Ocean is on the Ocean!

It has been a crazy series of days.  It is hard to believe we left Hop-o-Nose Marina, near the beginning of the Hudson River, just a mere four days ago.  We have been tired, overjoyed, frustrated, relieved, inspired and, now, after transiting New York City Harbour and the upper Atlantic, we can add “delightfully salty” to that list 😊.

Our trip down the Hudson started with a leisurely river cruise.  Our sails are on but it wasn’t in the cards to sail on the Hudson.  It is a narrow, busy waterway and, more importantly, we are destination bound and a leisurely sail just didn’t fit in.

Ocean tidying up the dock lines after leaving Hop-o-Nose Marina

Our first stop on the waterway was Poughkeepsie Yacht Club.  We were able to get a mooring ball there and it was a good thing as the wind was really up.   Trying to anchor would have been doable but challenging.  And, as it turns out, luck was on our side at Poughkeepsie.  As we always do when moored or anchored, we tie our dinghy to the boat’s stern so that it is ready and waiting for Ocean’s shore trips.  In the Thousand Islands we had gotten into the (bad) habit of using a single tie up to secure the dinghy but with the wind hitting us hard while moored, we decided to add a second tie up to secure the dinghy to Wild Horses.  Only a few hours later, Mike noticed that the original tie up (with a brand-new shackle) was hanging limply in the water.  Yikes!  Our second tie had saved us from losing both dinghy and motor down the Hudson.

Our double tied dinghy and the broken shackle

Extra tie-ups for the dinghy for now on!

After Poughkeepsie, our next leg landed us in Nyack, NY.  Oh my gosh.  Nyack is a beautiful and quaint town with lovely boutiques, restaurants and wonderfully friendly people.  Once again, having Ocean by our side means interaction-city.  People seem to come out of the woodwork to meet her, or go out of their way to say how pretty she is (I mean, “I” think so but I’m her mom 😉).  The town felt like home.  To get our energy levels back up, we stayed in Nyack a few days.

Our buddy boat "Brise" sitting beautifully in Nyack by the Governor Cuomo bridge

Victoria strolling in Nyack with Ocean

But today, wow, today.  We left Nyack at noon and headed for The Big Apple.  It did not disappoint.  The city was grand, for sure.  We had visited New York City by land several years ago but to be going by in our sailboat…there are no words.  Still, New York City wasn’t content to just be a pretty landscape.  No, she had to be dramatic.  We were handed a very strong 25 to 30 knot wind on our nose that had Wild Horses bucking through the 5 foot waves.  Add to that some big boat and ferry traffic.  Add to that the heavily guarded and enormous HMCS Queen Elizabeth being anchored in our path in the harbour.  Through a salt-encrusted windshield and breaking waves Mike maneuvered Wild Horses past the NYPD and military police boats guarding the 100 yard perimeter of the vessel.  It was tense.  At one point I mentioned that I might have to open a bottle of our good wine tonight.  Mike’s response was “me too”.  Ummm, I meant share a bottle…or did I? 😊

New York City!

The One World Trade Centre (formerly Freedom Tower)

Our perfect shot of Lady Liberty.

The HMCS Queen Elizabeth

Mike at the helm, peering through a salt-encrusted windshield

It was an incredible experience to transit the New York City Harbour and when we popped out from under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, an even more incredible scene laid before us.  The Atlantic Ocean.  Wow.

Our last look at NYC and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from the Atlantic Ocean

Ah, kids on their devices instead of watching the incredible sights!

We are now very cozy on a mooring ball in Great Kills Harbour, Staten Island.  Tomorrow will be spent exploring the town but also prepping for our first leg of the New Jersey Coast.  We are planning to head to Atlantic City on Wednesday.  It will be a 12 to 14 hour trip, Ocean’s longest on the boat.  We think she will handle it perfectly, as she always does.  A little salt is only going to make her, and all of us, more confident and definitely more happy.  

Mike enjoying a stroll down the incredible docks at Great Kills Harbour

The look says it all. Satisfied and wowed.