The Big Apple

We stayed in Great Kills Harbor on Staten Island for 4 days and used it as our base for visiting New York City. Our first two nights were on a mooring ball and our second two were at the Great Kills Yacht Club courtesy of a gold looper who makes special arrangements for loopers to use their facitlities. (A gold looper is someone who has completed the great loop... complete it twice and you are a platinum looper... Karen and I display a white flag, meaning we are still in progress on our first loop) While in New York, we had a list of 6 things to accomplish.

1 - Meet with Karen's (and my) friend Paul. Paul and Karen were college buddies at Syracuse. They have remained friends and Paul was the architect that drew up the plans for the remodel of our home. More accostomed to designing multimiullion dollar homes and apartments in places like the Dakota in NYC, we were his first mobile home design and we think he did a phenomenal job. Getting to NYC from Staten Island is not an easy feat. Our first morning there we rode the bus in which dropped us off in lower Manhattan where Paul was waiting for us. He showed us around and we got our first look at the 9/11 memorial. If you have not yet been there, it is a very somber experience. The main memorial consists of two large, square, black continuously draining pools. The memorial is very effective at representing the great loss the people of New York and the country felt following the attacks of 9/11. It is not possible to walk away without a heavy heart. We also got a glimpse of the new One World Trade Tower. It was overcast that day and the top of the tower was hidden by the clouds. As an architect and a long time resident of NYC, Paul makes a great tour guide for the city. He treated us to a wonderful lunch that day. We headed back to Staten Island on the ferry that afternoon. It is an amazing way to get a good view of the city.

2 - Have a good New York Pizza. The next morning we hopped a bus into the city again and continued our walking tour of NYC with Paul. This time we started in West Village near where he lives. We had no specific agenda of anything to see. We just enjoyed walking around the city. Paul again found us a wonderful local place to eat that served incredible pizza. I wish I remembered the name but was not thinking about that as I waddled away from lunch. 3 - Meet with my cousins, Jane and Howard. Knowing we would be taking the ferry back to Staten Island Jane suggested meeting for dinner at Gigino at Wagner Park. We left Paul mid town and walked downtown to Battery Park along the walking trail that encircles Manhattan. It was a great way to see the hustle and bustle of the city as we passed kids playing sports on the fenced in fields, parents with strollers, joggers, businesse people, street urchins and other tourists. Jane and Howard were waiting for us at a table overlooking New York Harbor and the Statue Of Liberty. We have not had many opportunities to spend time with Jane and Howie and this was the first time the four of us ever sat down together. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the view. We again headed back to our boat on the Staten Island Ferry, this time at night. As magnificent as the skyline is during the day, it is truly spectacular at night.

