Day 96, 8.31.18, Harlem River to New Rochelle

As we're waking up a security guard comes by and says we're not allowed to stay here. I tell him we're waiting for the tide to change then we'll be off. In half an hour it does, and the current carries us up the Harlem River, past huge apartment buildings, warehouses, highways and more and delivers us into the East River and Long Island Sound. The current on the East was even stronger, and coupled with a stiff headwind was kicking up some good waves and tidal rips. Out on the Sound, the east wind has had the entire length of the Sound to kick up bigger waves. It's a rough crossing to take shelter in New Rochelle.

Manhattan skyline from the Harlem River, just before joining the East River.

Sunset in New Rochelle

Day 95: 8.30.18 - Haverstraw to NewYork City

After laundry at the marina, we set sail. Last night the weather broke. Instead of very hot and humid with a south wind, we have not quite as hot, drier, and a good wind out of the north. Instead of tacking we're running! [Sailing with the wind directly behind is called 'running', to the side is 'reaching', while sailing into the wind is 'tacking']

We made about 30 miles, under the Tappan Zee bridge, past Yonkers, and into the northern edge of New York City. On our trip out we chose the East River, which was crazy with ferries, police boats, tides and waves. So we'll try the Harlem River. To that end we say goodbye to the Hudson at Spuyten Duyvil, and tie up to a dock hosted by Columbia College. Nobody says we can't spend the night, and there are no signs. Quiche for dinner.

Fresh Salad with crabmeat and a home made creamy Parmesan with pepper dressing

Quiche for dinner!

On the Hudson heading south:  Manhattan skyline ahead

New Tappan Zee Bridge next to the old.

Docked at Columbia University

Sunset at Columbia University in Manhattan

Day 94, 8.29.18 Bear Montain to Haverstraw

Good sailing in early morning, then the wind dies as it often does. We motor into Haverstraw Marina, and walk to town. We had read an account of the first white man's attempt to cross Labrador in 1903. Two of the three made it out alive, and the third, the leader, passed away in his tent in the wilderness. His partners brought out his body and he is buried here in Haverstraw. We visited his grave. 

Grave of Leonidas Hubbard.

Next stop the post office where Eileen and Allison were delighted to see us again and give us our package.

Post-mistresses extraordinaire. 

Lunch was down the street at Los Amigos, a cafeteria style restaurant serving food of the Dominican Republic. This town has a strong Caribbean presence.

Lunch, Dominican Republic style.

Another very hot walk back to the boat and showers at the marina. As the sun is getting low, we motor out and sail across Haverstraw Bay to deliver Ira to the train station for her ride back to her car and to home.

Sailing back it's nightime. Few boats are out, and we're surprised how many are either not using navigation lights or have incorrect lighting. 

Day 93, 8.28.18, Peekskill

To catch the morning tide we're up with the sun and it's fabulous. Good wind, good current. We stop at Plum Point south of Newburgh for a stroll in the park while waiting for the tide to turn. Then again in Cold Springs for ice cream (it's so hot) and take breaks to swim in the Hudson to cool off. Past West Point, we find a quiet anchorage north of Peekskill.

The cheerful side of Plum park

Too many signs, too many rules

Evening. 

Day 92, 8.27.18,

With morning mist still on the water, I pop my head out of the salon. There is a small sailboat without mast slowly motoring by. We strike up a conversation, which ends up with an offer of a ride to the grocery store. Thank you, Jeffrey!

Eclipse at Highland Riverfront Park. Photo by Jeffery. 

Newly stocked, our next port of call is directly across the river. My friend Ira has parked at the Metro North train station and will join us for a few days. She'll then return to her car on the train. She's got more groceries for us, so we are doubly well-stocked! There is a pedestrian bridge over the river here (once a rail bridge) and as we depart, the police have made a strong presence at the landing and dock with reports that someone might have jumped. 

Around 1pm the current is near slack so we set out, tacking into the wind. Back and forth, zigzagging down the river. The wind dies leaving us in an anchorage near New Hamburg.

Day 91, 8.26.18 - Kingston to Poughkeepsie

Today we say goodbye to the town of Kingston, NY and prepare to set sail down the Hudson to reach Poughkeepsie, NY by evening....but first.... we enter Eclipse into a sailing race being hosted by the Kingston Sailing Club.  We find ourselves to NOT be anywhere close to racing class with Eclipse and certainly towing our dinghy behind did not help matters much!  It was still fun to sail with the gang that we met ad hung out with at the party yesterday and when the downwind leg started and the majority of the fleet raided spinnakers (see photo's below), we called it quits and headed on down the river as we had many miles to make before end of day.

