Waiting for the Erie Locks to open

6/22/13
Our next destination: Kingston, NY (57 miles).

West Point (view from the river)

 We had a lovely cruise and arrived in Kinstson at the Hudson Maritime Museum Dock at 1500. By 1700, we had become acquainted with several other loopers and were invited to attend docktails. Because the Erie Canal is still closed at Lock 13, some of these loopers have been in Kingston for 14 days.  Each marina north of here also has loopers who are awaiting the reopening, so there is no use moving until that happens.

Ron...a great volunteer dock hand at the Museum

The museum offers a $25 one year membership and then discounts the marina fees to $1.50 per foot....very reasonable for this area.

 

 

6/23/13

Kingston offers a good bus service;  however, it does not run on Sundays.  We decided to attend Immaculate Conception Church which was about a mile (uphill) from the marina.  We had hoped to attend the 9:30 Polish mass, but it was only offered one time a month on a different Sunday, so we settled for the 11:00.  Hot, hot, hot walk to and from church!!!  When we returned to the marina area, we decided to have lunch at Ship to Shore.  The chef was a graduate of the Culinary Institute and the restaurant served food made from local farms.  Very good.

Kingston

Just down the walkway from the marina, we attended a free city-sponsored outdoor movie, When Harry Met Sally, under the light of the supermoon.  A third of the way through the movie, it stopped working and people gradually drifted back to their boats.

6/24/13
Last year we used a Verizon WIFI hotspot for internet access, but we sold the hotspot and arranged to use our phones as a hotspot instead.  Big mistake!  Internet service here had been spotty, so we agreed to change back to the hotspot coverage.  The Verizon store at the mall was a few miles away, so we hopped on the A bus.  This took us to a Hannaford Grocery Store where we caught the K bus.  The K bus took us to the Mall Loop bus and the Mall Loop bus took us through several small shopping centers before arriving at Verizon.  (This took 2 hours!)  I have such sympathy for those who are dependent on bus service.
While Ron went to Verizon, I  went next door to Olive Garden and ordered our lunch so that we could catch the next bus on time.

Many stores and businesses here have closed (apparently from the economic downturn a few years ago).

The loopers were given a key to the barn (part of the museum), so we took our copy of When Harry Met Sally and watched the remainder of the movie with Linda, Eddy, Cindy and Mike.

6/25/13
In addition to meeting loopers at our nightly get-togethers, we've made friends with Linda & Eddy (MV Spiritus) and Cindy& Mike (Inventurer). They invited us to join them for a lunch at a local pizza place (Sammy's) which happened to be up the hill about a mile away.   Although it was in the 90s, we hiked uphill to the restaurant.  The pizza was worth it!  Both couples had discovered a great bakery a few blocks further, so we agreed to go along, but found the store had closed an hour earlier.  Then we headed for the Burger King for 50 cent ice cream cones, but they had sold out.  After a stop at Walgreens, we headed back to the marina.  This walk ended up being 5.2 miles in very warm weather. 

Ron toured the Museum (while I napped).

6/26/13
We must decide today whether we plan to stay in Kingston or move up the Hudson.  Marinas are filling up for the upcoming 4th of July weekend and we want to find a place we can stay for the holiday.  The Erie, as far as we know, is still closed to river traffic. 

Ann and Ken (Charis) arrived (by car) for a surprise visit today.  They are staying at Shady Harbor about 40 miles upriver from here.  Rick and Leila (Sun Gypsy)

Rick and Leila (not at Mole' Mole')

pulled into the slip right in front of us about the same time, so we all had lunch together at Mole' Mole'.
We had a great potluck with a number of loopers.  How can all of these boaters be such good cooks?  Some have deluxe galleys, but others are very limited in amenities;  however, the food is always delicious.

A few of the cooks

 

Looper boats

More looper boats

 

Good news....the Erie Locks are supposed to open on Friday.  Our plan is to wait a few days and let the rush subside before we try to go through.  We're not sure where we will spend the 4th of July.

