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June 27 – 28 Champlain Canal to Whitewall – closing a chapter!
The Lyft driver in Kingston who delivered Spot and I to the Vet clinic told me that NY’s towns along the Hudson and Champlain canals are like children – they all have their individual personalities and are in various stages of development. The canal that connects the more Northerly towns is interspersed with stretches of wild space that we felt privileged to transit. We did this 70-mile canal run almost completely by ourselves, seeing only 2 other boats. For all but 2 locks, we locked alone. By the time we hit Lock 3, we felt like seal team SIX – cool, calculated and efficient; our system comfortably in place. There are towns along the canal that have walls where passing boats can tie for free. Generally, there is water available and restrooms/showers nearby. This is a wonderful convenience, but it also means you’re tied to the town wharf, which provides a front row seat for any night life – for better or worse. Our first overnight, Mechanicville, was a bit rough with lots of activity for a good part of the night. Early evening kids swarmed on bikes and scooters whooping it up. One thought our boat looked like a great jungle gym but took it gracefully when I said ‘NOPE’. Late night was, well, better not to know what was going on. I was happy to have crew dog Spot on board. His superpower is his throaty bark that belies his overwhelming friendliness. There wasn’t much restaurant-wise in the town, but we did order dinner at a little hole in the wall sub shop that made AMAZING food. Had to double up on the cholesterol meds after that one, but totally worth it. Next stop – Fort Edward which is a bit further along in her developmental journey than Mechanicville with a lovely, manicured town wharf park. We found a brew pub just off the dock – Slick Fin – and drank delicious Piss Missile beer (seriously, that was the name) while chatting with local denizens, mostly about Scooby Doo. Finally, Whitehall – birthplace of the US Navy AND, incidentally, the spinning spoon fishing lure which we learned brought new hope to the fishermen of America! There is a TON of history here and a wonderful museum staffed by a lovely and enthusiastic raconteur of Whitehall’s past. I admit that I had no idea Benedict Arnold was such a nautical genius having overseen the construction and deployment of America’s naissant Navy to fend off the British. Benedict is very present in this town, and they don’t talk much about the end of his story – betraying George Washington and hot footing it back to England. Apparently, he wasn’t very popular there, so he moved to Canada, where they also didn’t care for him. He and Henry Hudson both had less than auspicious ends up North. Henry and his son got set adrift by the crew of Discovery up in James Bay, never to be heard from again. Somewhere here is a lesson for us all. We enjoyed this short stay. The final lock in Whitehall opened promptly at 8 am, conveyed us about 15 feet downhill and released us into Lake Champlain.
June 26 – 27 – To the Locks!
Being once again patched up, we depart with the morning tide for the Federal Lock at Troy. We’ve done a lot of reading about transiting locks and we listened closely to those who’ve done this before. A primary concern is letting your stern get pushed off the wall and not being able to turn it back – which means going sideways in the Lock, which is bad. Obviously, you’d have to be an idiot to let that happen. Having never been through a lock, we approached Troy with rapid heartbeats, but we were ready: life jackets, gloves, lines, LOTS of fenders. The lock master hailed us on the radio and said we’d need to wait about 20 minutes before he could open the doors. Honestly, I felt like we were Frodo and Samwise waiting at the gates of Mordor. Large amounts of froth and turbulence at the base of the gates signaled action and when the white water settled, the giant doors swung inward and the light turned green. Go time. It went OK, except we went sideways in the lock – which is terrifying. There’s a single pipe that requires lassoing with a line and then we turned into a giant pivot. We were alone, so we had lots of privacy to workshop the situation. Being in a lock is a bit like that scene in Star Wars when Hans, Luke and Leia are stuck in the trash compactor – there are huge forces working and you have little control. When we reached the top, the lock master said, “nice job folks”, and added “Please proceed out of the lock and tie to the port wall where the US Coast Guard will come aboard for an inspection.” What next? We exited the lock threw our lines to the Coasties and on they came. Crew Dog Spot was DELIGHTED to see them. Clearly, he was hoping for rescue. All went well until one officer dropped into our engine room and his head now being at a convenient height, Spot decided to vigorously clean the officer’s ears. The Coastie – flak jacket, weapons, etc. dissolved into a fit of giggles. Then came the question: “Captain, do you have a sound producing device on board?” I was thinking “uh oh.” Don’s eyes lit up as he said “sure”. Then, the whole wide, wide world heard our horns.* No more questions were asked. We passed with flying colors and off we went. Next stop, Champlain Lock 1 at Waterford. This went much easier although we missed the scheduled opening and had to wait 2 hours. Just time for a walk with Spot, lunch and a bit of down time. Now being veterans, this one went easy. We are closing out this day tied to the wall in Fort Edwards. Tomorrow, Whitehall.
