All that Glitters IS New York

Having tucked WJ3 safely on her RCYC mooring, the Motleys held an “open boat”, welcoming many including Max, who had been following us down the coast from Maine in his truck & caravan (trailer in local lingo).  Alan brought an entourage as well; we impressed them with the RCYC launch service out to the mooring and GS piped ‘em aboard with a piercing whistle.

Even the Swan Family popped by at Great Kills

The promised bad weather set in the next day – the day we were travelling by bus to Manhattan.  We arrived wet and smelly on Al’s doorstep, not before having been sussed out twice by strategically placed doormen.  Security’s big in New York….(see something, say something).

Wet weather continued yet we persisted with our social program of visiting friends and museums.  The Cap’n continued with his nautical themed tours to South Street Seaport (not a patch on Mystic), strutted the decks of aircraft carrier Intrepid and explored close quarters of a nearby submarine.  As we now have our own “fleet” of 6, perhaps he really is due for promotion to Admiral?  Briefly tiring of nauticalities, he went in search of something more nauti – yes, the Se(x) Museum really exists and afterwards to an exhibit of body bits, some cut into dainty, thin slices.

Fabulous Folk Art Museum

GS had loftier, more arty things in mind, so headed off to the Folk Art Museum with a little detour via Macy’s, a walk past 5^th Ave designer shops and lots of coffee/cake in nice little bookstores.  Having a whole day in the Met again, she still did not cover more than a third – the Japanese section even has its own reading room and library for goodness sake!!  Annette, a friend from Delhi daze, led us on a merry chase to look at bead shops full of tempting sparklers.  As if our Jain Jeweller in Old Delhi had not sold us enough goodies!  Not to be outdone, GS produced a list of NYC quilting supply shops (including City Quilter & Purl Soho) which managed to keep us dry & out of the rain.  We lunched in Sullivan Street and had time to explore a little of Chinatown & Little Italy precincts on our way back to the bus.  Later over a delicious home-cooked dinner (yes, it can happen in NY), George told us the best places to buy hiking boots and fountain pens.  WJ3’s lockers are just bursting with goodies…..

Sotherby’s is just around the corner from Al’s.  We decided to buy some wine (anniversary champagne) and went upstairs to view auction items.  WOW and I say again, wow!  Sale items varied from Custer’s Colours (flag) from the famous Last Stand battle, a floor of Modernist & Impressionist paintings (Arp, Picasso, Dufy), a few Henry Moore Sculptures and even some folk art being sold off by Museums to fund more lucrative exhibit purchases.  There were two floors of estate furniture, including a silver swing (from some exotic Sultan’s palace no doubt) and several life size Moorish figures perfect for holding ferns in your conservatory or an afternoon cuppa & cucumber sangers.  Another floor held some fabulous photos by masters of the art - Ansel  Adams. Man Ray, Edward Weston, Robert Maplethorpe, Edward S Curtis.  Curtis did those stunning portraits of American Indians.  There were also several iconic NYC steel worker pieces and a striking coloured portrait of Frieda Kallo.  All these wonderful things to buy!  The Cap’n hid our cheque book, cut up the credit card and put title deeds for Penawar & WJ3 into a locked safe.  Gackkkkkkk!

Skanky Tourists

Just too exciting

Long Island Sound is a sailor’s dream - lots of enclosed water, not too far from land, marinas on every corner (mooring fields if you’re really feeling rugged & outdoorsy) and very little commercial traffic.  There are lots of very expensive, very large sailboats to ogle too.  Hylas, Oyster, Morris from Maine and Swan to mention a few.  That means it’s as busy as, especially when you nose your way closer to Throgs Neck Bridge, the gateway to our favourite water shute, East River.

Motleys spent the night off Plum Point in Manhasset Bay next to a wedding cake on water (Some hot water boat owners just don’t know when to stop do they?)  Here we spent the night worrying over tide & slack water timings.  Our Cap’n Tidy cleaned and primped WJ3 for her “showing” even doing the brass – we had pre-warned friends of our sail down Manhattan.  He wanted the photos to look good.