History and Food, but no West Point Visit

6/20/13

An early morning car trip to Hyde Park, NY took us to the Vanderbilt Mansion.  This mansion was owned by  Frederick, grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt who made all of the money (the grandchildren are the ones who spent all of the money).  Frederick's brother George built Biltmore in Ashville, NC.

Louise Vanderbilt's bedroom (copying European royalty)....had a rail around the bed.  In Europe this served two purposes.  #1  When a birth occurred, 40 observers were required to be in the room to document the birth.  #2 The rail kept servants from approaching.  Servants were required to remain at a distance.

Lunch at Bocuse, the French restaurant at the Culinary Institute was fabulous.

 There were 15 waiters in the room...all seniors who graduate within a few weeks.  We were served an apertif (a sparkling wine with a capsule of Curacau liquor and sugar in the bottom).  For lunch, Ron had sea bass and I had black truffle soup and arugula salad with strawberries.  Ron's dessert (very small but excellent)consisted of several types of chocolate.  One was a small, warm chocolate/raspberry brownie...wow it was great!
I forgot to take pictures of the food...the presentation was unbelievable!

After lunch we toured FDR's country home which actually belonged to his mother.  Both FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried on the property. 

Bronze of Winston Churchill (he's the one on the right)

Instead of going to West Point (which is just a bus tour..no walking tour allowed), we drove through Cold Spring, a quaint town between Hyde Park and Croton..

Laundry, groceries, dinner at a local BBQ in Croton and a movie rental (Hyde Park on the Hudson) completed our day.

Croton on Hudson

6/16/13
We were placed on the pumpout dock on the outside of the marina because all of the dog-friendly slips were taken.  The pumpout is broken, so it should be quiet here. 

Because this is a dock-a-minium complex (very pricey condos, reportly selling for 1.2 million) and dogs are not allowed on the grounds, there is a separate dock for dog owners.  The dogs only have access to the adjacent public property.  What we do for our pets!

Half Moon Bay Condos

6/17/13
There are 10 looper boats here, so we had a dock party to get acquainted. Our friends Ann and Ken on Charis are here, too.   Most of the loopers have been here over a week because the locks on the Erie Canal are closed due to high water from recent storms.  All of the marinas north of here are also full loopers waiting for the canals to open.  No one is moving! We have a great view of the sunset since we are on the east side of the Hudson River).

 

 

6/18/13
I was awakened by Duke at 0250...he needed to go outside.  Because he was not feeling well, he jumped too quickly and fell in the water.  I was half asleep but called Ron and we got him up to the dock.  He needed to go out again at 0500...still sick.  This time he made it to the dock without the trip into the water!

We walked in to town (a few blocks) with Ken and Ann and had lunch at the wonderful gourmet food store. 

This evening, we received a notification that the Erie Canal is open...loopers will begin to move tomorrow.


6/19/13
Today we will visit West Point and have lunch at the Culinary Institute of America.  More later....

We scheduled an early lunch at the Apple Pie Bakery Cafe at the Culinary Institute of America because no reservation was needed

.
 This allowed us plenty of time to get to the tour at West Point.  Well, the best laid plans of mice and men do not always come to fruition.  Following a wonderful lunch (Ron had Mac and cheese, 1/2 of my BBQ pork sandwich, and 1/2 piece of apple pie.....I of course had the other 1/2) we set our GPS for West Point Academy.  After an extended period of time  as we approached the NY/NJ border, we knew we were too far south and checked the GPS again..  It was directing us to West Point Academy in GEORGIA, not West appoint Military Academy.  Instead, we toured Bear Mountain State Park and the lookout at the top.

Tomorrow we will go back to Hyde Park for a home tour, lunch at the French Restaurant (culinary institute) and the tour West Point MILITARY Academy:)

Hello Hudson

6/15/13
After a great Fathers' Day Breakfast buffet at GKYC, we headed for NY Harbor.  It is an awesome sight whether it's your first time or you've been there before.  In our case, we had gone through there twice last summer on our way to and from Long Island Sound. 
 (swan family in Great Kills)

Entry into the harbor is under the Verrazano Bridge. 

