron and enjoyed the view of Manhattan as the sun set. To cap off a marvelous evening, Chris brought a copy of Lindsay’s movie, Plaguetown, in which she plays a leading role. The film was fun to watch and we were impressed with Lindsay’s performance. Too bad we forgot to ask for her autograph!! Since the Blue Heron was tethered on a mooring buoy, Gale took Lindsay and Chris back to the dock in our dinghy. The lights of Manhattan were all around and it truly was a spectacular view. After returning to Blue Heron he asked Maureen to go out for a dinghy ride. We enjoyed the lights of the city together before bedtime.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

We’re off to New York City at 1:30 pm! The winds were out of the NNE at 10-15 knots so we sailed the 15 miles across the bay to New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. We used the mainsail most of the way as the headsail blocked our view of the approaching New York City skyline and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Boat traffic was heavy, too, and we wanted to see well out ahead of us. We were pleasantly surprised on how close we could sail to the Statue of Liberty! We were literally just hundreds of feet away from her and managed to get some very nice photos. It was 6 pm and we thought we had better find our anchorage which was in a small bay adjacent to Liberty State Park. This anchorage turned out to be very well protected and, best of all, only two other boats were anchored in the bay. We wasted no time firing up the grill, having a glass of wine and sitting back to view the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. The day was very exciting and was our last at sea. Beginning tomorrow we will start our journey up the Hudson River.

Friday, May 22, 2009

The skies were sunny and the temperature was in the high 60’s. After breakfast, the three of us hopped into the dinghy and took a little ride around the marina. Because the tide was dropping, there was a lot of beach exposed for Lucy to run. And run she did!! She was very excited to be able to chase a few seagulls, play with the seaweed in the water and run the beach. After our dinghy ride, we took care of a few errands in town: Gale picked up a few more items at the grocery and hardware stores while Maureen sat on a park bench under a tree at the Public Library and finished updating the blog. Gale returned the rental car around 4 pm and had the driver drop him off at the Library so we could all walk back to the marina together. There was a small Farmer’s Market going on in the marina park and we picked up a few snacks.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Another gorgeous spring day! Maureen stayed back at the motel to work on the blog while Gale drove to New London to meet Casey at the USCGA mail room. We had ordered a cover for our Magma grill and had it shipped to Casey’s address in hopes that it would arrive in New London about the same time we did. According to the UPS tracking system, they had attempted delivery yesterday but the facility was closed due to graduation. UPS delivered today and we were pleased that we did not have to go chasing our boat grill cover all over the country!
Gale returned to the motel around 11 am when we checked out and hit the road. Traffic was moving along so the drive took only about 2-1/2 hours. When we were back in the area of the marina, we stopped first at Frank’s Wood Signs. Gale was hoping to get a sign made with our Coast Guard documentation number routered on a board. According to the regulations, this board must be permanently affixed to the hull. Fines up to $10,000 can be assessed if the boat is not in compliance. Unfortunately, Frank was not feeling well today and his wife said he wouldn’t be able to make the sign with such short notice. Our next stop was at a small marine dealer which we had noticed on our way out of town on Tuesday. We had been having some problems with our dinghy outboard and Gale was thinking about trading it in for a smaller Yamaha motor. Unfortunately here, the dealer didn’t take trades but would be willing to broker the motor for us. We weren’t sure we wanted to do this.
Maureen dropped Gale off at the marina and headed for the grocery store for provisions. Gale was going to work on the documentation number board for the boat. When she returned to the marina lot at 5 pm, Gale and Lucy were waiting at the top of the pier. They were actually waiting for ‘George’ who was coming to work on the dinghy motor. We had met George on Tuesday when we stopped at a marine dealer looking for a mechanic. He had been working on a motor outside and Gale had given him our phone number in case he might be interested in doing a little work “on the side.” George was able to repair the motor in about 30 minutes! Everyone was happy: George had a little extra cash in his pocket and we had a motor we could use!
We had planned to leave Atlantic Highlands marina tomorrow morning, but we both felt like we had been pushing too hard for the last several days. The weather report for tomorrow sounded like another lovely day so the decision was made to hang out until sometime Saturday.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The big day has finally arrived! After four years at the US Coast Guard Academy, it was time to celebrate and acknowledge Casey’s accomplishments. The weather was ideal: clear skies, calm winds and warm temperatures which made the outdoor graduation setting textbook perfect, or as Gale always says, “It was a Bluebird Day.” The scene from the grandstands was beautiful with two Coast Guard cutters anchored on the Thames River, the colorful flags, the decorated stage, and the white chairs set out for the cadets – it was all so inspirational and patriotic. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, was the commencement speaker and she gave a very emotional and uplifting address. To see the 300 graduating cadets – now Ensigns - all dressed in their “whites” throw their hats in the air as a US Coast Guard jet and helicopter flew overhead was very moving. It was just a wonderful day for cadets, parents, family and friends.
After the ceremony, Gale and Kelle helped Casey move all of his belongings out of his dorm room. The ceremony ended at 1 pm and the new ensigns had until 4 pm to check out. It was interesting to see how fast the parking lot cleared! They were all very ready to leave this part of their lives behind and set off on their own new adventures!! Casey must report to his assigned station on July 2nd. He will be the Duty Watch Officer on the US Coast Guard Cutter, Mellon, based out of Seattle, Washington, which patrols from the Bering Sea to Cape Horn.
At 6:30 pm we met Casey and Teresa at their hotel in Mystic, Connecticut, for a glass of wine and then walked across the street to the S&P Oyster Factory for a wonderful seafood dinner. We will always remember this day fondly.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