Of course they did.  But our friends the coasties neglected to mention, until we were almost on East River, that it was off limits again.  So we begged and pleaded and then had to be “escorted” past the UN building by a USCG rib nattily decorated with a 50 cal machine gun.  (Wayne’s sheep dogs don’t work as hard!)  Its crew were decked out in basic black accented by bullet-proof vests and can’t-see-me sunnies.  Wanting to stand out in a crowd, our Cap’n dressed in his best green & gold aussie boardies, then leapt about waving with enthusiasm to our high-rise friends.  Wouldn’t you agree this was a perfect moment for holiday snaps?

The views from WJ3 are always exceptional

After shooting the East River rapids, we took the scenic route close to Lady Liberty then turned dodging monster container ships, hard-working tugs and fearless Staten Island Ferries in NY’s vast harbor.  We were heading back to Great Kills, a haven from traffic and approaching nasty weather.  Also home to two very cranky, white (overfed) swans - GS kept her distance.  Having witnessed her baby brother being attacked by such fearsome creatures many years ago, all available stale bread was made ready.

Over on the docks, a quieter, black swan languished.  Its owner, our launch captain, did not hail from down under.  In old sea lore, he told us, a black swan was a mythical creature and symbolised the unknown or infinity.  That was until some killjoy sailed up  Swan River over in the West.

East River (right of map)
How close were we??

From: Rowayton, CT  Lat/Long: 41 03N  73 26W  Date/Time: 24/9/10: 1050
To: Great Kills, NY  Lat/Long: 40 32N  74 08W  Date/Time: 25/9/10: 1540
Time Taken: 57nm (8hrs)  Distance (this year): 1330nm (239.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4970nm (938.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 9.8kts**
Weather: Winds SW 5-15kts; Seas 1-3ft; then W turning NE 10-15kts; Seas 2-3ft; evening rain
(**Motoring through Hell Gate & East River dodging (armed) USCG ribs…)

True 'n Sea

Hey der Wocky....

Never make plans to leave on a day that you decide to re-provision, check your internet (at Starbucks 3 miles down the road), re-fuel and re-water.  We finally had our chores all done by quarter to five…pm.  So, what then?  Richmond County Yacht Club had kindly let us fill our very empty water tanks, so we took one of their (nearby) moorings for the night, hailed the launch service to the club and had the best shower we’d had for a long time!!  We also had a beer at the RCYC bar (the evening was really beginning to really look up!) and then decided to cross the road to meet Judy at her Marina Grand restaurant.  This neighbourhood has a distinctly Italian feel (imagine talking to “Rocky**”).  So, our choice of chicken parmigiana and calamari & conch linguine was just perfect.  And it tasted “buono” too!

Now what could that be up ahead.  Yahooooooo!

After our truancy, WJ3 got us up nice and early to take on the East River and the notorious Hell Gate.  We checked our timings and slid up under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge jostling speeding ferries (yes more) and a few massive container ships to hug the east coast (Brooklyn) and sneak into the East River behind Governors Island.  We needed to be near The Battery (Manhattan Island) an hour after low tide.  Such precise timings…oh, yes indeedie!  We needed to catch Hell Gate at slack water…  Hell Gate, a tiny junction of East and Harlem Rivers, can carry currents up to 5kts creating whirlpools and crosscurrents; short standing waves can add to the drama.  A British frigate, the Hussar was trapped and sank in Hell Gate many years ago (1780).  She was carrying gold, pay for the British Army.  That thar gold is rumoured to still be in those murky 100 foot depths….  (Fancy a day in Atlantic City anyone?)

Time for a quick cuppa with Al?

The day was nice, the weather was nice, but all hearts & minds were glued to Manhattan.  The Cap’n steered us past Madam Liberty, brought us close to towering Empire State & Chrysler Buildings and cleared WJ3’s mast under Brooklyn Bridge (1883); all the while dodging ferries, tugs towing huge barges and all manner of recreational craft. 