On our way in, we met a large container ship heading out to sea.  Since it was Sunday morning, water traffic was light with only tour boats, ferries, barges, and pleasure craft out for a sail. During the week it is loaded with people heading to and from work.   On the west side of the river, we saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

 Just across the river on the east side we saw a beautiful view of the Empire State Building with the new One World Trade Center building in the foreground. 

A few miles up river, we noticed a strange looking marina.  There was a center dock with 4 story high net surrounding the entire dock. We were puzzled until we saw the building in the background.  There were cubicles 4 stories high with golfers hitting golf balls.  It was a driving range!

About 40 miles up river from Battery Park, we arrived at Half Moon Bay (town of Croton on Hudson). This was the weekend we had planned to attend the Clearwater Festival here.  Pete Seegar, Joan Collins, Kris Kristofferson and others were scheduled to perform.  As we passed the festival, we could see the huge turnout.  Once we docked, we were able to hear music from across the bay....not quite like attending, but still good!

In the next few days, we will tour West Point and the Culinary Institute of America.

A Whale and a Heart Attack

6/14/13
We finally left Viking Marina this morning at 0630 and headed for the tricky Little Egg Inlet.  After getting local knowledge from a Sea Tow Captain, we were assured that exiting was doable.  Just a couple of problems:  we ran aground once and were flagged off of a shoal by some boaters who were stuck on it......but we made it!  The weather was bright and sunny and the winds and waves were no problem. 

(You know it's calm when Duke is this relaxed)
We had just passed Barnegat Inlet when saw a disturbance in the water about 30 yards in front of the boat.  Once we realized what it was, Ron quickly shifted into reverse and the 30+ foot whale went right under our bow.  I looked out my side of the helm and looked down and swear I saw a baby whale down under the mother.  WOW...What an experience.  By the time we found the camera, the whale had disappeared. 

On our last leg of the trip, we were rounding Sandy Hook and a mayday call came through on channel 16.  Because it was an emergency, the entire call was transmitted on 16 for all to hear.  Apparently, a passenger on a 50 foot boat had just had a heart attack and they were seeking help from the Coast Guard.  We realized that the boat was in our vicinity by the description of its location.  The boat flew past us heading for the Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station where EMS personnel were waiting.  The Coast Guard did a great job helping these boaters. 

Our destination today was Great Kills Yacht Club (Staten Island) where we had stayed twice last summer.  What a nice group of members they have.....we alway feel welcomed there.
They have recovered quickly from Hurricane Sandy because the members did the work of replacing docks, fences etc.  Other marinas in the area have not recovered.  This was evidenced by the absence of boats in most of their slips.

This is one of hundreds of boats washed up on shore.

We were going to leave New Gretna earlier this week but had to wait for the Atlantic to calm down after Andrea passed off-shore last weekend. We did manage to get a few projects done and spent time with my mom, my sister Denise and her husband Brian.  On the day Denise & Brian were to leave on a long planned trip to Virginia we wound up taking our mom to the hospital.  She’s home now, doing better.  One of the highlights of our month here was a visit from NJ Senator Robert Menendez’s office staff.  They presented our mom the Bronze Star earned by her late husband (our step-father) during WWII.

Our Mom with John Chencharick's Bronze Star Citation.  Staff Sgt., North Africa, Sicily, Normandy



SeaMax Dual Fuel Filters



Kayak racks, 1" SS tubing

Adding AIS transponder

New SeaWater Impeller (775 engine hrs.)

 

 

June 10

Today was supposed to be our scheduled departure, but the weather is keeping us in the New Gretna.  We doubt that the weather will improve before next Sunday.  Our tentative plan is to make a 75 mile run from here to Staten Island on the outside, but we need west winds and calm seas.....not in the forecast this week.
We are glad we were here last week, because Ron's mom was in the hospital a few days.  She is back at Denise and Brian's and doing better.
We've been looking for teak furniture since last year and finally gave up and bought something else.  Today we drove 30 miles south to get a part at West Marine.  On the way we saw a sign at a store that said..."teak sale". The store had exactly what we were looking for. Is anyone interested in buying the powder-coated table and two chairs (white) that we originally purchased?

