NYC, NY

Bill and I got up early after a very nice sushi dinner last night with Linda and Mike. We got coffee in downtown Port Jefferson before leaving the dock. It was a perfect day. Sunny, warm, clear skies; MUCH different than the conditions when we arrived in Port Jefferson.

We had a very pleasant ride through the Long Island Sound. Our trip today took planning on Bill’s part. He had to time the various currents correctly or we would be bucking a current of up to four knots. Since we average between seven and eight, four knots makes all the difference (and time) in the world. Bill paid particular attention to when we would be in Hell Gate, the area where the Long Island Sound and the East River meet. There is also the current from the Harlem River to consider.

As we were leaving Long Island Sound and entering the East River there was a lot of boat traffic to contend with. Not many pleasure boats (we saw only a handful) but rather commercial traffic (water taxis, barges, tour boats, ferries, etc.). The East River is amazing. We passed Riker’s Island (and the prison!), La Guardia Airport, Harlem, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, lots of NYC traffic, downtown Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the distance. We went under seven different bridges to include the Brooklyn Bridge.

Last time we made this passage (in September 2004) we stopped in City Island, NY. This time Bill decided to push further (again because of the timing of the currents) and we arrived at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, NJ around 3:45. Tomorrow we will leave Jersey City and head to Brielle, NJ for a night. After that, destination Atlantic City for a few nights, which we are both looking very forward to!!!

Today really was an awesome day. We could feel the energy from New York City from the water. There were helicopters, police sirens, taxis honking their horns in response to the traffic, tourists taking pictures, lots of boat radio traffic, huge buildings, amazing sites, and Coast Guard and Police boats monitoring everything. This has been one of the highlights of the summer for me so far. Seeing the city from the water is a different perspective.

To see more pictures of New York City, click here