Good Karma Adventures: The East River with Katie Vellucci

A little rain never hurt anyone

Katie Vellucci and Brian Porter came to visit. After German fries we took Good Karma out for a spin around the Statue of Liberty and up the East River. It started to rain as we left but it was a light farmers rain with no wind so boating would be no problem.

Leaving the marina we can see the Statue of Liberty on the starboard side and the Battery at Manhattan on the left, sort of straight ahead.

Can't get enough of that view, even
in the rain

The Battery

The Battery at the foot of Manhattan

Katie enjoying the breeze - not raining much now

Passing ferries bound for Staten Island -
packed even on Saturday

As we head across the Hudson to the East River on the right is Brooklyn. On the corner between the Hudson and East River is this cool fort called Totten Fort from the Civil War. Mostly abandoned, you can still see a cannon or two decorating the ridge.

Can't get enough of that view

Where the Staten Island Ferry
goes in Manhattan

Now you can start to see the bridges in the distance

New York is very noisy but on the water not so much. But we heard this helicopter flapping and had to see where it was going. It went to the helicopter pad at Wall Street. When it landed, the rich folks came out of the little building and walked to the helicopter to get on. Probably going to the Hamptons!

We layer t-shirts. They layer buildings.

The Empire State Building in the background

We see a different side of the city from the water. Much calmer. You can't experience the hustle and bustle but you can experience the NY skyline.

Tall ships at South Street Seaport

Coming up on the port side (west side) is Piers 15, 16, and 17. At the end of Fulton Street is the South Street Seaport, a historic and tourist site where the Fulton Street Market used to be. You can see the tall ships reflecting the 19th Century use of this port. It was converted into a tourist destination and maritime museum in the early 1980s. I visited once a long time ago and wanted to go back but no such luck on this trip.

I read that this area was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy and just reopened this summer. The Pier 17 shopping area will be torn down at the end of this year and replaced with new buildings in 2015.

South Street Seaport sits at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge a way cool structure built in 1883 as one of the first suspension bridges. I always wanted to walk across it and explore Brooklyn. But it is great to see the bridge in person on the boat.

We were on our own Circle Tour!

Supposedly great ice cream in that building at the bridge foot

Carousel at the bridge foot

Such a beautiful bridge!!

Continuing down the river we came to the Manhattan Bridge.

Brian Porter and Katie Vellucci - we have a great time visiting!

We turned around before Roosevelt Island because beyond that point is Hells Gate. The East River has a huge current that switches back and forth at different places. Hells Gate has a huge swirly current as the river moves to Long Island Sound and up the Harlem River. We wanted to avoid Hells Gate.

Sure enough the current was tough. Turning the boat around was tricky.

The Governors Island ferry

It was great to see Katie again!! Because she lives in New Jersey she is seldom around when we get together with the Vellucci’s and Lipka’s. It was great to catch up!! She is trying to get a job with Smuckers in Orrville so we might be seeing her more.