Beginning our 2013 cruising season

4/29/13
We left Dunedin and headed for Jacksonville to pick up our bikes.  They were rusted from the 2 years of salt water boating, so we had them restored and repainted.  As we pulled in to Jacksonville, the heavens let loose of bucket loads of water, and we got soaked as we loaded the bikes on the truck.  Our truck looked like the Clampitts of Beverly Hills with two kayaks, two bikes and boxes full of everything we needed for the next six months on the boat. 
Duke loves riding in the truck.  he's truly a 50 pound lap dog while riding.

We pulled in to a Choice Hotel around 9:30 pm.  While Ron walked Duke, I hiked up to the room and discovered that Sleep Inn really means "sleep with others".  Imagine their surprise when the couple in the room heard their door being opened.  I returned to the desk clerk who swore no one was assigned to that room.  After getting a new room, we discovered that we were only 75 yards from I-95.  Did I mention the CAFFEINATED soda I had just finished.  Needless to say, Sleep Inn did not mean "slept well".

4/30/13 We arrived at Denise and Brian's (Ron sister) where we stayed for 3 nights while we checked the boat for damage from Hurricane Sandy. Thank you Denise and Brian, for your hospitality!!
 We were very lucky---3 boats in the marina were totalled.  If the water had come up even a few more inches, all of the boats would have floated off their stands.

May 6-10
We drove to Norfolk, VA via the Cape May/ Lewes Ferry for the Spring America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) Rendezvous.  We attended numerous seminars (along with 200 others), met up with old friends, and had a great time. During the drawing for prizes, Ron's name was pulled for the flat screen TV!!!
 On the last evening of the rendezvous, I even joined in the musical jam session with my dulcimer.  Thanks to Eva (hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, and auto harp) , Ron (guitar and mountain dulcimer)  and Betsy (harmonica) for allowing me to join them.


AGLCA boaters












May 10
We returned to New Gretna, NJ and started on many boat projects.  Ron is currently building a kayak rack for the roof of the helm. 

May 11
We experienced 24 hours of heavy rain!

May 12
We spent a nice day with Ron's mother.  Denise (a wonderful cook) fixed dinner.  Since Ron's mom loves ice cream, we took her out for an evening ice cream sundae at Stewarts.

May 13
Temps today are in the 50s, but tonight a freeze warning is expected.  By the end of the week the temps will be back in the low 80s.  WOW!

Our plan for the next few weeks is to complete projects and test drive the boat.  We are hoping that Barnegat Bay will be navigable for an inside passage to Manasquan.

To the OLL choir, the Yoga and Yoga Lattes groups and our Florida friends....we miss you!

Sandy spares Adagio



Adagio was on the hard at Viking in New Gretna as Sandy came ashore in New Jersey.  Many boats floated off their blocks/stands or were damaged in their slips.

But other than getting a little wet, Adagio made it through the storm.

Packed up

Adagio was hauled Friday October 12. All winterization finished up the same day. The truck is all packed for the trip back to Florida. We should return to NJ in May, then head north sometime in June.



Essex, Ct to New Gretna, NJ (our 2012 final destination)

8/28/12
After 2 weeks in New Jersey staying with Ron's mother while his sister and brother in law were away, we returned to Essex, CT.  The warranty work (a new shaft seal) was completed while we were gone.  Last night, (8/29), we stayed in Stratford, CT at a free dock in a condo community where our friends Brad and Alice keep their boat.  Our Nordic tugs were parked side by side, which was quite a sight.  After a great dinner at a local Italian restaurant we returned to our boat and spent time visiting.

8/30/12
The past 2 days have been beautiful.  Full moon at night.  Clear skies.  Very little wind.  Tonight we are in Port Washington, NY on Long Island.  Tomorrow we will time our entry to the East River so that the current is with us as we approach NY Harbor.  The plan is to be in Great Kills tomorrow night.   Then we will wait for a weather window on the Atlantic as we travel to Manasquan Inlet.  If you remember, this is where we had very rough weather several weeks ago.