The day was spent battling wind that was coming straight at us from down the river.  This meant that we had to tack (zig-zag) back and forth countless times in order to make our way south to Poughkeepsie.  I pulled together a home-made Chili for dinner and Gary baked some banana bread for desert

Racing "Eclipse" with the Kingston Sailing Club

Spinnakers up for the downwind leg!  Wait!  We don't have a spinnaker!!!

One of the many beautiful lighthouses on the Hudson River.  Catskill Mountains in the background

The "Clearwater" under sail north of Poughkeepsie

What town is this, I think I know

T'is Kingston town you should know

Under billowing sails we depart from here

On down the Hudson we do go

Our little boat, by us is steered

To join a sailing race that's here

Between the buoys and starting gate

The slowest boat we were I fear

Over waters whipped and winds that shake

Our boat heels steeply for goodness sake

The other boats within the fleet

move out, for the lead they take

The Hudson is lovely, deep and blue

But we have miles and promises to keep

And miles to sail before we are through

And miles to sail before we are through

Day 90, 8.25.18, Kingston

Stuck in Kingston, and that's a good thing. 

Partial Eclipse needs some repair on the seat rail. But first we motor across the river to Rinecliff and drop off Mark at the Amtrak station.

Saying goodbye involves wrangling dock lines.

Back in Kingston we find a hardware/surplus store with easy boat access, then descend upon the Riverport Wooden Boat School, who lend us a clamp and some space for repairs.

The school is also home to the local sailing (racing) club, and they're heading out for a little race. We meet some members and get invited to a bar-b-q this afternoon.

While they're out sailing, we visit the Maritime Museum. There was another canal, the Delaware And Hudson, with one end here and the other in the Pennsylvania coal fields. All the big Hudson River sidewheel steamboats stopped here, and the Mary Powell called this home port. There are several model makers who call Kingston and nearby home, and their models show the history nicely. Iceboating was also popular (now Kristen wants to go iceboating), and river ice was shipped to the city. We also meet the curator to find out more about a steamboat called the Armenia.

We have great conversations at the bar-b-q, and Michael ends up spending the whole evening with us onboard deciphering the world's woes.

Kristen, Michael, conversations. 

Day 89: 8.24.18 Saugerties to Kingston

The morning tide flows south, so we try to get out early. Our first challenge is salad. There is a huge mat of floating water hyacinth tangled around the anchor line, which requires cutting it away with a kitchen knife. The wind of course is out of the south, so it's a day of tacking until the tide turns and we drop anchor near a beach at a county park. We row ashore and explore old foundations and trails and a bridge. 

We set sail again but with every tack the current carries us back, and progress is slow until after high. A good afternoon of tacking brings us to Kinston, were we visited two months ago. We tie up to a dock at the Ole Savannah restaurant where we enjoy some very good southern food.

This is an interesting town. It hosts a maritime museum, trolley museum (both closed after 5pm) a rowing club and wooden boat school. Restaurants are upscale and hopping on this friday evening.

After dinner we find live blues at the Mariner's Harbor (we asked if they harbor any mariners) with Sam Allen and his band. Very well performed and with feeling. He had lots of people dancing in a small space and having a great time. 

Gary battles the mat of Water Hyacinth

A huge mat has engulfed us into its clutches!  Salad Island

We set forth to explore the shore as we wait for the tide to turn in our favor.

The town of Kingston, NY

Jammin to the blues in Kingston Town Mon!

Mark plans his dive into the pool.....not really

High speed yacht races past an anchored Eclipse

Day 88, 8.23.18, Saugerties

Our friend Mark will be joining us here in Hudson, but doesn't arrive until after the tide has turned in our favor. We spend the morning checking out the town. Hudson became big (nearly the size of NYC) when the British took Manhattan, and the Quakers in New Bedford, Nantucket and Providence moved their base of whaling operations to here. The processing facilities were down by the docks, and 'tis said was rather odiferous. As the whaling industry was waning, prostitution and rum running took over as the dominant economy. When that was cleaned up in the 1960s, the town declined. However, downtown Hudson boasts a mile of period architecture in its store fronts and a convenient train line to NYC. People who appreciated antiques (including buildings) moved in with antique warehouses and a few storefronts. Gradually more store fronts were set up, followed by art galleries, yuppy restaurants, and gentrification.

Eclipse at Riverside Park, Hudson NY

We set sail early afternoon, but the brisk wind of the morning soon becomes the afternoon doldrums. Thus, we slowly make our way to a little park just north of Saugerties. Kristen makes pizza.

Freighters ply the waters where the Hudson River narrows in Hudson, NY

Huge freighter makes the sharp turn at Hudson

A barge makes it way past Eclipse on a moonlit night

Day 87, 8.22.18, Hudson

The farmer's market doesn't start until 4pm, so once the rains end we have hours to wait. Partial Eclipse has developed a leak. She's a skin-on-frame boat, with 10oz dacron, which seems to tear more easily than we were lead to believe. She now has many pieces of white duct tape on her. There may also be seepage through where the paint has been worn away. But all the leaks are very slow. 

