Portsmouth NH to Buffalo, NY Update 3

Monday, Sept 05 2011

After  day of relaxation and fun, we are starting our journey up the Hudson River. The run from The Battery at the bottom of Manahattan Island to Troy, NY the terminus of the Erie Canal and Champlain Canal systems. For an 8 knot boat running against a 1.5 knot current on what will be an ebb tide for a portion of a days run, the trip to Troy will take a couple of days.

The word from the Canal System is that there has been some damage to a portion of the Erie Canal system and assessments are currently underway, so we are not in too much of a rush.

So, with that in mind we depart Liberty Landing Marina for a quick tour of Lady Liberty and a group photo.

Everyone is pleased as punch that we have put NewYork City behind us... well, sort of. We are chugging up the Hudson River at a break-neck speed of 6 knots over the bottom, so it looks like Manahattan is following us. All 112 horses in each of the DD 453s are galloping along in unison.

Lots of derbris, as expected, the boys are posted look-outs for huge trees and logs coming down the river. But the river is scenic and full of history.

As we round out towards the end of the day, we pass underneath West Point and Bear Mountain and spend the night on river's western edge at the Front Street Marina in Newburgh, NY. Nice floating docks; if you want 50 amp service, tie up on the south facing dock near the gate. The dockhouse and bath facilities are just outside the gate. There are 5 or 6 restaurants right in front of the marina... everything from ribs to sushi.

West Point

Tuesday, Sept 06 2011
Up and at 'em crew. It's Lisa's turn as captain and performs a flawless departure. Lots of logs and debris have clogged the docks and more than once last night I was awakened by a log bounching off our waterline. The water level is incredibly high and the river is swift. However, the slow ground speed makes for perfect oppotunities for photography.

Meadow's Point Lighthouse

A "real" Paddlewheeler

While we are on our route, I am on the phone checking on conditions ahead. The information is not good.  At Troy Docks, the last stop before we head into the Erie Canal, all of the docks have been destroyed. The Erie Canal System is closed while they assess damage and clear away debris from the flooding associated with Hurricane Irene. So, it looks like we have some time to kill. One of my favorite stops on the Hudson River is a little town called Kingston, NY. There is a waterfront village called Rondoubt which is about a mile off the Hudson up Rondoubt Creek.

Bridge at Rondoubt

Really High Water

You Can Park Your Boat in the Livingroom

Four days of continuous rain on already saturated ground.

Quick Scout! Put it in Reverse!

Anybody Missing a Gazebo?

Kingston City Marina, the parking lot in the foreground was under several feet of water.

Several of the locks on the eastern portion of the Erie State Barge Canal have been damaged when the Mohawk River flooded during Hurricane Irene. The Erie Canal has been officially closed for the rest of the season.

The Erie Canal, from the Hudson River to Oswego NY on Lake Ontario, was the most direct route for our journey. The only other alternate route for us is via the Champlain Canal system. However, the lowest clearance along this route is 17 feet. Therefore, it is necessary for us to remove the vessel's hardtop and radar arch. So, while we are waiting for the storm waters to recede and the Champlain Canal to reopen, we will do the work required here in Kingston. Thanks to Jeff Correa at Jeff's Yacht Haven, we were successful in getting our air draft down to 16'6".

Voila - Topless !!

Well, now all we have to do is watch the water level and call about lock openings and we are "back on the road again."  More to follow...

Portsmouth, NH to Buffalo, NY Update 2

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...

Portsmouth, NH to Buffalo, NY Yacht Delivery Update 1

Andre (L) Lisa (C) Capt. John (R)

Luc (L) Pierre (R)

Tuesday, Aug 30 2011
What a difference a couple of days make! 0600 in the morning, Andre with Pierre in tow, heads into the engine room for pre-start checks. At 0630 we are underway for the Cape Cod Canal under clear skies and glassy seas.

Excited Crew!! Almost.

Sadly, Lisa had to find her sea legs later.

As we approach Cape Cod, we are greeted by a number of Right Whales, blowing on all quadrants. The boys, Luc (10) and Pierre (7) are on look-out, shouting out like whalers of century past.

We planned our arrival to the canal with emphasis on getting to the east entrance in time for the change in tide (ebb) so that this 8 knot boat doesn't have to run against a 3 knot current. It was great to see the speed over ground hit 10 knots while we were in the canal.

1800 finds us grabbing a (free) mooring bouy at Port Independence on Onsett Bay, just south of the Mass. Maritime Academy.

Wednesday, Aug 31 2011
We enjoyed an extra hour's sleep last night. After engine checks at 0700, we were underway for Fisher Island on the eastern end of Long Island Sound. Again the weather was delightful. Calm seas with just the motion of the yacht creating a pleasant breeze in thru the pilot house doors. We count less than a dozen boats out on the Sound as we pass Latimer Light on the north side of Fisher Island.

There is something about the waters in New England... the color... the smell... I love it!! Oh, and you can't get lobster rolls in Palm Beach.

While we were gliding the last 10 miles to our anchorage at West Bay, Lisa spotted what looked like a hot air balloon way out in front of us. I thought it odd, a hot air balloon over Long Island Sound this late in the day. Well, about 30 minutes later we got buzzed by what was an unidentifiable flying object...