4 - Find a good corned beef sandwich. No place does corned beef sandwiches like New York and I had a hankerin' for one from the moment I first plotted our course to New York. Our initial plan was to find a deli with Paul but the one he anticipated taking us to was closed. Thats ok... we got the pizza. Fortunately, our host at the Great Kills Yacht Club was able to recommend a great diner within walking distance from the harbor. He was not wrong. I found myself sitting in front of a sandwich piled sky high with great corned beef. I was in heaven. There was no way I was finishing that sandwich at one sitting. The leftovers made for a good dinner as well. Karen was also enjoyed a delicious bowl of matzoh ball soup! 5 - See Top Gun. We had been hearing rave reviews about the movie so we had to see it and figured New York was the place. We had not been to see a movie for over 6 months. It was a great movie and a good break from the looping life. With our list of things to do in NYC "almost" complete, after 4 days at Staten Island it was time to move on. It was time to venture out into New York Harbor and on up the Hudson River. New York Harbor can be a daunting place for pleasure boats. It is a busy harbor to say the least. The main entry into the harbor squeezes down to pass under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the same bridge we had "bussed" over on our forays into NYC from Staten Island. We had two large container ships lining up to pass under the bridge at the same time we were there and it was "fun" trying to adjust our speed and course to avoid any mishaps. I'm not to sure Karen would use the term "fun" to describe this section of our journey. With much caution, we made our way safely through the ships and ferrys to find ourself in position to accomplish number 6 on our list.... See the Statue of Liberty from our boat and get a picture of us as we passed her. At Great Kills, we had met Jen, Elliot and their dog Ollie. They are a young couple doing the loop on their boat, "Pivot", and they are documenting their journey on YouTube. You can check out their YouTube videos under Scho and Jo. We had arranged to head out into New York Harbor together so we could photograph each other at the statue. They travel a bit slower than we do and they were running a bit late getting started that morning. As we were traveling further than them that day we decided we couldnt wait and we set off without them hoping we would find another looper along the way to take our picture. Alas, there were no other loopers out that day. So the dilemna, head on north without the classic photo or kill time dodging ferry traffic to wait for Pivot. The crew was split on that one. Killing time dodging traffic in New York Harbor is not anyone's idea of a good time so the admiral, Karen, was inclined to move on. I, on the other hand, figured we would never have an opportunity like this again. Fortunately, the weather and sea conditions were not too bad so, at least this time, the captain won out over the admiral and we decided to wait. We contacted Pivot on the radio and knew they were on the way and it wasn't too long before we saw Pivot winding her way through the harbor towards us and we soon got pictures of each other in front of Lady Liberty.

With our list for NYC now complete, we passed Ellis Island and started our journey north up the Hudson river.

It's All About The Weather

On our last post, we were heading north out of the Chesapeake Bay. The passage out is along the C & D canal. As far back as 1764, map makers had noted that the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River were separated by only a small piece of land. Regional business leaders, including Benjamin Franklin, realized that connecting these two bodies of water would cut over 300 miles off the busy shipping routes between Philadelphia or Wilmington and Baltimore. Construction of the canal was started 1n 1804 and was completed in 1829. As with many of the portions of our trip, our research and planning led us to believe this would be a potentially stressful 14 miles of a narrow canal filled with large freighters. Fortunately the canal does not appear to be as busy with freighters as it once was. The canal was certainly not one of the more picturesque portions of our trip but we never saw a commercial vessel and neither did any of our friends that have traversed this canal. The end of the canal opens up to the Delaware River and here we did see some freighters but none that were of any real concern to us.

Just up river from the canal is the the Delaware City Marina where we tied up for 2 nights. This is a very popular stop for loopers and serves as a good staging area for the run down the Delaware River. The Delaware opens up into the Delaware Bay and with its strong currents, any significant winds can create large, uncomfortable and even dangerous swells and conditions. Tim, the proprietor of the marina does daily weather briefings for boaters about to traverse the river and bay. His briefings are helpful in interpreting the predicted conditions to pick a good day to travel. We decided to wait 2 days for a good weather window and we were glad we did. A fellow looper that headed out the day before we did got hit with pretty heavy conditions that made his trip long, slow and uncomfortable.

Like most canals from the early 19th century, many changes were made to the C&D canal over the years. In its present day form there are no longer any locks present but Delaware City was the site of the end of the original canal and the remnants of some of the original locks have been preserved. One thing i found interesting was one of the original diving bells used by maintenance workers to clean the bottom of the locks. It is nothing more than a rectangular shaped iron bell like device with an open botom. It would be filled with air and lowered down over the workers so they had air to breathe. I cannot imagine what it would be like to work in the dark under that bell. Another reminder of the toughness of previous generations.

While awaiting good weather conditions we met some new loopers. We got along very well with one couple in particular, Dave and Karen on See Level, and decided we would buddy boat with them. Dave is a retired submarine captain and Karen felt very comfortable following his lead ( at least as long as he didn't want to take us down to periscope depth ). So after a 2 day wait, we set off down the river and into the bay for the 61 mile run to Cape May N.J. The weather and seas that morning were perfect and there was very little commercial freighter traffic. We arrived that afternoon safely after a very uneventful passage.