*Nereus is outfitted with restored locomotive horns. You can read about them under the button ‘about our Pilgrim 40’.
June 24 – 25 Albany
We splurged and made reservations at the Albany Yacht Club to provision, lower our mast, and do all the things to get ready for our trip through the locks. As we were approaching the AYC docks we heard a hail on the radio: “Nervous, Nervous, Nervous, this is Albany Yacht Club”. I could only assume he meant us, so chuckling, I answered the call. Sure enough, we are directed to the service dock to fuel up and pump out. The dock master, a terse but friendly fellow, pointed out our dockage for the night and jogged over to help catch our lines. Safely tied up, we went through our regular end-of-day checks. Don raised the engine hatch and here’s how the ensuing dialogue went:
Don: “Do you smell something?”
Lynn: “Yes, it smells very hot, are we on fire?”
Don: “We could be, there’s smoke”
Lynn: “OMG, I’m calling 911”.
Don: “Absolutely not, it’s a class Charlie fire.”
Lynn: “Who the !@*&$ is Charlie?”
Don: “Please kill the power to the engine battery.”
Lynn: “Whaat?????”
Don: “Figure it out- now!”
Ok, I figured it out. I now understand that in the case of a class Charlie electrical fire, it is imperative to turn off all electrical power to the offending area- which was our starter. And as Don said, a cool head is important. My hair caught on fire, not his. This breakdown, although more dramatic, was far less complicated than our engine issue. Don readily removed the starter, found an auto electrical repair shop 20 miles away, hopped a Lyft and delivered the part for repair.
As all of this was occurring, we had a bit of an NC State grad school class reunion as Dewayne, Steve and his daughter Katrina pulled alongside Nereus. Steve and his daughter are on a motorcycle tour from North Carolina and Dewayne had them aboard his boat as he checked on his acoustic arrays that listen for passing tagged sturgeon all the way up to the Troy lock. Nothing is better for the soul than catching up with old friends!
On Thursday, the repair shop called to say they had a new starter ready to go. He said the old one was toasted, fried, burnt and absolutely ruined, not a single undamaged part; but would we like to keep it as a spare?? We declined and Don went to collect our brand-new starter. Blends right in with all the other new stuff on our engine! I want to give a shout out to Con Rel Auto Electric in Schenectady. They are awesome. Some days we worry about what will happen as guys like these age out from their trade. Where will we go? Their brand of expertise and wisdom seems to be becoming rare commodity. We were so glad to have found them
June 23 – Hiding Behind Houghtaling
From Athens we made a short jump North and anchored in secluded Schodack creek behind Houghtalin Island. We dropped our hook, relaxed and noticed a solitary boat moving up the creek and dropping anchor just south of us. As we were enjoying the afternoon (trying to fix the dinghy outboard motor), we spied a dinghy coming our way from the anchored boat. As the gentleman approached, he yelled ‘Fegleys!!’. Honestly, we are in the middle of nowhere and there’s a guy on a dinghy shouting our name. We stared, perplexed. Up he floated and grabbed our hull. And wouldn’t you know -Tom Lewis from Annapolis traveling solo aboard his Nordic Tug Beagle. Tom is not a fisheries person per se, but he and I worked together years ago when he chaired a special Fisheries Management Commission for Governor O’Malley, and he’s a friend of Andy’s who had told him that Don and I were floating around up here somewhere. What are the odds that we would cross paths here?
June 21 – Athens
Fathers day! We continue upriver to Athens, dropping anchor within site of the Hudson/Athens Lighthouse. Athens is a tiny, romantic gem full of gorgeous Victorian homes, some restored to full glory and others underway. It’s quiet without many businesses, but there’s a coffee shop, a couple of good restaurants, a pizza place and a lovely riverfront garden bar with a pretty good live band – all dog friendly. What more could you ask for? The best news, when Don checked the engine in the morning. Nothing weird at all – the mysterious foam had gone. Next stop Coeymans then Albany.