This morning was clear, warm and calm so we spent the first few hours enjoying the sunshine on the boat. Then it was a trip to town to look for a mechanic for the outboard motor and take care of a few other things before leaving for Casey’s graduation. We headed for Hartford, Connecticut, at about 3 pm and considering that we found ourselves in New York City at 5 pm, the traffic wasn’t too bad. About half of the drive was on the Merritt Parkway, which was very scenic and made the trip more pleasant than we had expected. We picked Kelle up at the Hartford Bradley International Airport at 9 pm and drove to Clinton, Connecticut, a small town just a half hour south of New London. Here we all checked into our “favorite” (read “cheap”) inn, the Clinton Motel, for an evening’s rest before graduation day.

Monday, May 18, 2009

We were underway shortly after 7 am with cloudy skies, north winds at 5 knots and 50°F. There was a small craft advisory in effect until 2 pm, but because there was no rain in the forecast and the winds were expected to decrease by the time we arrived at Sandy Hook, we decided to set out. Maureen took a motion sickness pill and Lucy took a “doggy downer.” We all passed on breakfast for awhile to see how we felt after being on the ocean. The ride was rough but not nearly as bad as we experienced on Friday. About halfway to Sandy Hook the New York City skyline came into view. As the day wore on and we brought ourselves closer to New York, we were able to see a spectacular vista of the harbor and the skyscrapers. While rounding Sandy Hook we could see that the name of the point described the geography very well. From there it was downwind to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, and to a beautiful area and marina. All of the land based facilities we were looking for; such as, coin laundry, grocery store and hardware store, were within walking distance, so we decided to stay a few days to enjoy the locality and work on the boat. It was a perfect spot to leave the boat for a few days while we travelled to New London, Connecticut, for Casey’s graduation. The marina provides dinghy service for boats on their mooring buoys. At about 4 pm we requested a “lift in” to do some laundry, take showers, and pick up our car rental. We were back at the boat before 8 pm to put laundry away and grill up a chicken breast.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

We were up at 5 am to try to retrieve our anchor and line. Gale had marked it with a small red buoy last night and we could still see where it was. We didn’t want to leave the anchor without trying at least once to bring it up during slack tide. Maureen drove the boat and approached the buoy so Gale could snag it with the boat hook. She carefully maneuvered the boat as Gale pulled the line and chain in. After about 30 minutes the anchor finally pulled loose from the sand and we had our anchor back on deck.
After listening to the weather reports, we decided to wait one more day to let the winds die down. While at anchor in the early afternoon, we thought we would do some reading and relax for tomorrow’s sail. Suddenly Maureen noticed a sailboat drifting towards us! The tidal waters were swift and this sailboat had broken free of her anchor and was heading for our boat. We knew no one was aboard the boat as we saw the family leave earlier in their dinghy. We did the best we could to keep the boat from damaging ours, but she had crossed our anchor line and was now bumping up against our boat. Soon we saw there was nothing we could do so Maureen went to the radio and called the Coast Guard for assistance while Gale stayed topside trying to keep the boats apart. This was no easy task – the boat we were dealing with was a 39 foot Beneteau (sailboat). It was only a few minutes before the Coast Guard arrived and they quickly assisted us to get free from the drifting sailboat. On a lake, this would not have been such an event but being located near an inlet to the Atlantic, the tidal waters and wind were extremely strong which made it a very difficult situation. It seems a day can’t go by without some unforeseen event taking place! I guess that’s why we called this our Adventure.
At 5 pm we were sitting in Blue Heron ready for a glass of wine and some grilled pork chops. We hope for a quiet night and a good night’s rest as we plan on heading up the coast at dawn.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The fog was thick this morning! And there was a small craft warning beginning this afternoon and lasting into Sunday morning for Sandy Hook. We decided to stay put. Around 11 am Karen called wondering if we were thinking about leaving today and if we were going on the “inside” (the intracoastal waterway) or the “outside” (Atlantic Ocean). We didn’t even realize we could use the ICW for this leg because of all the bridges and the way the route had been described by Skipper Bob (a Great Circle Route publication). Karen assured us that if we could get under a 60’ fixed bridge, we could make the inside passage. The sun had come out and burned off the fog and even though the winds were blowing at 25 knots, we decided to try the inside route. We pulled anchor at 12:45 and headed out. What a pleasant surprise! The ICW was more than wide enough to sail 10 of the 25 miles and the remaining portion was lined with beautiful homes and calm water. Skipper Bob cautioned us on narrow bridge openings and fast current but we had no problems making it through the seven bridges. We decided to set anchor as close to the Atlantic Inlet as possible. The strong tidal current and shallow depths made it difficult to find a secure anchorage. We had to cut one anchor free due to the current taking us into shallow water and grounding us, but with the both of us working together, we were able to keep the boat from being grounded. Gale slept sitting up in the salon keeping one eye on the chart plotter and making sure our anchor held keeping us from going too far out into the channel. The Coast Guard patrol stopped by around 22:45 and told us we would have to move the boat closer to shore tomorrow if we were staying.