Cape may is a cute town at the southern tip of New Jersey and has long been a popular vacation spot. After taking on fuel and tying up, we had a quick lunch on the boat and hopped on our bikes to hit the beach and see the town. The town was just what you would expect of a beach vacation spot with a cute walk street, restaurants and beachy shops. But it also had something unexpected! When we locked up our bikes and started walking onto the beach, an old guy asked to see our beach passes. Our what? I thought he was kidding. But, nope.... thats a thing here. To enjoy the beach here you need to buy either an $8 daily pass or a $30 seasonal pass. This was new to me... I have had to pay for beach parking before but I have never had to pay to walk on a beach. We susbesequently found out this is not uncommon in the part of the country. It was already late afternnon so we passed on the beach that day but did cough up the dough to go to the beach the next day. It was a nice beach and it felt good to get in the water play in the surf. Surprisingly, despite having been on the boat for 2 months, this was only the second time we actually were able to get in the water for a swim.

Just as Delaware city was the staging spot for the Delaware River run, Cape May is the staging spot for the next leg north. Although there is an intracoastal route up the coast of New Jersey, it is very shallow and difficult to navigate safely so most boaters travel outside in the ocean for the 130+ mile run from Cape May to New York Harbor. That is what we did. Along the way there are a few spots to head into ports, the main one being Atlantic City. We traveled again with Sea Level for a very calm run to Atlantic City. We only spent one night in AC but it was one of the more memorable nights of our trip. Delaney's boyfriend's parents have a beach home 1 town away from AC. Despite the fact that Delaney and Griffin have been together for over 4 years, I had only met his parents very briefly and Karen had never met them. We were long overdue to get to know them. So that we did. They drove over and had cocktails on the boat and they then drove us out to see their beach house. They bought this beautiful, large, old home that needed a lot of renovation and TLC. We had heard alot about it from Delaney as she has spent a fair amount of time there, both helping with their renovation projects and just relaxing. They have done a great job bringing this home back to life. I know they will have many happy family vacations there. We were glad we got to see it. After that, the four of us went out to dinner. Betsy and Sean were a lovely couple and we had a wonderful evening getting to know them. Future in-laws perhaps?

Although we planned to stay an additional day in AC, the weather the next day was predicted to be perfect for the 90 mile cruise to New York. Although we got back to the boat boat later that night than usual, we made the decision to get up early the next morning and head out. In the morning, we buddied up again with Dave and Karen and headed north. Once again we had a perfect morning for running up the coast with calm winds and swells that never exceeded 1.5 feet. The winds were predicted to fill in later with the possibility of a little rain as well. So, we ran fast, 16-18 mph, for the first 4 hours of the leg to get some miles in and then settled back to our usual cruising speed around 9 mph.The plan was successful. Those that had travelled more slowly did ge caught in some rain. We rounded Sandy Hook, NJ to enter the outer entrance to New York Harbor. We couldn't yet see the Statue of Liberty but we could see the New York skyline and the hustle and bustle of ferries and freighters. By 1:30 pm we had grabbed a mooring ball in Great Kills Harbor on Staten Island. We had made it. After all of our worries, our ocean passage had been a breeze. We have either been lucky or just prudent planners, but so far, all of our worry spots spots, Lake Okeechobee, the Albermarle Sound, Norfolk Harbor, Chesapeake Bay, C&D Canal, Delaware River, and Atlantic Ocean, have all been a walk in the park! I have many people ask me how Off Leash handles big seas and I have to answer...."I don't know... shes big and solid and I suspect she'll do great... but so far, she hasn't seen seas over 1.5 ft!"

Norfolk and the Chesapeake

Norfolk Harbor is by far the most industrial harbor we have been in on our cruise so far. We tied up at Waterside Marina, a very nice marina despite the fact that it was nestled between a huge Carnival Cruise ship, a ferry dock and two small aircraft carriers in drydock for repairs. There was an armed police boat guarding the cruise ship and armed naval patrol boat guarding the carriers.It was a damp dreary day so we headed to the marina restaurant and warmed our bones with an incredible crab chowder. After lunch, the cruise ship put on a good show. Any captain, big boat or small, needs to master the techinque of spinning his boat in place. The captain of this ship obviously knew how. He spun that beheamoth of a ship 180 degrees right in front of our marina. It was an impressive display of seamanship.