June 20 – Calamity Kids in Kingston
Checking the engine was the first order of business Saturday morning in Roundout Creek. The boat did great on our transit from New Hamburg so Don was anxious to see how the coolant system and exhaust elbow was behaving. What he found was some odd foam in the coolant reservoir. And yup, we kind of panicked. Called Andy, called our mechanic back at White’s, started planning to end our summer on the water. At the same time, noticing that Spot had a limp we found a pretty good gash on his right front paw between his toes. So I ordered up a pet-friendly Lyft and off we went to an E-vet clinic that patched him up and provided antibiotics. Don went through some engine testing while I was off with Spot, and results were good!
Feeling positive about moving North on Dad’s day, we spent the afternoon relaxing on ‘the back porch’ watching the Saturday afternoon action on the river in the form of kayakers and other adventurers. We looked on with interest as a couple of folks launched their small sailboat (just a 14 or 15 foot dinghy). It was immediately evident that they had no understanding of how to work a sailboat and Don said: “That guy better release that main sheet or he’s going to capsize.” And they did – about 50 feet from shore. Now sideways in the water, both people wearing life jackets there was a lot of splashing around and some yelling. A kayaker immediately sprinted to the rescue. An inflatable zoomed out from shore. I thought, “they’re cool, they will figure it out”, but then the whole boat began to disappear beneath the water’s surface. The guy on the inflatable tied a line to the sideways bow and the kayaker provided moral support, we hopped in our dinghy and headed over, just to make sure there were too many chefs in the kitchen. Obviously, all would be well. But someone on shore wasn’t convinced and called 911. Suddenly our quiet anchorage was overcome by a tsunami of rescue boats, lights flashing and radios blaring. Ambulances and fire trucks stampeded into the small parking lot, a rescue diver waddled down the boat ramp at speed, just as the wayward sailors came ashore. Our discouraged sailors stood bedraggled and dripping on the ramp. We’re pretty sure they won’t pursue that sailing hobby any further.
June 18 – New Hamburg to Kingston: – Muhheakantuck, Part II
We are on the move! The engine passed its testing on Thursday the 18th but Ms. Hudson was showing her teeth. Super high tide, 30-plus knots of wind out of the South. Waves were coming over the end of the pier. Nobody’s getting underway today.
Friday we rose early and STARTED THE ENGINE! A sound not heard for nearly 3 weeks is a joyful one!! We said our goodbyes and shoved off for a short 25-mile run to Kingston.
As we pass Poughkeepsie, the river returns to its deeply wooded beauty with glimpses of grandeur in the form of Roosevelt, Vanderbilt and other private wonders of wealth. On the approach to Kingston, the river widens into the broad shallows of the Esopus meadows. Mariners are warned of extensive shoaling by the Maid of the Meadows – the only surviving wooden lighthouse on the Hudson. It was built in 1871 and manned until the mid 1960’s. It’s a special kind of soul that would have lived in that house throughout the year, enduring a life of intermittent boredom and terror. There’s a story about keeper, David Bennet, who in January of 1961 was stalked across the ice by a pack of starving, wild dogs. Apparently, he lived to tell the tale – there is no history that I could find on what became of the dogs. In this area of the River, many things carry the name Esopus: a creek, an island and the meadows. This is reference to the Esopus first people who were a subgroup of the Lanape and inhabited the Hudson Valley in what is now Ulster and Sullivan counties.
Leaving the Maid behind, we pass Sturgeon Point, spy the brick lighthouse at the entrance of Roundout Creek and bang a left into Kingston. Roundout Creek is serious eye-candy. There’s the Hudson River Maritime Museum, the city dock, a large yacht basin and a tugboat hospital where I spied my dad’s own personal Tug “Thomas R.” There’s also another Pilgrim 40 – Destiny – gracing the creek! We meandered up the creek as far as we could go and dropped our hook in a quiet basin with a short dingy ride to a marina with a grassy park for Spot.
We found a strange assortment of vehicles parked at the marina including some weird approbation of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine – honestly, is nothing sacred anymore? Not even Scooby Doo?
June 11 – Progress – we hope!
It is HERE! Our brand-new heat exchanger, lovingly handcrafted on Long Island has arrived! Our exhaust manifold has been cleaned up and re-united with the errant part 23. New gaskets are being made as we speak! We sure hope it all works when it goes back together but we are optimistic! We are seeing some light.
