New Jersey Coast

We left NYC and took advantage of some particularly pleasant weather.  Our first days out on the ocean were as calm as could be.  So, we took advantage and put some miles behind us.  Next stop Atlantic City.

Atlantic City was one of my stops when I brought the boat home and I looked forward to bringing the girls.  We took Macara on a 'field trip' to the Atlantic City Aquarium were she got to feed Cow Nose rays and play in the 'touch tank'.  Then we went down to the Board Walk for a little sight seeing.  We walked on the beach.  We did a little shopping.  All good stuff.

The perfect weather continued, so we took full advantage.  We completed the Jersey Coast by travelling further down to Cape May.  Cape May is a natural stop before heading up Delaware Bay, but we plan to stay a little longer.  There is some real nasty weather in the long range forecast and our hatch is leaking. It also seems like a perfect opportunity to check that engine alignment.  Put an end to that squeak.  Ocean Yachts are built in New Jersey and a quick call to the manufacturer recommended that we stop at the Canyon Club Marina.  What a place!!!  We look like we belong here, but we don't.  This is a hard core off-shore fishing marina.  Almost exclusively filled with sport fish boats, mostly Vikings and Oceans.  The majority fitted with outriggers, it is quite a sight.  A typical fishing day for these guys is to depart at about 1am, run out some 70nm and begin fishing.  They fish all day and return sometime after dark.  A long day for sure.  The entire marina is fixed to fuel each boat in its slip.  There are fuel pumps about every fourth slip.  That's a nice touch for sure!

Service like that comes at a price.  We arrived on a Friday and wouldn't get service until Monday.  To save a few bucks, we went looking for an anchorage.  Unfortunately, we wandered out right at low tide.  There is a 5'-6' tide here.  Without that extra cushion, I did not have the courage to find a spot to anchor.  Off to Utsch's Marina for a couple nights.  I am glad we did.  We meet some more "cruisers" over there and got some advice on how and where to catch some Blue Crab.  On Sunday, that is what we did.

From what I was told, we were to go up in Jarvis Sound on the low tide and find a spot were the fresh water creeks feed in.  We bought a couple 2 ring traps and a couple Mackerel for bait.  We hoped in the dinghy and off we went.  We set the traps and waited about 10min.  The first trap empty, not really a big surprise.  The second trap had a crab in it!  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  Our laughter rang out over the marsh.

Now I am sure the locals would laugh at me, but I wasn't grabbing a hold of these guys without some protection.  Check out my deep frying gloves, they should do the trick.

We tossed a couple small ones back, a couple 'keepers' convinced me to let them go free.  At the end of our brief outing, we had 4 crabs to show for our efforts.  Now back to the boat and quick brush up on You Tube on how to prepare our bounty.

I ended up going with the Carolina method.  A little more preparation up front, but a more pleasing table presentation.  I steamed them in beer and Old Bay spice.  Our 'picking' skills could use a little work, but we definitely enjoyed the fruits of our labour.  What a mess!

We got our service completed on Monday.  Hatch resealed and the motor alignment is all good.  Tuesday was the start of the bad weather, so we rented a car for the day.  The cupboards are starting to get a little bare and Macara's birthday is coming.  The weatherman got today right, the Delaware Bay buoy at one time was showing 34kt (39mph), gusting to 41kt (47mph).  We didn't get the forecasted 1"-2" of rain, but I won't complain.

Hopefully in the next day or so, we will get a weather window to allow us to make our way North-West up Delaware Bay.

NYC

What a rush!  I haven't felt this uncomfortable in a long time.  Not scared, just out of my comfort zone.  Let me explain.

Out in the Hudson River there are ferries running everywhere.  Lots of boat traffic, in a hurry, on a schedule.  No courtesy, just business.  I expected that.  I had the radar running and was adjusting speed and course to account for all the wake and chop.  What I wasn't ready for was when we entered the Morris Canal, where our marina was.  There was a ferry boat pulling out in front of me, so I gave him is space, when up on full plane, another ferry boat races right on by us.  I was at a standstill.  The boat rocked mercilessly.  Macara was down below and got knocked right off her feet.  Stuff got thrown everywhere.  Welcome to NYC?  I am a little put out.

