We arrived at Liberty Landing Marina late yesterday evening. Liberty Landing is the most protected marina in close proximity to New York City. Though on west side of the Hudson River in Jersey City, it has been my experience that the other marinas; Lincoln Harbor, Newport Harbor, Surfside 3 and Port Imperial, are all "rolly' due to the large number of ferries, water taxis and tugs that run back and forth between New Jersey and Manhattan Island. I have seen snapped docklines and broken Marquip ladders and this abuse is prevasive until the last ferry docks after 10 pm. Liberty Landing though is tucked well up into a canal and experiences no surge or wakes. My favorite stop in the metro area!
We are waiting for word from NY State Canals on the condition and reopening of the Erie Canal. Tomorrow is a holiday, so we don't expect any updates until after Labor Day. So, with the boys onboard, it was decided that we five would all pile into a limo-van and head thru the Holland Tunnel to mid-town and the Intrepid Air and Sea Museum. I called a limo company I had prior success with, Jersey One Limo, to arrange a pick-up. $80 one way for five passengers, plus tolls and tip. That was fine with us... however, I got a call back from dispatcher Mike and he told me that all of the vans were booked, but he would send us two Lincoln Towncars for the same price. Apparently, it is against the law for a taxi or limo to take more than 4 passengers in a standard vehicle. So, off we went to the Intrepid, enjoying a race by two crazy Egyptian drivers.
The USS Intrepid is an Essex Class aircraft carrier which was had it's keel laid down just a few days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. A venerable old ship, she serve in WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars and the Cold War before being decommissioned in 1974. Excellent displays of her history on the hanger deck is suppliments by a variety of military aircraft on her huge flight deck. We spend over 5 hours walking miles of companionways and ladders throughout the ship. The boys loved it!
Luc and Pierre on the Battle Bridge
The docent wanted to teach the boys how to polish brass,
but they weren't having any of it.
According to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the ship houses two anchor chains. The center anchor chain is 225 fathoms (1,350 feet or 15 shots) and the starboard side anchor chain is 135 fathoms (810 feet or 9 shots). Each anchor chain link weighs approximately 250 pounds.
Good thing the chain stopper is lashed!
Note that Pierre is wearing cammo shorts and web vest with a matching steel pot.
While we were on the mess deck grabbing a drink at the scuttlebutt, some foreign
tourists asked to have their picture taken with our young "soldier."
Luc's comment afterwards was, "they probably thought we were Americans."
We finished the tour by checking out a British Airways Concord jet on the Pier.
A successful Liberty Call for the crew of "Sea Hunt."
The family and I parted company as they wanted to show the boys the 9/11 Memorial downtown, so I walked 6 blocks to the Waterways Terminal and caught a ferry to Hoboken. Then caught a cab to Jersey City for dinner at Amelia's Bistro on the corner of Warren and Morris. This is just three blocks from where I catch the marina's ferry on it's way back from lower Manhattan and a one dollar ride across the canal to the marina.
Amelia's is one of my regular stops for lunch or dinner; al fresco when the weather is right. The hostess seats you and BAM, stamps the days specials on your table.
Tonight's special is watermellon gazpacho followed by bourbon basted baby back ribs... yum!!
After your order is taken, they bring you a mortar and pestle with chickpeas in it and you make your own hummus.
After dinner and a bowl of ice cream, the alarm on my iPhone told me I had 5 minutes to walk to the ferry... which of course was 10 minutes late. But, it afforded me time to look across the river at lower Manhattan and enjoy the view of dusk in Gotham City. More to follow...
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