I love NYC. Kermit and I have been here many times on business and pleasure, separately and together. I was really lookiing forward to this stop. Our original plan put us in NYC for 7/4 to watch fireworks off the Statue of Liberty. That didn't happen. Too much fun in the Chesapeake.
We left Manasquan Inlet into the ocean at about 9am or so
for the two hour journey to Liberty Landing.
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| Parasailing boat... |
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| The NJ coast |
We wanted to time our arrival for
mid-day to reduce the ferry traffic and the boat chop the ferries create.
We
had visions of the Mosley Channel by Cedar Point only wider and with bigger
commercial vehicles and large buildings all around. It wasn’t like that at all.
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And here is the parasailer - just immediately
above our boat. We waved to them. |
The ocean was calm as can be. I hate to jinx it but we have had great luck on the ocean. Kermit will probably tell you it is the captain's skill in selecting the proper day to travel! I don't know. I just appreciate a calm day on the ocean when the water looks like silk.
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| A fishing boat - check out that water... |
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| Dredger in action... |
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And the dredger spitting up the stuff that
dredgers spit up |
We met only a few boats: a parasailer who zipped directly in front of us, and some fishing boats. I guess we are out of commercial fishing territory because these boats were the kind carrying 20 or 30 folks out a few miles to fish for I don't know what. It looks crowded and uncomfortable. Can you imagine this kind of fishing on a choppy day?
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| The dredger up close... |
We looked but couldn't see much damage from the hurricane last October. That doesn't mean it is not there. That just means we were traveling too far out in the ocean to see much. It all looked pretty to me.
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| Such a beautiful day |
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| Tall buildings in the distance - must be NYC |
We started seeing tall buildings about 15 miles out but we
really didn’t have any idea of the geography from our view.
On the port side we
followed the channel to the tip of Sandy Point sticking out in the outer bay.
Inside Sandy Hook is Raritan Bay leading south to NJ shore.
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Lighthouse at the entrance to the Narrows
We turned into |
We hit our mark at Green 1 and turned to the north west towards NYC.
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Come around the marker into the narrows
Verranzano Bridge in the distance
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In the distance we could see the Verrezano Bridge crossing the Narrows.
On the starboard side we passed Coney Island, part of Brooklyn, and on the port side is Staten Island.
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| Brooklyn - Coney Island |
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| Brooklyn |
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| Brooklyn |
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| Brooklyn |
Here comes the Verrazzano Bridge. I think I spelled that every possible way. This beautiful bridge connects Staten Island with Brooklyn and has lots of traffic.
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| Verranzano Bridge |
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| traffic |
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| Staten Islan |
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Lots of commercial traffic
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| Verrazzano Bridge |
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NYC Skyline from the Verrazano Narrows
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| jet skis on the river |
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| Staten Island Ferry |
Sure enough there is a large red and black Staten Island Ferry – one going one direction and one going another direction. Our first ferries!
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| Coming up to Statue of Liberty - notice the traffic pick up? |
I positioned myself in the port window right with our camera right next to Kermit, our heads swiveling with so much to see – the buildings, the boats, ferries, markers, checking everything against the paper chart and the gps.
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| Jersey City in the distance |
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| The million dollar view |
Under the bridge we spot the Statue of Liberty on the port side with Ellis Island right next to it in the distance. It is much further than I thought it would be. We traveled for at least an hour in the Bay before we came even close to the Statue of Liberty. We traveled 8 to 10 mph and stayed out of everyone’s way.
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| Lady Liberty from the water - we have a dozen pictures |
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| Guess who? |
Since it was mid-day, about noon, the boat traffic was pretty light. We encountered small sail boats, a few cruisers, a bunch of ferries in a variety of colors, and some industrial traffic – tows and sea-going container ships.
We encountered a little boat chop but nothing of much magnitude. We were pleased because we were so prepared for much worse.
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| Ellis Island |
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| Manhattan |
Liberty Landing is a state park located in New Jersey on
land that was the staging area for immigrants as they left Ellis Island. The
old shed to the NJ RR is still there as is the station house. The station house
used to be open to the public but took a drubbing in Hurricane Sandy. The roof is
messed up and some windows are missing but it is clear that this damage is
pretty recent. It is closed to the public now.
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The Jersey City side of the channel - the yellow marks
the ferry stop |
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| We are not in Ohio any more |
Liberty Landing State Park sponsors the marina and two
restaurants. There is a ferry that runs between the marina on the east side of
the channel and the buildings in Jersey City on the west side of the channel,
then across the river to the World Financial Place, down the street from the
World Trade Center.
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| The NYC skyline from Liberty Landing |
This is one of the many places in New Jersey that ferried
millions of people away from NY on 9/11/2001 after the planes drove into the
twin towers.