In other good news, we don’t yet have scurvy, Don is holding his own finding projects around the boat and Spot is enjoying daily swims off the boat ramp. Our crew dog also stands ready to swab decks on command. I admit we ran out of wine and I’m starting to feel a bit disreputable as I rode one of our bikes to town and, in my hot sweaty state could be observed stuffing boxes of wine into the saddle back of my bike, but there you have it, this is what has become of us!
We are quite proud that have surpassed 110 miles of hiking in the area – and those are not flatlander miles! On one of our wanderings, we happened upon a beautiful stone cottage on the river with formal gardens and a weathered sign that appeared to say, ‘Farmers Landing’. A little google search paid off. This was a busy wharf in the mid 1700’s and apparently the British lobbed cannon balls at the house on their way upriver to burn the city of Kingston. Cannon balls have been recovered from the garden. We hoofed it further up the road to Carnwath Farms – a relic estate from a bygone and glittering age on the banks of the Hudson. This one will take some elbow grease to bring back, but the 200-acre property is stunning and is being converted to a town park/natural area and cultural center. Oddly, there is also a Sports Museum which was not open but apparently, they have gems like Ty Cobb’s bat and Arnold Palmer’s autograph. Who would have guessed?
Aside from wanderings: Andy and friend Michael Johnson (aka MJ) breezed through on their way North aboard M/V YES. Andy served rum drinks involving Passion Fruit juice (Anina’s recipe!), we grilled burgers on shore and made a night of it. We waved from our fly bridge as they steamed out the next day, feeling a tiny bit glum. We were cheered by a lovely dinner with new friend Marjorie who lives near the marina. She’s had a lifetime of experience on boats and was delighted to check out Nereus. She’s also a master gardener with a wealth of knowledge on all things plants. Don and I spent a morning with her helping to clear weeds from her vegetable garden. We have also been watching with interest as 2 streets of this tiny town are being transformed into the set for the TV Show Best Medicine. What was a handsome historic house is now the Port Wenn, Maine Post Office. We are waiting for the stars to appear! Next update will be after we’ve cast off our lines.
June 4 – Living Fossils: warning, this is a fishy post!
Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) is an amazing fish. Everyone should see one in their lifetime – even if you don’t really care about fish. They have survived since the time of the dinosaurs despite myriad challenges thrown their way. It is not just their size that is fantastic, it is everything about their unique bony morphology, weird ventrally oriented bottom sucking mouth, and their wide ranging travels. Sturgeon are anadromous meaning they live mostly at sea but return to natal rivers to spawn. Females do not reproduce until ages 7 to 30 years, and this slow maturation makes them more vulnerable to threats like fishing and habitat loss. They were once heavily fished, being referred to in these parts as Albany Beef and we nearly lost them. Now, they are benefiting from a 40-year fishing moratorium and populations may be slowly clawing their way upward. They remain federally protected. I consider myself lucky to know some folks who study these fish and that’s what got me on the river today. My old friend and sturgeon biologist Dewayne Fox (Del State U) and Stephanie, a visiting PhD student (from Austria) collected me from the dock here at White’s Marina and we traveled about 15 miles upriver to rendezvous with the NYDEC team: Amanda, Shannon, Sarah and Adam. We were also joined by friend and former colleague Marty Gary who heads up the NYDEC division of marine fisheries. Dewayne and I were in grad school together about 30 years ago at NC State and shared the same major professor, Dr. Joe Hightower. Since neither of us are any older, we’re not sure where the 30 years went, but we had a great time catching up as we took in sites along the river.
These guys expertly sample fish using gill nets, set for one hour. Gill nets are very selective for particular sized fish and so the large 12-inch mesh was free of any other species. The sturgeon they catch are measured for length to the fork of the tail, weighed, sampled for genetic work and checked for a tag that will identify them. Some fish have transmitter tags surgically implanted. These tags are picked up by acoustic arrays that are placed in the Hudson River, along the Atlantic Coast and in Chesapeake Bay so that researchers can start to understand movement patterns of these fish. Today the crack NYDEC team caught 3 males and one very large female (tech term is BIG HONKER) who weighed in at 250 pounds. All of the fish are released unharmed. What a great day to catch up with old friends and one of the world’s coolest fish!!
If you want to learn more about Sturgeon, check out the sturgeon page at ASMFC.org. All of these fish today were collected under NOAA permit #20340i
June 2 -3– Roosevelts, Vanderbilts, No engine repair yet; oh my!