One of our first orders of business was to replace our air conditioning water pump that had burned out. The marina recommended Captain Tiny. As soon as I saw him walking down the dock it was obvious how he got his name and equally obvious that he would not be the man for the job. “Tiny” was probably 350# on a good day and he had significant weight related mobility issues. If you have ever worked around boats, you know that working around an engine room requires a high degree of agility even for a thin person. There was no way “Tiny” was going to be able to wedge himself into my engine room. His “assistant”, who was actually his girlfriend, may have known how to take care of “Tiny” but knew nothing about marine AC. Together the three of us did confirm the pump needed to be replaced but Karen and I agreed Captain Tiny would not be the one to do it. A couple of days later we changed marinas and found a very professional mechanic to finish the job. Our first full day in Norfolk we walked around the town and visited the tomb of General Douglas MacArthur and his wife. Unfortunately, we arrived at the site shortly before closing so we had to work our way through quickly. It can be humbling to stand in the presence of a man who had so much impact on the world. He was a true leader who, despite adversities and setbacks, went on to lead the US forces in the Pacific to victory. His speech given on the deck of the USS Missouri, when he accepted the surrender of Japan, was one we can all still learn from. “….It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from the this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith and understanding – a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice… We have had our chance. If we do not now devise some greater more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door…” We have subsequently visited West Point Military Academy from which the General had graduated top of his class in 1903. (His mother lived near campus while he was there and prodded her son to study hard… the first helicopter mom?)

We left this solemn scene in search of pizza and three of Norfolk’s finest pointed us in the direction of Benny’s Pizza. One slice of this great pizza was so large it required 2 plates. This was the first time I have ever been satisfied with one piece of pizza!

The next day we hopped tour cruise of Norfolk Harbor. Norfolk is the home of the largest naval base in the world and it was impressive. It did make Karen and I both a little nervous to think that so much of our navy was all in one place (remember Pearl Harbor?) but it does make for a great place to witness the grandeur of our navy. We saw everything from nuclear subs to our largest aircraft carriers, including the USS Gerald Ford, our newest carrier. It was a great tour and it was nice to have someone else having the responsibility of driving the boat for a change.

Norfolk was our gateway to the Chesapeake Bay. We had some apprehension as we approached the bay as her waters can be tricky and treacherous. Fortunately, we were able to pick all of our travel days on the bay well and we never saw any waves over 1 foot. Our travels in the Chesapeake took us to Reedville in Virginia and then to Solomons, St Michaels, and Annapolis, Md. Reedvill was a quiet little town. We tied up on the dock of the Crazy Crab restaurant. The aromas of butter and garlic wafting out of the restaurant made for the best smelling dock ever! To work up an appetite, we started with a walk into town. We passed some wonderful old houses…one was for sale… I was tempted! We ended up at the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum. One of the buildings in this museum was an old house that was built in 24 hours for $25! In 1850, this small town had more millionaires than any other city in America. Ever heard of menhaden? Neither had I. Menhaden is a very oily fish found in huge schools in the Chesapeake and surrounding waters. The oils from this fish became a valuable alternative to whale oil. At one time there were 18 factories in this town producing menhaden oil. Although we no longer need menhaden oil to keep our lights burning, it is still a very valuable fish. In addition to being used for fish meal and animal feeds, it’s oils are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and supply the bulk of fish oil supplements. The fishermen of Reedville also did their part to support the war effort during WWII, even going as far as lending their ‘eyes’ in heeding the call from FDR.(see attached poster)

St. Michaels was a quintessential small Chesapeake Bay City with a beautiful harbor and a quaint town with nice shops and restaurants. We walked to a bakery for brunch with and I went with the waitress’ recommendation… a bacon egg and cheese sandwich… only instaed of a bagel or English muffin, this one came in a glazed doughnut. I have to admit it was a great savory/sweet sensation. Could this be a little town I could call home? Maybe…. Although I bet it’s not quite as nice in the winter.