Further down, we admired the UN Building and tried to call Al for a cuppa as we floated past his NY “shack” and on to Hell Gate.  Nearby Riker’s Island is a prison – talk about location, location, location!  Finally, we had Throg’s Neck Bridge in our sights - our gateway to Long Island Sound.  The water still had a murky tobacco glow to it but we’d made it in, out, and back into open waters (more or less) again.

** You haven’t forgotten Sylvester Stallone have you??

Who's a happy GS then?

From: Great Kills, NY  Lat/Long: 40 32N  74 07W  Date/Time: 20/8/10: 1000

To: Oyster Bay, LI  Lat/Long: 40 52N  73 30W  Date/Time: 20/8/10: 1800

Time Taken: 50nm (8hrs)  Distance (this year): 434nm (85hrs)

Distance Total (since 2008): 4074nm  (784hrs)   Fastest Speed: 6kts**

Weather: Winds kts; Seas ft; Swell; The official weather report said a “nice” day and so it was..

(** Motoring & sailing avg 5kts; 6 kts through East River’s Hell Gate)

Great Kills

Staten Island: Great Kills Harbor

Sunset over Staten Island

We bid goodbye to our sandy little anchorage.  We’d miss being surrounded by a daily flotilla of drifting fishing boats, swooped on by the biggest seagulls you’ve ever seen and rocked by surging ferries (not!!!).  We needed time to prep for open ocean voyaging, get our SkyMate (satellite coms & weather) up and running and re-provision.  We motored the few miles over to Staten Island and into harbour refuge, Great Kills.  Kills is a Dutch word meaning “river”.  The area was once a small fishing & oystering port – no more… 

Snug as a bug...

The harbor was chock-full of mooring balls and marinas wanting exorbitant dinghy dock fees but it was sheltered.  We anchored close to the boat ramp and had instant access (via a bike path) out to a busy main road and shops.  Somehow the area is reminiscent of Sydney’s (well lived in) inner-west.  Amazing how in a few days we’ve jumped from “Gone with the Wind” to Woody Allen’s ”Broadway Danny Rose”. 

The seagull (above) looks smaller than he really was.  The mooring ball is industrial size - a perfect vantage point for a seagull to hold a conversation/issue orders to others. Nearby boats were covered in all manner of handcrafted devices to keep these huge monsters from doing their worst on idle decks.  You could be scrubbing for months otherwise!  

From: Sandy Hook, NJ  Lat/Long: 40 27N  74 00W  Date/Time: 14/8/10: 1510
To: Great Kills, NY  Lat/Long: 40 32N  74 07W  Date/Time: 14/8/10: 1650
Time Taken: 8nm (2hrs)  Distance (this year): 384nm (77hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4024nm  (776hrs)   Fastest Speed: See Note**
Weather: Winds kts; Seas ft; Swell
(** It was a nice afternoon and we motored because we could!! Avg 4kts)

Poetry in Motion

Sandy Hook Bay: 12 Aug 2010

Meet R2D2

We had a great ride overnight but that east wind was not going to let us have an easy entrance into New York Bay.  We surfed in on rather too large waves, holding as steady as we could up a narrow channel, Cap’n working the sails like a man possessed.  But we did it.  Under sail.  No engine.  No need for coffee, cake or other stimulants, we’d made it.  We were safe and snug in our new anchorage.  Bold sailors are we!

The Coast Guard must have been getting sick of us though.  It did take 2 days for Cap’n Remarkable to work out what was preventing WJ3’s engine from working.  Yes, we knew the ongoing issue was dirty fuel; and under guidance from the friendly crew at Marina on the Bay, a not so short dinghy ride up the Shrewsbury River, the problem was solved.  Gunk had blocked up not only the filters (which the Cap’n was checking daily anyway & ultimately changed) but also the fuel line tap (at the tank).  Scott had taken the Cap’n in hand, provided professional advice, driven him to West Marine for spares and had mechanics, Chris & Rob working on the case – all on a Friday afternoon!  Brilliant!  The problem was solved and WJ3’s engine chugged happily again.  The Cap’n has earned himself an Advanced Diploma in Diesel Engine Maintenance (on the High Seas).  We are forever grateful to Scott and the lads!