Still waiting on things mechanical, we decided to revisit our terrestrial driving skills and rent a car. First destination: Hyde Park – just 20 minutes up the road and home to the Roosevelt estate, the FDR presidential library and the modest Vanderbilt Homestead. Both are dog friendly around the grounds, so Spot also got in a bit of touring. The Roosevelt property features miles of trails which, on a Wednesday, we had all to ourselves. Forest-bathing at its best! Spot unexpectedly launched himself into FDR’s ice pond and had a quick paddle before we fished him out, smiling. Don and I traded off visiting the FDR presidential library while the other spent quality time with our crew dog. I love presidential libraries because they offer a uniquely personal view into the lives of presidents and first ladies. The Roosevelts were an inspirational duo. Eleanor in her brilliance, kindness and interest in human rights is a role model for anyone in the business of public policy or just trying to build a better world. Set your values, hold your course and don’t back down no matter what they throw at you. The library walks you through time: the roaring twenties, the crash, FDR’s inauguration in the worst of times. And then came WWIl. In this part of the exhibit, I was particularly struck by FDR’s words: The peace, the freedom and the security of ninety percent of the population of the world is being jeopardized by the remaining ten percent who are threatening a breakdown of international order and law.
I left with the dueling emotions of fear and hope. Fear that we seem incapable of learning from history and hope that have the capacity for great resilience.
Next stop was the Vanderbilt estate, a monument to the gilded age. It is exactly opposite of the large, but welcoming Roosevelt home with its wild surroundings. Vanderbilt is a neoclassical monolith with extensive formal gardens and outbuildings. It is also home to what is believed to be the continents oldest Ginko tree dating back to 1799. Final fun fact: when the last of the Vanderbilts to live in the home died childless, they left the estate to a niece. This is during the great depression. She could not sell it and could not maintain it. Her neighbor, FDR, suggested she donate the property to the National Park Service – and so she did! And we get to enjoy the place and its stunning views of the Hudson Valley!
May 30 – The Hamlet Where We Are
Credit where credit is due, our engine stranded us in the hidden gem of New Hamburg that we are happy to discover. We’ve been busy! I’m dividing this blog into parts, so you can focus on your interests or read it all!
Part A – The Mystery of the Missing Coolant
One would think that when your engine is losing coolant by the gallon, the problem would be simple to find. Chris – mechanic from Stormy Bay based here at White’s Marine – did the pressure test that produced the bubbles shown in May 26 post. Bubbles mean that there is a breach allowing coolant to escape into some unwanted area of our engine or straight out the exhaust. Based on the location of the bubbles, there were several potential culprits: the exhaust manifold, the heat exchanger, or what we affectionately call part 23, the flow controller. A simple solution would be a failed gasket between part 23 and the exhaust manifold, a failed heat exchanger would be manageable, a failed exhaust manifold would be apocalyptic as this part is no longer available and nearly impossible to find on the used market. Challenge number 1 was to disassemble all the parts – they’ve been together a long time and are very attached. The first attempt to remove the manifold resulted in broken studs – not great. But Chris got the manifold, still attached to Part 23, off and away to the shop for further pressure testing. When dipped in a bath, the entire unit failed – more bubbles in the wrong places. We spent the day on edge as we realized our problem could be crippling, but still hoping part 23 could be our gremlin. While we fretted, intrepid Chris spent the day GENTLY working to separate part 23. And voila – the interface between part 23 and the manifold showed itself to be a corroded mess with an ineffective gasket and better yet, the manifold on its own, passed the pressure test! For good measure, the Stormy Bay crew removed our heat exchanger for its own bath which revealed a failure, but this part can be replaced. In short, we have dodged a potentially fatal blow to our Westerbeke and will remain here as parts are ordered, cleaned, machined and re-attached. THE BOAT WILL MOVE AGAIN!!! (we hope).
Part B – Friends & Pups
On Wednesday we welcomed our friends Pat and Ingrid who drove up from Maryland with our dog Spot and their dog Coco. Ingrid’s mom, Inge, lives nearby in a lovely apartment with commanding views of the Hudson. The arrival of our friends and our dog resulted in a celebratory couple of days. Dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant and a gathering at Inge’s place for a delicious dinner. Crew dog Spot is back aboard!!