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| The Liberty Landing memorial |
People here take that event very seriously. New Jersey built a
lovely monument at the foot of Liberty Landing Park overlooking the Hudson
River. If you look at it in the proper light you can see where the twin towers
used to be. It is very moving.
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We have to bring Rusty up the steps via a ramp now
He is really getting old |
Rusty update: Rusty is getting more frail. He still likes his walks but we don't walk very far any more. In his prime he would have loved Liberty Landing State Park. He could run for miles. As it is now we need to use the ramp to haul him up and down the salon then re-position the ramp to get him down the back stairs.
We can’t say enough about this marina. It is well maintained and the people who work here are super friendly. Everyone was helpful and courteous.
It is expensive but not really when you consider the location and how easy it is to get around. We paid $4 per foot with a 15% discount from Marina Life bringing the total cost to $3.40 per foot. We paid that much before on this journey. I think we paid that much in Naples FL for docks that were no better and very rude people.
The day before we left we got a new dock mate, a lovely couple, Sara and Ben, from Miami accompanied by his father. They were moving from Miami to NYC and
planned to live on their boat, a 1978 Pacemaker 48’ long. The cost of annual
dockage comes to $1200 per month, including utilities (electricity, water, and
dockside pump out). Can you believe how reasonable? And for that price they get
a priceless view. I would do it in a minute.
The day they arrived we said hello. They noted we are loopers and asked if we knew Boot Scootin. Of course we do! Remember Boot Scootin? We met them at Cocoa FL. They told us a lurid tale about being robbed at Miami Beach Marina. Debbie ran out of the boat to the neighbor who happened to be a Miami-Dade police officer. The officer arrested the stupid criminal. Guess who the officer was? You guessed it. Our new neighbor Ben! Isn't it a small world?
Ben and Sara have a wonderful old black lab, just like Rusty. At 13 years old, Logan needs help getting up and down the stairs. So Ben and gang took all day to build a stairway out of PVC pipe, 2x4s and bolts. It seemed pretty sturdy to us.
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| Enjoying the view and dinner |
We had dinner at the waterside restaurant our first day as we
got accustomed to the place. This restaurant is delicious with the most
impressive view. At sundown the sunlight reflects off the NY skyline creating a
sparkle. Breathtaking.
This restaurant has amazing gardens too with flowers,
sitting areas, and a giant sized chess game. After dinner the staff brings out
marshmallows to make s’mores at the gas fireplaces spread around. So it smelled
good too!
One of the days we were at Liberty Landing Cory Booker,
current Mayor of Newark and candidate for US Senate, had a fundraiser in this
restaurant. We heard that Oprah was in attendance but she didn’t stop by to say
hello.
The marina showers in this place look like something out of
a spa with special fancy rock and marble decorations and huge showers. They had
two sitting rooms with tvs and two sets of bookshelves with books for exchange.
We were in heaven.
Next: We figure out how to use the ferry to get to NYC and be tourists for a while.
As a looper later in the cycle our looper friends have already been everywhere we plan to go. Everyone told us that entering the NYC harbor would be
intense. Sure nuf, the experience sailing into NY harbor is intense. Kermit was
keyed up for days in anticipation. He studied his charts, plotted his markers,
and generally worried. But the experience was not scary. It was exhilarating!!
I positioned myself in the port window right with our camera right next to Kermit, our heads swiveling with so much to see – the buildings, the boats, ferries, markers, checking everything against the paper chart and the gps.
Rusty update: Rusty is getting more frail. He still likes his walks but we don't walk very far any more. In his prime he would have loved Liberty Landing State Park. He could run for miles. As it is now we need to use the ramp to haul him up and down the salon then re-position the ramp to get him down the back stairs. 
It is expensive but not really when you consider the location and how easy it is to get around. We paid $4 per foot with a 15% discount from Marina Life bringing the total cost to $3.40 per foot. We paid that much before on this journey. I think we paid that much in Naples FL for docks that were no better and very rude people.
The day before we left we got a new dock mate, a lovely couple, Sara and Ben, from Miami accompanied by his father. They were moving from Miami to NYC and
planned to live on their boat, a 1978 Pacemaker 48’ long. The cost of annual
dockage comes to $1200 per month, including utilities (electricity, water, and
dockside pump out). Can you believe how reasonable? And for that price they get
a priceless view. I would do it in a minute. 
We had dinner at the waterside restaurant our first day as we
got accustomed to the place. This restaurant is delicious with the most
impressive view. At sundown the sunlight reflects off the NY skyline creating a
sparkle. Breathtaking.
This restaurant has amazing gardens too with flowers,
sitting areas, and a giant sized chess game. After dinner the staff brings out
marshmallows to make s’mores at the gas fireplaces spread around. So it smelled
good too!
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