After picking up bourbon, corn on the cob, tomatoes, etc at the market right here in the park, we set sail. The winds were brisk most of the day while we were tied to the dock, and now they are fading. But both wind and current are in our favor, and we make the town of Hudson by dinner time. 

Day 86, 8.21.18, Coxackie

The Hudson River below Albany is tidal. So for about six hours each day it flows upstream, then six downstream. In the middle part of today, when we were trying to sail, it was flowing upstream, toward Albany. And the wind was in our face as well. So we tack back and forth and make very slow progress. Mid afternoon and the tide goes slack and the river widens, which is better. 

We sail into Coxackie, NY, where we had enjoyed a stay on our trip upriver. Tomorrow is their farmer's market, but also lots of rain in the forecast. A good day to take a rest. We had bought a pre-baked chicken back in Waterford, and today I make soup from the carcass. 

Day 85, 8.20.18, Coeyman's

I think it's monday, but we loose track. We depart from Waterford, and once we're down the last lock and under the last low bridge, we can put the mast up and sail. Of course the wind is from the wrong direction and very light. But we've got a strong current pulling us along to help. We're just making miles today, and call it quits near Coeyman's marina. 

Day 84, 8.19.18, Waterford

A few more locks, and we're in familiar territory. Waterford, NY. We were here two months ago before starting on the Erie Canal. Free showers, friendly volunteers at the welcome station, and many fellow boaters. Not only that, but today is farmers market day. 

We tie up and Kristen works at routine maintenance: servicing the head, laundry, refilling water jugs, and we both go shopping. I'm still in pain from my fall. 

Day 83, 8.18.18 - Fort Ann to Stillwater, NY

Day 83.  We wake up during the night, briefly, to the sound of engines slowly motoring past us from where we are tied up on the end of the dock at the top end of Lock C9.  We quickly fall back to sleep.  It is not until after breakfast when we enter lock C9 that we are told that by the lockmaster from onshore as he barks down to us on our boat that our place anywhre on that dock was a bad idea as large canal barges apparently use the canals and the locks during the night.  We never knew that nor was it posted anywhere.  Well, at least we were not hit during the foggy night last night but it did seem like there was a large barge not very many feet away from our hull.

We spent the day motoring the canal and took a brief stop at lunchtime in the town of Fort Edward.  Like most of the towns along the canal, the reason these towns ever existed was due to the fact that they were on major travel and portal routes.  It just happens that Fort Edward was also known by the Native Americans back in the days before the British  colonized this area as "The Carrying Place".  It was, in essence, the place where one would take their canoe out of the Hudson River and carry it (known as portaging) to the headwaters of Lake Champlain.  The British capitalized on places such as these and used them to "manage" and restrict trade movements.  A fort was built here as well to defend the town and access.  During World War II it was staffed 24x7 just in case an enemy boat from Germany were to want to make its way through here.  That, of course, never did transpire.

The town is also the home of the "Old Fort House" which really is a collection of period buildings, some which were moved from their original locations in order to preserve them, to this place.  The main home seen in the pictures below was first developed as an Inn and served the traveling needs of George Washington and Benedict Arnold on one of their campaigns against the British during the revolutionary war.  Later, it became the home of one Salomon Northup who was a free-man until he was kidnapped, had his papers attesting to his freedom taken from him, and enslaved down in Louisiana for twelve years before he was found and released.

Learn more about this amazing and tragic story here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)

We lock through lock five with a real, honest-to-goodness paddle-wheel boat that actually USES the paddle-wheel for its drive!  Wow!  You don't see many like that anymore as most just have a paddle-wheel that turns passively as the "real" motor, a gas engine, provides locomotion through the water.

Kristen is catching up with blogging......something that we had both fallen behind in during recent days.

Old Fort House - T'was once an Inn that served George Washington and Benedict Arnold.  Later, it was occupied by Salomon Northup, who wrote "Twelve Years a Slave"

Front view of the "old Fort House" complex

For a short time period during the revolutionary war, the British seized the town and the house.  This is a signboard that outlines the battles and the personal story as told by a German Officer's wife who was stationed here with the British during the take-over.

Lock C-7 where the Champlain Canal drops us into the Hudson River!

Taken from onboard Eclipse as we motor down the Hudson.  Do NOT take a wrong turn at these buoys!

A New York State Canal Tug sits idle in Schuylerville at Lock C-5

A real paddle-wheeler enters lock C-5 with us at Schuylerville, NY

In lock five at Schuylerville with a paddle-wheeler