We are convinced that New Hamburg is home to THE WORLD’S NICEST PEOPLE. As we wander through town in our vagabond way, people readily take a break from yard work or step off their porches to talk. One lovely woman flagged us down on the street. The response to our story of engine drama is universal: offers to help with everything from grocery runs to tig welding. The White’s Boatyard Community is equally friendly; owners Don, Linda and Chris White look after us and slip neighbors make us feel at home.
Part C – History
New Hamburg sits at the junction of the Hudson River and Wappinger Creek forming a sheltering nook in the shoreline of the big river. This was an important shipping port to Hudson Rivermen as far back as the 1700’s when it was known as High Point. Numerous industries have flourished here including fishing, ship wrights, lumber, lime-burning and even rag sales which took advantage of cotton waste from the mills just up the creek in Wappingers Falls. In the 1800’s, New Hamburg locals, Walter Millard and Uriah Mills built the barge Lexington and the steamer Splendid to carry freight and passengers up and down the river.
Just outside White’s Marina on the right, the old grocery and hardware store still stands and is being lovingly restored by its tenants. Across the street, the land slopes away and there are a small oil depot and two houses. These were built atop the old lime quarry that once fed the lime kiln that burned in the late 1700’s. Where the lime kiln stood is now the New Hamburg yacht club. Established circa 1915, this is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country and was a hot spot for the very Hudson River sport of Ice Yachting. Standing behind the yacht club is the 1845 home of lime kiln owner Adolph Brower. The old firehouse for the town stands up the hill from the yacht club. It looks much as it did in the early 1930’s but has been renovated into a striking private residence.
And one last fun fact about New Hamburg: the TV show Best Medicine was filmed here! Finally, I want to reference the book ‘Post Card History Series – Wappinger’ by David Turner and thank the kind town resident who loaned us this treasure
Part D – Holy Carp! And Other Outdoor Adventures
Ok – its time to talk fish! Namely, Asian Carp. I know this is disappointing for my fisheries friends, but these buggers are everywhere. We have not yet been hit in the head by one, but our slip neighbor has cultivated a relationship with about 30 of them that were ready to snuggle up on her swim platform. As we hiked a trail along Wappinger Creek, the water seemed to explode with what we assume to be spawning carp. This area of New York seems to be under siege from invasive species. Above the undulating masses of carp float rafts of water chestnut. On shore we see Japanese knotweed and Multiflora rose. But this is not to be negative because the hiking in this area does not disappoint.
Not far from the marina is a trailhead that leads up a hill to the Reese Sanctuary Cemetery which predates the civil war. It is a tranquil and breezy spot bathed in deep green light of the forest. I am sure it is haunted at night. George Washington Clinton – the son of George Clinton who was Vice President of the United States from 1805 – 1812 under Jefferson and Madison, is buried here. Passing through a gap in a stone wall at the far end of the cemetery, we found the trail that took us roughly 2 miles along Wappinger Creek to the town of Wappingers Falls. The best part about this trail is that ends just a short distance from the afore mentioned Mexican restaurant Casa Ortega which serves a mean margarita. So we can re-hydrate.
A bit further up the road, we visited Bowdoin Park with about 5 miles of beautiful trails. Spot could go for a swim here and we enjoyed putting more miles on our treads through patches of mature forest. Bowdoin Park is a nationally renowned Cross Country running course due to its wide trails, steep hills and beautiful views. We didn’t set any course records, but we sure enjoyed ourselves.
May 26 until? Troubles with Bubbles.
The picture sums it up. Cozied up at White’s on the Hudson in the hamlet of New Hamburg, NY. We’ll see how long repairs take!
May 22 – 24 – Muhheakantuck, Part I
I’ve been known to say that there is no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothes. But these last few days have called this into question. Cold heavy rain and a stiff Easterly breeze discourage us from venturing outside of our cozy water-borne Winnebago. Nonetheless we have made our way up the Hudson as far as Newburgh, NY. Leaving our anchorage close to the GW bridge, we had no destination in mind. Our first day traveling north featured clear blue skies and took us through awesome geology born of Triassic tectonic violence; igneous intrusion and the busting apart of Pangea. This is the Pallisades Sill which today provides a home for soaring Peregrine Falcons, a master class in geology, and an opportunity to reflect on the arc of time.
Because the Hudson is stingy with anchoring locations, we welcomed the chance to tuck in out of the breeze and current at the town of Verplanck. The big river narrows here with Verplanck to the East and Stony Point to the West. During the Revolution, the Continental and French armies used this area as a ferry to get across the Hudson without intervention from British forces established in NYC. We launched our dinghy to walk around the town and to a state park where we could climb the bluffs overlooking our anchorage.
