Staten Island, NY to Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Miles Traveled 54.8

Total Miles Traveled 4440

Day 264

Passing the Statue of Liberty on our Great Loop Adventure.

It wasn’t a casual cruise though, we started out this morning with cloudy overcast skies and as we entered New York Harbor, several cargo ships, water taxies, ferries, tour boats, Navy ships, helicopters and law enforcement vessels were going in every direction.  As one Navy ship was leaving port, a coast guard boat came directly at us and announced over the loud speaker to keep 500 yards away from any military vessel.  We were far enough away that the sailors looked like ants, but we gave him the thumbs up and changed course. 

Go fast tour boat.

Go slow tour boat.

About a mile from the Statue of Liberty, an unmarked coast guard vessel came up from behind us with lights flashing and sounding his siren to get our attention.  They stopped “Cat Daddy” first, but since he was boarded two days earlier, they decided to come after us.  They pulled up and asked if they could board our boat, I don’t think I had the option to refuse, and gave them permission, so four of them came aboard.  They gave our boat the once over, wanted to look at the bilge, and our documentation.  We had everything in order and after calling in our information, they returned to their boat and we were on our way.  It was a bit of a hassle, but the delay allowed time for the sun to burn through the clouds before getting our picture taken.  Thanks “Cat Daddy” for a great picture!

New York City

Ellis Island

Jersey City

George Washington Bridge

It didn’t take long cruising up the Hudson River for the scenery to change dramatically.  We haven’t had a view comparable to this since we left the Tennessee River.  (I have to admit the Florida Keys scenery in January and February wasn’t bad.)

"Cat Daddy"

Half Moon Bay

Staten Island, NY Day 4

Total Miles Traveled 4836

Day 263

We received about 3 inches of rain last night, and mostly cloudy today.  We walked to the local grocery for a half gallon of milk but found the grocery had a butcher shop and bakery.  Needless to say we returned with a backpack full. 

We spent the day preparing for our departure in the morning and looking over our charts for our adventure north to Canada.  

Staten Island, NY Day 3

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 4836

Day 262

New York City?  We did not plan to go into the city from the very start of our Great Loop Adventure, but after finding this great marina, so close to New York City, and transportation nearby, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. 

We walked about 2 blocks to catch the Metro Bus to take us to the Staten Island Ferry.  The Ferry takes passengers across New York Harbor to New York City (free of charge). 

We passed the Statue of Liberty on our ride across the harbor.

We also had a Coast Guard escort that looked like they meant business.

We had a great view of the city from the ferry, but we are looking forward to the view from our boat.

One of the loopers at our marina is “Cat Daddy”, he has relatives visiting this weekend and was going to take them for a cruise in the harbor.  As we were crossing the harbor in the ferry, we saw “Cat Daddy” on their cruise.  We first met him entering the Mosquito Lagoon in Florida and haven’t seen each other since.

Our primary reason for visiting the city was to tour the September 11^th memorial and museum that commemorates the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed 2977 victims, and the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, which killed six.  We spent most of our day at the museum, an excellent exhibit documenting one of the most tragic events in our nation’s history.

One World Trade Center, the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.  It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth-tallest in the world.  When the final component of the skyscraper’s spire was installed, making the building, including the spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet.  Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.

We walked past the Trinity Church in Manhattan, completed in 1846, and is quite a contrast the buildings around it.

We took the subway to Times Square.

After a day of this, we were ready to get back on the boat. 

Staten Island, NY Day 2

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 4836

Day 261

After dinner last night, we stopped by the marina’s Great Kills Yacht Club to meet some of our new friends.  This area was devastated by hurricane Sandy in 2012.  We met several members of the yacht club that shared their story of the hurricane, the effect on their boat, and how the members pulled together to put their marina back together.

Before the Hurricane Sandy.

After Hurricane Sandy.

This is one of the friendliest, most outgoing group of people we have met along the Great Loop.   Today was the yacht club’s annual summer opening ceremony and we were invited to all of the festivities, including food and drink.

Some of our new friends, two of which are loopers , “Summertime” and “Miss My Money”

“There are good ships and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea……but the best ships are friendships and may they always be….”

Manasquan, NJ to Staten Island, NY

Miles Traveled 40.4

Total Miles Traveled 4386

Day 260

Today was the last leg of the Atlantic Ocean route to New York.   The predictions for wind and waves were favorable, but a chance of afternoon thunderstorms was possible.  We decided to leave at sunrise this morning to avoid any chance of foul weather while on open water.  This will be our last sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean on our Great Loop Adventure.

We had good cruising conditions all the way to Sandy Hook and into the Lower Bay to Staten Island, New York. 

Dredging operations near Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

New York City skyline…..a little overcast this morning.

The Romer Shoal Light, north of the tip of Sandy Hook, stands 54 feet tall and was raised in 1898.  The lighthouse, and the shoals in Lower Bay, was named for Colonel Wolfgang William Romer, a British military engineer who sounded the waters of New York Bay in 1700.

We are staying at a marina in Great Kills, NY on Staten Island.  The neighborhoods name comes from a Dutch translation “kill” meaning creek or channel.  This area has many small streams and the name can be interpreted as meaning that a great number of such streams can be found here.

The clouds started moving in this afternoon, but we did not get a thunderstorm……yet.