Next,  our slip assignment, D22.  They want us to go where?  I nose my way in towards the guy in the 'red shirt'.  There is no place to turn around in here.  The wind is howling.  No way!  I can't do it.  I almost clip a dock as I back my way out of there.  "Can I have another slip assignment"? I call out of the VHF.  "Sure, no problem.  Let's try D21", he says.  Well, D21 is the same as D22 except from the other direction.  It's only saving grace was that there wasn't another 48' Ocean Super Sport in the slip right across from it like D22 had.  At D21, that slip is empty.  But, to get to D21 I must back off the main channel down a row of slips, with the wind blowing me sideways, then back into the wind all the way up another row of slips to the very end.  Where finally, I have to bring her broadside to the wind and tie up.  I am proud to say that I aced it, but my knees were shaking the entire way.  I need a beer!

Unwittingly, we found ourselves in NYC on September, 11th.  Between our ferry terminal and the closest subway station was Ground Zero.  Nobody would plan it this way, but that is the way it was.  I expected total chaos, surprisingly it was not that bad.

Living in Kincardine, there are not a whole lot of public transit choices.  Bus routes and subway schedules are not my forte.  But, we found our way up to Time Square just the same.  I'd still rather navigate a 100nm of open water, but that is just me.

New York City is a very large place with plenty to offer.  I am not sure how many days it would take to do it justice.  For me, one day.  That's all I needed.  Sorry mom!

Here is New York City according to the Brooks' (mostly me).  Toys R Us... the Naked Cowboy... and and a 'by chance' viewing of the President (if anybody calls him a celebrity look alike, I am coming through the screen at you.  It was the President!).  Oh ya, and the Statue of Liberty.  Which I have never seen before in my life.  I was making a sandwich the last time I went by.  Honest.  And for those that don't know, she is actually in New Jersey.  Just saying.

Toys R Us in Times Square

The Naked Cowboy

President Obama

The Statue of Liberty

A tighter crop, if you prefer.

One more.  Just a happy girl in New York.

The Hudson River

Finally moving again.

The Hudson River is a pretty place.  I don't know why I struggle with that.  I always had an impression that it was just a dirty river that flows through New York City.  Not so.  North of Yonkers it has beautiful mountain scenery.  Down at water level it has many interesting lighthouses.  Cameras at the ready!

Saugerties lighthouse

Kingston lighthouse

One particularly scenic portion of the river is the area around West Point Military Academy.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  Just as we approached the Academy, the skies opened up.  We could hardly see anything for a short period of time.  Fortunately, the rain stopped before West Point was out of sight.

Breakneck Point

West Point Military Academy

The Hudson River also has commerce.  Passenger trains run the east side.  Commercial trains run the west side.  We are getting a little weary of train whistles through the night.  The tracks run right up the river valley and thus, right behind a couple of the marinas that we stayed at.

We broke the river into short 30nm pieces.  Catskill, Marlboro, Haverstraw and then on to NYC.  We are now 680nm from Wiarton.  We finally had to breakdown and took on some fuel.  I was hoping to make New Jersey, their fuel was a lot cheaper on my delivery trip home from Fort Lauderdale.  A day or so later, I also decided to perform an oil change.  Not bad, 580nm without fuel.

George Washington Bridge

This was not planned, but we arrived in NYC on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11.  We are currently tied up at Liberty Landing Marina.  Right across the river from Ground Zero.  To do anything, we will have to walk right by the site of the old World Trade Center.  But, NYC will have to wait for another post.

Freedom Tower off our stern

Financial District at night

Knot Yet, where have you been?

It's been pretty quiet, hasn't it?  Not for us!

We made it to Albany, NY and took up a slip at the Albany Yacht Club.  I rented a suit and a car and  off to Providence, Rhode Island we went.

The occasion?  A wedding.  We have been quite remiss in our wedding duties this year.  Apologies to all.  Getting ready for this trip has been our focus.  Now that we are on our trip, and we were heading in the right direction anyway, let's have some fun.

