July 6 - New York to Croton on Hudson

After saying farewell to Neil, we left the marina for our cruise northward. Another very hot day - mid 90's. We passed the George Washington Bridge and had our last view of NYC.

Our next bridge was the Tappan Zee. Next we passed the notorious Sing Sing prison. The next two nights will be spent in Croton on Hudson. On Monday the boat will be hauled out of the water to replace a stuffing box seal and to check a few other items

July 5, 2013

Another very, very hot day. This afternoon we went to Lower Manhattan to see the 9-11 Monument. However no luck - the lines for tickets were so long that no more were distributed for afternoon visits. We visited some of the historic churches in the Wall Street area and next walked to the Battery at the most southern tip of Manhattan. Here we found a shady place to rest before returning to the World Trade Center Path Station. We were back at our marina by 5:00 p.m. Dinner was at the Chart House, located next to the marina with a fabulous view of the Hudson River. A great place to say farewell to Neil Kraay who is leaving tomorrow morning.

July 4 - New York, NY

Happy 4th of July. It was a great day for all New Yorkers, hot and sunny. Neil went to explore New York City, Thressa did the laundry and Henk cleaned the boat.


All around the marina were various parties, most family oriented. The clipper ship Mystic, from Mystic CT, arrived around noon time. It hosted a large corporate event.

The smell of food being grilled was present all over the marina. Outside of the marina thousands of people were claiming space from where they could watch the fireworks. Even some of the police officers took along their grill.

Around 7:00 p.m. fireboats came up the river spouting water - red, white and blue. Next came four barges, all pushed by large tugs. As you can see, from the picture, Macy's was the sponsor of the fireworks. One barge was in front of our marina, two more just north and the fourth bage just south. We had front row seats, seeing the fireworks from three of the four barges. The firework display lasted around 25 minutes and was fabulous. This experience will not soon be forgotten.

July 3 - Toms River to New York, NY

It seems that the high centered over the Bahamas has started to move. Unlike prior days, we woke up to sunshine and all the makings of a very pleasant day. A short run took us to the Point Pleasant Canal, a two mile long canal connecting Bay Head with the Manasquan River. Many beautiful homes and estates were seen. We passed Brielle, a town named after the birthplace of my father. Here we stopped seven years ago for our overnight dockage.  As we approached the ocean inlet, we saw very large waves rolling in and we were not sure if we should continue. However after passing the inlet and turning north, things did quiet down.

During the four hour trip to New York, the weather had turned from sunny to foggy and then to rain. After about three hours we would see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Soon afterwards we could see the outline of the Statue of Liberty and the lower end of Manhattan with the new tower that is being built where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. Tomorrow we will celebrate freedom and our liberty.

After passing Ellis Island, we cruised up river to Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club where we will be docked for three nights.  

July 2 - Atlantic City to Toms River, NJ

We again started with a windy, rainy and grey day. A number of persons suggested we not take the inside route to the Manasquan Inlet - the reasons given included debris from Hurricane Sandy floating in the Iinter-Coastal, no depth, etc. Since the only other option was to go outside, with waves reported to be 7 feet, we chose to take a chance on the Inter Coastal. Even though we had some close calls, we did not encounter the problems about which we were warned. It helped that I had Thressa checking that I stayed on route and Neil at times served as our look-out. Around noon time the sun came out and it was pleasant, but still windy. The more north we cruised, the more we could see damage caused by Sandy. However most of the damage seems to be fixed or in the process of being corrected. at the north end of Barnegat Bay, we came to

to the Toms River and decided to anchor in one of its many small bays. Instead we noticed the remains of a marina with a very nice area where we were able to tie up for the night.

July 1- Cape May to Atlantic City, NJ

The day started with fog and a light rain. It was also quite windy and the ocean had waves ranging from 5 to 7 feet. Therefore it was decided to take the inland route - the Inter Coastal Waterway. After fueling up, we said goodbye to our hosts and left on our next adventure. Quite soon after having left, we were reminded to keep a close watch on the markers, the charts and the view up ahead. Two smaller red and green cans created just a bit of confusion and we ran aground. Lucky for us, the area in which we are boating has a sandy bottom - thus no damage to the prop. After about 15 to 20 minutes we were able to get back into the navigation channel. We had rain on and off all day long. Around 4:00 p.m. we reached the Atlantic City area. Bridge opening times become more restrictive during the rush hour and at one of the bridges we experienced a 45 minute wait. A restaurant with a boat dock allowed us to tie up and we in turn ordered sandwiches, fries, etc. By the time we had finished our simple dinner, the bridge opened and we could proceed. After another wait of 15 minute wait for a railroad bridge, we proceeded to Kammerman Marina, our overnight stop. The marina was simple and was surrounded by a number of very rustic and run down fisherman cottages. Across the harbor was the Coast Guard Station and a number of very large casinos. After having tied up, we went to see the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and visited one of the casinos. At 10:30 p.m. we were back onboard for a night of well earned sleep.

June 30 - Cape May, NJ

When we woke up, the day looked dreary and it was raining. Since we had plans to do some sightseeing, we decided to postpone this until later. Neal and I spent the morning in cleaning dirty electrical cords. 

Thressa cleaned the boat interior. By the time we had finished our lunch, the sun had come out and it became very warm and humid, Neal and Thressa, both good walkers, walked the two miles to the historic city center. Henk joined later.

A walking tour of this fabulous town included he pristine beach, the pedestrian only shopping street and many, many Victorian houses. The entire town has been proclaimed a National Historic Landmark. We strongly recommend a visit - you will not be disappointed.