8/31/12
We timed our departure to take advantage of the current in the East River which can be turbulent, especially in Hell's Gate.  We had a head wind as we approached Hell's Gate, but were fortunate that there were no other ships (just a few pleasure craft) in that section as we headed for NYC Harbor.  The ferry boats can be a challenge, so it takes two sets of eyes to watch for them.  When we neared the Statue of Liberty, there were numerous large, site-seeing boats heading for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Instead of heading directly under the Verrazano Bridge for Great Kills Yacht Club, we decided to completely circumnavigate Staten Island so Ron could see the waterfront at Elizabeth, NJ, his birthplace.  We both concurred that it was a boring few hours and would not do that trip again.

NYC viewed across from Elizabeth NJ

We met several members of the yacht club and were invited to visit with John Calascibette, the harbor host, and his wife and friends on his boat.   He had just purchased a really nice37 foot Carver (1980's) in mint condition for $5,000.00.   Yes, that's five thousand dollars.  Unbelievable!  Apparently the previous owner from Connecticut died and the boat sat for 5 years.  He offered $10,000 for it, but it needed $5,000 worth of work, so he ended up paying $5,000. 

We had paid for a two night stay at the Yacht Club, but after watching the weather, we decided that 9/1 was our best chance for a smooth ride on the Atlantic.  We left at 0630 and did have a really smooth ride the whole way to Manasquan Inlet.  Again, Ron had timed the entry perfectly so that the current was with us both in the inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal.  Once we entered Barnegat Bay, there were a ton of holiday boaters.  Go fast cigar boats, sail boats, center console boats and  mid -sized cruisers stirred up the water and made it very rough.  After stopping for fuel at Beach Haven Yacht Club, we decided that we could make it all the way to Viking Yachting Center at New Gretna (our final destination).  So after 12 hours on the water, we were grateful to pull in to the marina.  Our tug is now in the same slip that we berthed in during our July stay. 

9/ 8/11
After unloading the boat and spending a few days with family, we bought a new Subaru, loaded it up and headed for Florida.  We arrived 9/10 and have reacquainted ourselves with our new home.  Ron will make a trip back to NJ in the truck in early October to prepare the boat for drydocking.  Then he will load up the remaining stuff and head back to Florida. 

Until spring, our blog will be silent.  We look forward to sharing our travels with you then...

Cuttyhunk to Mystic, CT to Essex, CT

8/8/12
We left Cuttyhunk early.  After a smoothe ride, we arrived in Mystic at Brewer's Marina where our looper friends keep their boat, the Erika Lin.  Bob and Lynda were the loopers we met on our first day on Lake Michigan after leaving Traverse City. 
Ron and I took a dinghy ride up to Mystic Seaport and had drinks with Alice and Brad, on the Nordic Tug, Orca I. 
8/9/12
We spent the day walking around Mystic and eating lunch at Mystic Pizza, the location of the movie of the same name.  Dinner was with Bob, Lynda and their friends Ingrid and Dave. 

8/10/12
Today was another early departure, this time for Essex, CT, where we have an appointment with the mechanic at the Nordic Tug dealership.  We may need a new seal on the drive shaft.  We arrived at 0945, several hours before severe storms passed through the area.  There were tornado warnings north of here, very unusual for this region.  We hope to leave in the morning for a very long day (70 miles) on Long Island Sound.  It will depend upon the forecast.

Falmouth, MA to Cuttyhunk

8/4/12
Because Pat has symptoms of food-borne illness, we are heading directly for their home in Falmouth instead of the planned trip to Martha's Vineyard.  It was good to follow Joe's boat, since he has local knowledge of the area.  As soon as we left, we were in fog for at least an hour.  Visibility was limited to about 100 yards, so we stayed close to "Glory Days".   There were quite a few Sunday cruisers when we arrived at the entrance to Joe's harbor.  We wound our way back to the river where Joe's house is located and tied up to his dock.  Joe & Pat have a beautiful home which Joe build several years ago

Adagio docked at Joe & Pat's home
 

             

While Pat rested, Joe took us on an extensive tour of the area.  One of the places we stopped was Quissett Marina where our Nordic Tug group was spending the night.  We knew we would not see them, but wanted to point out their boats for Joe.  As we approached the dock, Judy and Warren were just exiting their dinghy.  Serendipity!  We were able to say a personal goodbye to them, which we had not done when we left the group. 

