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Southbound ’19 – Travel Day 2: A Mighty Day On The Hudson

Conditions: Heavy fog then sunny and warm. Winds southeast 5-10 kts.  River predominantly calm then choppy in New York Harbor.

Distance traveled: 64 nautical miles (74 statute miles)

Time underway: 6 hours 10 minutes

Average Speed: 10.5 kts

Max Speed: 18 kts

Fuel used: 83 gallons

When the difference between the air temperature and dew point is less than 4.5 degrees F… we wait.

Departure time was scheduled for around 8:30 am.  We had our good friend, Steve (the Captain’s best friend since high school), joining us for a crew-for-the-day adventure.  We are always eager to take people down this stretch of the river (any stretch of the river actually) because of its many scenic parts.  Bannerman’s Island, World’s End and West Point to name a few.  From the port window of the stateroom, the early morning light on the glassy Hudson River was a nice “good morning!”  But, as the dew point and temperature hovered near each other, we knew there’d be fog.  Once above deck, we saw that indeed there was plenty of it.  Even though the air was chilly, the coffee was hot and it warmed us up.  The sun was fighting to peek below the fog and the river seemed as if she were reaching for the sky with wisps of her water.  Fortunately for us, we weren’t on a tight travel schedule and Jasper got a nice walk and greeted Steve on land.  The older Jasper gets, the more bored he seems to get with his parents… but ANYTIME a guest arrives it’s like someone unloaded a truck full of dog treats and gave him permission to dive in.  They met when Jasper was a puppy, so Steve got an extra-happy greeting.

The Captain with crew-members Steve and Jasper, ready for departure.
What lies beyond? Only the fog knows!

Once the fog monster began to burn off OLOH was off the docks for a perfect river run.  There was very little debris to dodge, traffic was light, and while we fought the current for a bit when we first set out, it flipped a couple of hours into the trip and ran with us the rest of the way to our destination in Jersey City across from lower Manhattan (as fast as 3 kts when we got to the George Washington Bridge!).

Jasper, having arranged his pillows just so, takes in the sites (and the Admiral’s coffee) just south of the Newburgh Beacon Bridge.
We say it every time… as often as we have transited the Hudson, its beauty and history are never lost on us. One iconic site is Pollepel Island/Bannerman’s Island which has quite a rich history including being strategically instrumental in the Revolutionary War.
He’s been up and down this river enough that he is entitled to nap on these trips!
Always keep your eye peeled when running the Hudson River. You never know what you’ll come across (like this dock remnant – that will ruin someone’s day).

Happiness is a nose in the wind…
West Point is always impressive. And so are the river depths here!
We welcome Bear Mountain Bridge like an old friend we haven’t seen in a bit.
Freedom, which we mentioned in our Day 1 entry departed Poughkeepsie in the fog and we came upon them in Haverstraw Bay after they stopped for fuel. Being their first time on the Hudson we obliged their request to follow our tracks and itinerary.
At long last, lunch was served. The Admiral prepared a simple sundried tomato wrap with garlic roasted chicken, romaine, sliced honey crisp apples, sweet onions, blue cheese crumbles, and a poppyseed/horseradish drizzle.
Approaching the $3.9 Billion Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

We’ve made it past the George Washington Bridge! NYC here we come.
If I can make it there…
Hudson Yards.

Of course, they now have motoring, floating electronic billboards to engage the water commuters in New York Harbor.
Creeping up on our backside, the Liberty Landing Ferry…

Bye Steve! Thanks for crewing.
Kwame is an institution at Liberty Landing Marina. He’s been there for twenty years and has tied up every boat we’ve owned.

We’ve taken every boat we’ve owned to Liberty Landing Marina.  It’s a convenient stop and terrific marina attached to the beautiful Liberty State Park with simply incredible views.  It’s gotten very expensive (now $5.50 per foot in season plus $30 for electric for us) but it remains a worthwhile stop for us when we’re heading south or returning north.  Did we mention the views?

The Captain’s Pop popped by for a quick visit to welcome us back to town, take in the view and get lots of love from his Grand-dog.

On our late night walk, we came upon this September 11th Memorial which frames the former view of the twin towers, built to honor all the New Jersey souls who lost their lives that day. We had no idea it was here and were so moved by it.
Toward one end of the memorial stand several beams from the towers…it is still a powerful, emotional experience for us.

The Freedom Tower peeps from behind the memorial… If you get to Liberty Landing, take a moment and visit here and remember…
This shot of our arrival back to OLOH is courtesy of the iPhone 11…look forward to more incredible shots courtesy of this new phone (and our keen, artist’s eye!!!).

The day that’s been hanging over our heads… a full day out on the ocean is next.  And it will be an early morning departure for Cape May, New Jersey.  See you out there!

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And that concludes your OLOH instructions. M/Y OLOH back to 1-6

myoloh

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