Just before sunset at 1910, we drop anchor in West Bay. The unique thing about Fisher Island; even though it is on the east end of Connecticutt, the island belongs to New York State. In 1664, the Duke of York gave the island to New York as a land grant. Fisher Island for the most part, is a private island with limited services for the transient boater.

With the anchor chain fouled in the hawse pipe, Andre gets a lesson on how to get the kinks out.

Thursday, Sept 01 2011
Another early reveille at 0530 to get this boat headed down Long Island Sound... next stop, Stamford, Ct.

Again, we gauge our departure with regards to the tide; for the most of out trip today we averaged better than the boat's 8 knot cruising speed. This end of the sound is filled with debris, trees, sections of docks and oddly, the water was the consistency of rich chocolate milk. I have never seen the sound this muddy before. It wasn't until we passed abeam of the Connecticutt River mouth that the water blued up.

The end of the day found us up the eastern branch in Stamford Harbor tied to Harbor Square Marina. This was Andre's first use of bowthruster. I think he likes it!

Great stop... the marina has a moderately acceptable Italian restaurant on premises (The Eclisse) and across the street is a most formatible supermarket called "Fairway." A huge store filled with specialty items and organics; you have to ask for assistance to locate something as typical as Mrs. Buttersworth. But check out the produce... I have never seen a store with so much produce. And display? Every navel on the navel oranges display where pointed outward with military precision.

We took an extra day in Stamford to perform some training in knot tying, tender launch and recovery, change of fuel filters, engine zinks and tracing/servicing the steering system, etc...

I have to tell you, Pierre, the 7 year old, is the best knot tying student I have ever had. Bar none!

That's Luc on crane.

Andre looking up the deck.

Andre and the boys took off in the tender to give the engine a good run and charge up what was a dead battery. This afforded me time to get "Sea Hunt" underway with just Lisa aboard to give her some maneuvering and docking lessons. After about 30 minutes, it was time for me to step onto the dock and let Lisa solo the boat. Actually, I had to trick her as she didn't want to do it. Well, she did an outstanding job in the turning canal and returned the boat with the starboard pilothouse door right to where I was standing. Well done Lisa!

Proud New Skipper

Saturday, 03 Sept 2011

Delayed start today. Our half day run to New York City has to be timed perfectly as the tidal current in the East River, specifically Hell's Gate, can run at 5 knots. Therefore our departure at 1230 affords the last of the flood tide with a nice push down the remainder of Long Island Sound, pass Throngs Neck and Rickers Island and into the East River at the turn of the ebb tide. We clocked mostly 11-12 knots down the East River and once saw 13 knots! Around Hell's Gate and down between Manhattan Island and Roosevelt Island, the ebb was in full flow. Standing waves,  just live we were in river rapids, hobby-horsed "Sea Hunt" with the boys bow-jumping with enthusiasm. Rounding the The Battery, we headed across the Hudson River to the Big Clock on the Jersey Shore and Liberty Island Marina.

Execution Rocks.

It is said that durig the Revolutionary War, British troops would take captured American rebels to the rock and chain them there at low tide.

Stepping Stone Light



We have to lay up here for a couple of days. Hurricane Irene caused flooding the Mohawk River, which is part of the Erie Canal system. The canal system sustained structural damage to a couple of lock houses. The canal is closed from Onieda Lake to Waterford, NY; the terminus of the canal system until an extensive survey is completed. We will not be able to find out when they will reopen until at least Tuesday. So, it looks like liberty call in New York City. The boys will love the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in Mid-Town. More to follow...

Portsmouth, NH to Buffalo, NY Yacht Instruction and Delivery

This voyage is aboard a 1980 Hatteras 48' Long Range Cruiser (LRC). Onboard this trip will be the owner (Andre), wife (Lisa) and their sons Pierre (7 y.o.) and Luc (10 y.o.). The family is moving up from a 31 Tiara to the LRC in preparation for a 5 years voyage from the Great Lakes to Alaska. The purpose of this mission is to provide advanced training in preventative maintenance, navigation and ship-handling.

Saturday, we are sitting in a hotel in Porthsmouth awaiting the passage of Hurricane Irene. The closing for the purchase of the vessel has been scheduled for Monday. In the mean time, we are enjoying the attractions and activities that Portsmouth have to offer. For instance,  we visited the USS Albacore, a former Navy submarine.

Sunday finds us still in the hotel with torrential rain and wind as Irene passes to the west of us. After several hours of bordom and fidgety kids, we decided to take a drive to the beaches at Hampton and see what the seas looked like. We happended upon a crew getting ready for high tide to refloat a sailboat which had broken it's moorings and wound up on the rock wall. Ironically, the boat is named "Mariah." Of course the song from "Paint Your Wagon" immediately came to mind.

The seas out front are 15 feet with a 5 second duration - definitely a day you don't want to be caught offshore. Tonight, we finished up with a couple of games at the local "small ball" bowling alley.

Tomorrow morning, we check out of our hotel and head down to the boat for the offical closing and new owner orientation. The plan is to head to Cape Cod Canal after picking up some marine items ordered on Saturday.   More to follow...