After the tour, Joe took us to the new homeowners' association clubhouse where we enjoyed a nice dinner. 

8/5/12
Pat and Joe invited the guys (with whom Joe traveled on the gulf when we first met) and their significant others to a cocktail party.  We had spent a couple of weeks with them from Gulf Shores, to Appalachiacola, to Carrabelle, to Clearwater, so it was great to see them again and meet their spouses.  What a nice evening!

8/6/12
Woo Hoo!  Got my hair cut when Pat went to have her nails done.  This was one of the discount franchises where you pay $13.95.  What a bargain!!  Tonight we plan to take our hosts out to dinner before our departure in the morning for Cuttyhunk.  Tomorrow is their anniversary, and they may head for Cuttyhunk, as well.  From there we will be in Mystic Seaport, Essex and back up the Hudson to NJ.

8/7/12

Cuttyhunk at dusk

We spent a wonderful day relaxing and walking around the island.  The sunsest was beautiful. 

Pat & Joe

We will miss Pat and Joe.

Cuttyhunk to Nantucket

7/30/12
We arrived at Cuttyhunk after a nice smooth ride on the water.  Cuttyhunk is the opposite of the frenzied, touristy area of Block Island.  It is a quiet harbor and tourists are limited to those on mooring balls and a few tied to a dock or anchored.  We went ashored with Judy, Warren, Sue and Bob.  After climbing to the highest point on the island, we were able to see a panoramic view of the entire area (20 miles out).  It was a perfectly clear day.  The few shops in Cuttyhunk are in little sheds or on front porches. A small grocery store stocks essentials.  All in all, a perfect day. 

7/31/12
Twelve of us climbed up a hill to the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club for a casual breakfast on the porch.

  CFC is also a bed and breakfast. 

Sue and Bob (on Simone) are returning home today and we will miss them! 


 They were great companions on the journey.  Our destination today is New Bedford, only 15 miles away.  Clouds and storms are predicted for tonight.    We took Duke ashore via the dinghy in New Bedford.  Not a real clean area--lots of trash lying about.  A rainy mist started in the afternoon which lead to a steady rain through the night.  Everyone stayed aboard their vessels on the moorings due to the weather. 

8/1/12
After stopping at the commercial dock for fuel, we headed for Marion, MA.  When we arrived in Marion, it was a nice day.  The many moorings here are filled with sailboats for the regatta which begins on Friday, but they found room for all of our tugs.  Judy, Warren (on Celebration), Ron, Duke and I walked in to town where the ladies did laundry. Everyone met again for cocktails on Nordic Lady.  Some of our Nordic tug group have departed for other locations.  We contacted Joe Apicella, a looper from Falmouth, MA, whom we met on the gulf coast. In order to visit with Joe and his wife Pat, we decided to leave our Nordic Tug group earlier than planned.  We will join Joe and Pat in Nantucket for two days.
The friendships we developed on this trip were wonderful.  We will miss all of the tug owners and hope they keep in touch. 

8/2/12
The 50 mile trip to Nantucket was perfect.  Calm with mild swells and no wind.  Storms are predicted for Sunday and Monday, so we will have to plan our route carefully.  Pat and Joe pulled into the next mooring about an hour after we arrived.  After spending some time walking around town, Ron and I had salads at a small outdoor restaurant and then went back to the boat.  Our mooring is a long way to the dinghy dock, so the trip in takes a while.  The mooring balls here are $70 per night.....very pricey!  The launch service is NOT FREE.  They charge $10.00 per person round trip from mooring to dock and back.  We'll just use our own transportation, thanks.  Dinners in town at some restaurants were a flat fee of $68.00.  Some were much higher.  We're eating on the boat!!  There are 5 huge personal yachts on the dock....over 200 feet long and 3 stories high.  Who are these people?

8/3/12 
We caught a shuttle bus to Sciasconset on the other side of Nantucket.  The bus costs $2.00 for those under 65 and $1.00 if you are over 65.  We found a walkway behind some houses along the shore.  The hydrangeas are FABULOUS! 

After our lunch, we took the bus back to Nantucket.