Annapolis…. This town ended up being one of the highlights of our trip so far. The town was vibrant! We were also there at the end of gay pride month so it was also colorful, to say the least! A large enough town to offer the amenities of a big city, it also had a more small town feel. Our first night there, after docktails with a large group of loopers, we wandered into town for a stroll.

Dicktails with a large group of Loopers is always fun!

Our new friends from "Apres Sail" had just completed their loop in Annapolis and came by to welcome us to their city. We grabbed some ice cream in fresh made waffle cones and wandered around “ego alley.” Ego alley is a small concrete lined waterway/dock in the middle of downtown Annapolis. It derives its name from the fact that yachtsmen like to feed their egos by piloting there large yachts down the small channel, perform a tight 180 degree turn and head back out to the harbor. When there is room, many of these yachts will tie up for the night to party. It is quite the happening place. I asked Karen if she would like to drive our boat into this parade… fortunately she said no. I guess our egos aren’t big enough for that. Our second day in Annapolis Karen and I and our friends from “Perfect Match” took a tour of the US Naval Academy. I cannot tell you how impressed we were with the institution. To start with, the grounds were magnificent. Large marble buildings in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. It was majestic. Two of the buildings that really stood out were the dormitory and the chapel which was as impressive as some of the finest churches in Europe. Karen went back on Sunday morning to attend one of the church services and was very uplifted and motivated by the experience.

My college dorm was nothing like the building for the midshipmen's dorms! Housed under the chapel is the tomb of John Paul Jones. Although I knew the name, I really had no idea who he really was. Known for the quote, “I have not yet begun to fight”, Jones was a Scottish born merchant sailor who came to America and later sided with the colonists against the British in the Revolutionary War. Against great odds he was successful in beating the British and earned the reputation as one of the finest naval officers of the war. He became known as the father of the US Navy and his reputation spread around the world. After the war, the navy was disbanded due to lack of funds and Jones went back to Europe and commanded ships for Russia in their battles with the Turks. He eventually settled in Paris where he died. He was buried there but the cemetery was eventually sold and his site forgotten. 100 years later, his remains were recovered and returned to the US. As a testament to his importance to the US Navy, His tomb under the chapel is a site to behold.

As impressive as the buildings were, even more impressive was learning about rigors and discipline in the daily lives of the midshipmen (students). In addition to their heavy class load they also have daily exercises (such as fighting skills and general conditioning) and are also expected to participate in a sport to learn to work as a member of a team. I cannot figure out how men and women find time to sleep with all that is expected of them. In these times when we occasionally hear about potential problems in the preparedness of our military, I came away from this tour confident that these upstanding young midshipmen would graduate to become some of the finest military officers in the world. That night I was picked up by my old friend Cap, who I sailed with in the Philippines (go Brass Buzzard) and had not seen since Karen and I got married. He and his wife Emily hosted us to dinner at their house, our first home cooked meal in months and a great night of reminiscing and conversation. The next day my cousin, Bryce, came to the boat to see us and we then walked across the bridge to East Port and had lunch at the Boathouse, a local landmark that served the best crab cakes we have had on the trip so far. It was great visiting with old friends and family. It’s the spice of life! Karen and I would love to go back to Annapolis. Could we live there some day? I don’t know… like St Michaels, I bet it’s not as much fun in the winter.

The next day we woke up to another beautiful day but it was time to say goodbye to the Chesapeake. The bay is incredible and you could spend a whole summer boating on its waters without beginning to touch all that it has to offer. But we had a schedule to keep so we headed north on the bay to the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) canal to our next stop at Delaware City… a destination that will start our next blog.