Rain arrived in the morning and so did engine trouble. Seems our Westerbeke 100 was doing something inappropriate with its coolant – as in losing it. So, we top off the engine and move gently upriver with a plan to make the 18 miles to Newburgh, NY where we will meet our friends Pat, Ingrid and our pup Spot. And hopefully find a mechanic.
This part of the river is nearly mystical in its beauty. We rounded the bend at Peekskill and sailed into the deep gorge of Bear Mountain. Anthony’s Nose glowered down as we continued through West Point, Garrison, Worlds End and Cold Spring. This is the deepest part of the Hudson at 275 ft where revolutionary troops strung chains across to protect from the advancing British. The ramparts of Storm King and Breakneck Point along with Bannerman’s Castle mark the exit from the Hudson Highlands and as the river widened to Newburgh Bay, we felt we were leaving a time gone by. The first people who lived along the Hudson– The Lanape – named the river Muhheakantuck – the river that flows both ways. And it does. The tide changes as we pull to the dock in Newburgh. Don made contact with a mechanic, and we will see what’s next!
May 21 – The Big Apple
We dropped our lines at sunup in Point Pleasant Beach and were treated to an athletic exit from the Manasquan inlet. Just a tiny bit of clean up needed, no injuries. Once ocean bound, we settled on a northerly course along the beach with a Southwest swell and freshening North wind. Rounding Sandy Hook and approaching the Verrazzano Narrows, marine traffic picked up as did the wind, chop and rain. NY Harbor felt like a video game. Recall the AIS that was so helpful when we left Cape May in the dark, was now on overload, broadcasting our impending doom from all directions at once: ferries, tour boats, big ships, little ships, tugs, barges, a bunch of sodden tourists on a bedraggled, bobbing schooner – what a show. We approached the battery and took in Lady Liberty off our port – it seemed to us she was standing in a veil of tears, but standing hopeful, nonetheless. Leaving the battery and continuing up into the Hudson, we relax and enjoy the ride with views of Riverside Park, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, Columbia University, the Chelsea Docks – on and on it went. Passing under the George Washington Bridge, we imagine the young Americans hunkered down in stockade forts (Washington and Lee) atop these cliffs during the revolutionary war. They lost the battle for these cliff tops but survived to carry on the fight. We dropped our hook just North of the bridge on the West side of the river. A room with a million-dollar view: the bridge and skyline downstream, the cliffs up the Hudson upstream. And a quick fun fact sent by friend and sturgeon biologist Dr. Dewayne Fox. There is a little red lighthouse (Jeffery’s Hook Lighthouse) under the GW Bridge on the East side. It was the inspiration for the kid’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge where one theme of the story is SMALL CAN BE MIGHTY. Which is pretty much how we are feeling about our little boat just now.
May 18 to 21 – Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ.
It took us a moment to catch on; we entered Manasquan inlet on May 18, but the town where we landed was not Manasquan, but Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. And what a fabulous town it is. We anchored at the side of the channel for the first night then moved to a slip at Captain Bill’s right inside the inlet, nestled among a substantial commercial and party-boat fishing fleet. We stepped ashore for the first time since we left Shady Side; walked the Boardwalk and had a delicious dinner at the Shrimp Box. This is a town that clearly lives by and from the sea. It is also a town that had the air of a racehorse ready to burst from the party gate. As confirmed by an employee at the local Fisherman’s Supply store, the town would be all consumed by beach revelers beginning Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
We were also treated to a visit from my friend and fisheries colleague Heather Corbett. She and I worked together for years as fisheries biologists and managers. As only Heather can do, she made sure we felt welcome to the Jersey Shore. Thanks to her, we had the support of Captain Eddie Yates in Barnegat Light – worrying for us and advising us on weather/inlet conditions. Heather also connected us with the Owner and Captain of the deep-sea party-boat Gambler just a few slips down from us in Point Pleasant Beach. We caught up with the Gambler crew Wednesday morning. Captain Jeff Melto has a podcast you can find on Spotify: Point Pleasant Deep Sea Fishing Report. As Jeff says, he goes ‘raw dog’ and records from the wheelhouse on fishing conditions and happenings. Heads up for language if you have little ones listening, but it is worth tuning in- Jeff has an incredible amount of fishing knowledge. We met Heather Wednesday afternoon for a beverage on board and then a late lunch at Reds Lobster Pot. Heavy weather arrived Wednesday night with grim forecasts for building seas into the weekend forcing our decision to leave Point Pleasant at daybreak May 21 to catch a brief weather window for outside transit to NYC.