Fun it was!  So much so, that we changed our plans by a couple days.  We grew roots at "Club Gateman" and just couldn't leave.  Many thanks to Marty and Anne for their hospitality!

It was great to have so much family around.  Kerri and I haven't been out that late in a long time.  Oh boy, does it hurt?  Friday night the post rehearsal party was at this rocking little Irish pub.  Late night.  Saturday was the wedding, reception, off to the pub for an after party and then back to the motel for an after-after party.  3:15am came quickly and so did Sunday morning brunch.

We planned for all that.  What we didn't plan for was the Sunday afternoon BBQ back at Kerri's aunt and uncle's (parents of the groom) place.  Which turned into the Monday afternoon BBQ at Club Gateman.  Tuesday morning departure.  Oops!  We were all having too much fun.  Macara spent all day Monday in their pool, literally.

Congratulations Chris and Kim!

Back on the water.  Off to Catskill.

Erie Canal

Three days in Brewerton getting repairs done left us with an urge to get moving.

Ever since we left Lake Ontario, we have been stuck in 5mph or 10mph speed limit zones.  The boat needs a good run.  Fortunately for us, Lake Oneida is right up ahead.  Unfortunately, it is Saturday and there is a Bassmaster's bass tournament going on.  The lake was littered with boats.  It was just like you see on TV, the guys in their fully deckled boats and their team shirts.  We even saw one boat that had his camera man with him on the boat.  Watch for us on WFN, he did turn the camera on us for a short clip.  Anyway, we did manage a bit of a run in between bass boats.  It felt good.  A bit of vibration on the starboard side as things break themselves in.

More speed limits once we are off the lake and we push on.  Ilion, NY for the night.  Ilion's claim to fame is it is the birth place of the Remington Arms Company.  Now they have LOTS of trains passing by.  We are not used to all that night time racket.  First thing in the morning (I use that term loosely), we press on.

Brewerton to Ilion was a bit of long day and Macara is in need of a bit of land time.  I promised her that we will be off the water at a decent time.

Along the way, we pass through Little Falls.  I would love to stop here on our way home.  A picturesque little town.

Little Falls, NY

Rock climbing by the lock in Little Falls, NY

Up ahead is St. Johnsville Marina & Campsite, that has got to have something for a kid.  It's now Sunday, about 2pm, when we pull in and there is a large gathering over at the boat ramp.  Yep, another bass tournament.  Except this time they were mostly off the water, and it was weigh in time.  This was no Bassmasters tournament, but fun to watch just the same.  Macara was off the boat and gone like a shot.

To set the scene a little.

St. Johnsville Marina & Redneck Boat Club

Trying not to be too blunt, but St. Johnsville is not exactly a land of economic prosperity.  A tiny little town with a lot of store fronts empty.  What we did find was a lot of nice, down to earth people.  But, it is a small town and we stick out like a sore thumb.  

We arrive on Sunday and we drink our last two beers immediately upon arrival.  The rum is all gone.  We need to do some shopping!  There is a pharmacy just up the street.  Still getting used to the go to the pharmacy to get your beer routine.  On the way to the pharmacy is a bridge over the railway tracks and we can hear a train coming, Macara is off and running.  Remember it is a very small town, picture the three of us standing on the bridge while the train goes by.  We are starting to stick out.  Because we do a lot of walking and beer is heavy, we have a couple little collapsable carts from Westmarine.  They are awesome, but only if you are really old and can't drive or a boater.  I have it on good authority that they carry 60 cans of beer.  So, there we are, the three of us on a beautiful Sunday afternoon strolling through town with our little cart full of beer.

Monday comes and nothing happens.  Macara and I continue to attempt to fish the wire for the new wifi and cellular amps.  Kerri heads off to find a real grocery store, with her trusty little cart.  She returns successful and with a bit of a giggle.  Apparently at the grocery store, a pair of locals took great pleasure in mocking her little cart, making a very poor attempt to conceal their laughter.  What had Kerri laughing was when the one lady counters the other with "so-and-so saw her yesterday at the pharmacy with it".  

