New York, NY

Originally posted at www.svsweetescape.com

New York is our kind of town.

When you look at the island of Manhattan it is hard not to be amazed at what human hands have created. A huge metropolis with incredible architecture that has anything and everything you could ever want or need.  And people.  There are people from all walks of life and they are wall to wall. 

Liberty Landing Marina is located on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River almost directly opposite the the World Financial Center and Ground Zero.  

When we last left you we were bouncing up and down the river in 25 knot winds with traffic everywhere and four foot waves trying to figure out how we were going to get the boat docked in those conditions.  We wish we could say that it was our above average boat handling skills that allowed us to glide cleanly into our slip but the credit goes to the wind that surprisingly subsided once we made the turn into the entrance channel where the marina is located.  No problem, we were able to cruise right into our dock space.  No damage to boat or ego. 

So we’re in New Jersey across from one of the best cities in the world, docked in a beautiful marina and what do we do?  We make supper on the boat and collapse into bed. Yup, after the wild ride down the Hudson and through New York harbor we were exhausted.

Wednesday morning we were recharged but the weather seemed like it would not cooperate with our sightseeing plans. It was cloudy, rainy and very windy, but that did not stop us from going into the city.  We took the Liberty Landing Ferry across and we landed by the World Financial Center which was only a short walk to the 911 Memorial.  We were able to get tickets for the outdoor memorial and fountains.  The museum is still under construction.  Our tickets were for 12:30 pm and we had about 1 1/2 hours to kill so we had lunch at the Stage Door Deli and from there walked across the street to St. Paul’s Chapel, the closest church to Ground Zero and God’s comfort station to the thousands of workers who toiled in the ruins for years.  Seeing the chapel was a moving experience and notwithstanding the rich history of the chapel itself prior to 9/11, it’s identity will forever be linked to that tragedy.  

At the 9/11 Memorial and since it had only been a few days from the anniversary,  notes were left at some of the names on the memorial. The story of the survival tree is inspirational.  After having been at the 9/11 site in 2002, we could not help but feel a sense of pride looking up at the Freedom Tower still under construction and the hard working men and women who are building it. 

We took the subway to Time Square for no reason other than to visit the West Marine store located near there.  Brian’s inflatable life vest had malfunctioned and we needed a part to repair it.  Our plan was to go to the West Marine and from there to the Enterprise Air Museum but the weather continued to deteriorate and we felt it would be best just to return to the marina.  

So after a wild ride in a taxi cab past the heliport where the President was due any second for his appearance that night on Letterman, (the presidential limousine also known as “The Beast” was sitting there waiting for him) we were returned to the ferry landing and then back to the boat.

Liberty Landing Marina is the swankiest marina that we have ever stayed at and unfortunately it is also the most expensive.   We met some great people with Wisconsin connections and common acquaintances.   If not for the cost we could have stayed there weeks, months, or just a lot longer.

The reason that we were at the marina in the first place was the weather.  They were predicting winds to 50 MPH and lots of rain and storms.  We got some wind, probably nothing like 50 MPH although there were damage reports from around the area and we had some rain but again luckily not the deluge that had been predicted.

The next morning we caught a cab to the Shop Rite.  The winds were still blowing but the sky was clear.  After restocking the boat with food and filling our tanks with water we refueled and pumped out.  This was an ordeal in itself.  The wind was still blowing, the marina was quite compact and there was ferry traffic coming and going along with many pleasure craft.  

We pulled up to the fuel dock only to be told to stand off and wait for another boat which was using the diesel pump.  Okay, no problem so we sat out in the channel for 15 minutes waiting for this big sport fishing boat to finish refueling.  This is a fun exercise that involves battling the wind and current, both of which were in abundance.  Once we pulled up to the fuel dock we were told that the pump out there was not working and that we would have to change docks.  Then a very large Coast Guard cutter pulls up behind us, also looking for diesel and blocking the pump out we needed to use.  Okay, pull away from the fuel dock and go to another smaller T dock where there was yet another pump out station.  There are some things we won’t miss about New York.  

So after finally getting our fuel and waste tank needs satisfied we headed out around the corner past the Statue of Liberty to an anchorage that yes, was again very crowded.  We were able to squeeze in and anchor  probably a little closer than we would have liked but we were able to get through the night with no problem.

Up next: the Atlantic Ocean along the New Jersey coast.