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May 18 – Cape May to Manasquan, NJ
We left Cape May – exiting the east inlet directly to the ocean – at about 430 am. It was pitch dark. Hence the adrenaline rush when our AIS alarm lit up an incoming fishing vessel that seemed to appear from nowhere. But the sun rose and brought our spirits along with it. We turned North with Atlantic City in mind, but the weather forecast moderated and when we reached the turn for AC, we decided to go the additional 54 miles to Manasquan. We could not have asked for better conditions as we rolled along with a gentle Southwest wind and Easterly swell. The sea, like a campfire pulls at some deep string in the human psyche. It is hypnotic, beautiful and potentially dangerous. Today it was all about beautiful. Tonight, after a 14 hour run, we are anchored in the busy port of Manasquan. We will likely hang here a couple of days.
May 16 – West River in our Wake
The tide came for us right on time, allowing a 5:33am depart. Exited Pairish Creek, blew the horns to bid farewell to sleepy Deadwood Cove and intrepid friends on the dock, then turned our tail to head for the open Bay.
If all goes right, it will be several years before Nereus comes home to Shady Side.
We took in a last view of the Bay Bridge – rolling at 8 knots with the incoming tide. Crossing the Delaware state line, we hoisted our Great Loop Flag – gifted to us by friends who found it in an antique shop – we fly it with pride!
We end the day on Delaware Bay – anchored behind Reedy Island jetty. Our serene transit became a bit fierce as we turned the corner down Delaware Bay. Our speed over ground (SOG) reached 9 kt at times in a confused wind-against-tide sea. Recall, we are a 7 kt boat but Nereus kicked it in and rode a brisk outgoing tide while powering into a strong Southerly breeze and hefty chop. We are happy to report that our secure for sea protocol was mostly successful. This was a gentle opportunity to practice for heavy weather. And now we rest – watching the ships beyond the breakwater and the cooling tower of the Salem Nuclear Plant off the port side and Augustine Beach to starboard. Ahh – delightful Delaware Bay! Cove
May 15, 2026 – Move in Day
To start, we are hard aground in our slip.
No doubt the tide will return to take us out. In the meantime, we’ll just keep adding weight.
Bikes up, the settee looks like some weird door prize display, and I did stow away my snare drum and sticks – just because.
Faith, Erich and Evan stopped by for a round of bubbly.
We are graced with beautiful sunset number one.
Don assumes the yoga position ‘ENGINE ROOM’ doing final checks and sets coffee for morning.
LETS GO!
Wow great progress! Good luck with your ocean day en la manana!
Don, so cool that you and Lynn are doing the great loop! Good luck on your journey and I will keep an eye on you guys as you move along on your journey.
Looks like you’re past the ocean phase up into lower New York bay then presumably north up the Hudson River. Seems like good progress. Best of luck and smooth sailing.
Such amazing progress in your first week! Glad to follow your journey here. Wishing you continued smooth passage and good fortune.
Barnegat! My fave NJ stomping grounds. Looks like an amazing journey so far. Can’t wait to see where you head next!
Amazing and inspiring adventure!! Really enjoying your letters and photographs!!
We love hearing about your travels!
Reading your post about Bowdoin Park and the cross country trails resurfaced forgotten memories of High School events there. Those hills were formidable and would really break up the pack. New Hamburg is a really cool little spot that seems to transcend the time continuum – so lucky to have landed there. I remember being 5 or 6 and attending little league games in the village park. And of course the marina, nothing more romantic than sneaking onto boats at night as a teenager. Glad to hear it was a gasket too!
Fantastic trip and great blog! Fun fact about New Hamburg, there is a rocky reef there called Diamond Reef, it creates some turbulence and this is the northernmost area where the salt wedge rides up. So basically it’s the most upstream spot where you can catch certain fish like bluefish. There is a cool article about it in the NY Times online from 1983.
Erik! Its so good to hear from you and thanks for the fish facts!
Article about fishing out of Whites Marine, 1983.
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/10/sports/outdoors-the-hudson-as-a-lure-for-fish.html