Things we liked about St. Johnsville:  Fuel was a $1/litre.  Dockage was a $1/ft.  And we found $1 draughts.  They we were tiny little 8oz or 10oz glasses, but when was the last time you ordered a $1 dollar beer?

With Monday shot, Tuesday became a travel day.  Our goal, Schenectady, NY.  The distance wasn't outrageous, especially now that we have 30mph speed limits, but I underestimated our locking time.  And the locking was no fun at all, until we met the right lockmasters.  The wind was about 20knots from the west, no problem on the water, but in the locks it was catching us from behind and putting a lot of pressure on my ropes.  Some of the ropes are pretty slimy making a grip next to impossible.  I actually missed the Canadian locks today.  Mercifully, one of the lockmasters asked "would that be easier from the helm"? Awww, happy captain!

Some boat traffic in Schenectady.  I really didn't want to wake this bunch.

Schenectady Yacht Club is as "full service" as we have seen for a while.  It even has a pool.  Just what the doctor ordered after a long day of locking.  Macara dragged our sorry butts up there, but we had a blast.  I haven't heard Kerri belly laugh like that for a long time.  Macara was in her element.  Mask, snorkel and shorty wetsuit.  She was attempting hand stands and cart-wheels underwater.  The cart-wheels were particularly humorous.  The approach above the water was text book.  As soon as her feet left the bottom it was a train wreck.  Mom could not control her laughter.

Maybe one more day here, then off to Albany.  I want off these locks before any hurricane gets a chance to flood the area.

Squeak update

We are good for now.  The cutlass bearing is replaced.  And I am happy.

But, the problem isn't "fixed".  It seems that we have a slight alignment issue, motor to drive shaft.  But, the fix isn't urgent.  There is no saying how long that we have had it.  So, we will move on.

We are still in Brewerton.  Our new cutlass bearing was supposed to be here this morning at 9am.  BUT, the regular FedEx driver wasn't in today and his replacement was doing the route backwards.  If it wasn't for the great staff here at Winter Harbor Marina we would have been stuck here for the weekend.  They tracked the truck down and got the part themselves.

Tomorrow we move on. With a little peace of mind now that we know what our problem is.  It was nice to inspect the bottom of the boat and put our  Trent-Severn "bump" behind us.

I can't say enough good things about Winter Harbor Marina.  Great family people.  We feel welcome here.  The fuel pumps on the water are credit card pumps, so they are open all night.  Where do you see that on the water?!?!  I wish all marinas were like Winter Harbor.

We stole our first car today.

We arrived late in the afternoon at Winter Harbor Marina, greated by some truly genuine people.  We feel right at home here, it feels like the right place to get some work done.  While cooking our dinner, the owner wanders by and invites us to help ourselves to some fresh herbs from the garden.  Nice people.

The following morning we check in and chat with the staff about the work that we want done.  They go over their inventory and they don't have our cutlass bearing in stock, it will arrive tomorrow.

While we wait, they suggest that we take advantage of one of their courtesy vehicles and get some provisions in town.  I am not sure what happened next.  We must of been preoccupied with our own issues.  They had two vehicles to chose from.  A Mercedes wagon and a mini van.  They were parked around side of the building and the keys are in them.  "Help yourself", they said.  So, we did.  We walked around the side of the building and found a Mercedes with the keys in them and off we went.  West Marine, lunch and then the grocery store.

It was on our way back that we realized our mistake.  My cell phone rings.  "Mr. Brooks, are you in a Mercedes sedan", she says.  "Yes", I say.  "That is not our courtesy car", she says.

Oh my!  What have we just done.

Fortunately, her next response was laughter.  I guess we are not the first to take this guy's car by accident.  The call was to ensure that we didn't try and put any gas in it.  His car has been converted to Bio-diesel.  Good thing she called.  I had noticed it was a diesel, but we did plan to top it up to show our gratitude for the loaner vehicle.

There was a good crowd waiting for us upon our return.  It was the end of the day and owner of our stolen Mercedes wanted to go home.  We took a good ribbing, we blushed and all was good.  So, much for the 'polite Canadian' reputation.  It is only our second day in the country and we are already stealing cars.

What's going to happen tomorrow?