It was a summer day. Warm, warm like you remember it as a kid. The smell of excitement in the air, a new adventure just about to start! When we last left our intrepid travelers, we had just gotten over a small mishap in New Jersey, and once repairs were made, it was on to New York!
I have a great fascination with New York, from a historic standpoint. More than most East Coast cities, Manhattan has such a draw to it, such a rich past. The people, the way it was bought and settled, its role in the revolutionary and civil wars, the gangs of the five points, the corrupt Tammany Hall times, its just so enthralling...
If you have a fondness for history, and maritime history specifically, New York is a treasure trove for you. So many layers, so many characters, its awesome. Two particular works that always stand out for me, if you are a reader, are "The Big Oyster" by Mark Kurlansky and "The Great Bridge" by David McCullough (a personal favorite). Sure there are plenty of others, but these combine my loves of history, New York, and the sea.
But back to me...
As I was planning this trip, New York was always going to be a stop on the way home. How could it not be? Some friends told me to go from Cape May and cut to the Northeast, across the hudson canyon and across the south side of Long Island. Its shorter, saves on fuel, and you can get some fishing in. Pretty convincing normally... But the route through New York has the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan, Hell Gate, Rikers Island... Evens the score pretty well I think.
So Manhattan it was. My research led me to stay in Jersey City, actually, and not Manhattan. Once a bustling town of water transit and piers, the years and decades have left Manhattan's shore pretty inhospitable for pleasure boaters, with only the public dock up near 65th st. or the O-So-Pricy marina down in the Financial district, which caters to the Megayacht/Hamptons crowd. So to Liberty Landing Marina it was!
Our approach to Manhattan had me a bit nervous. I heard about tons of debris, crazy water taxis and ferrys, and general mayhem. The truth was quite the opposite. We were welcomed under the Verrazano Narrows bridge with some moderate chop, which flattened out after our entrance into NY Harbor. Rounding the bend, and we were greeted with Lady Liberty, in all her Glory. This was my first time seeing the Statue up close, and she didn't disappoint.
Truly a remarkable sight any boater should have on their bucket list.
Liberty Landing is located right near the Lady, and Ellis Island. Its a stones throw from Manhattan, with reasonable prices and very clean facilities. Its no Canyon Club, but it was very nice. You didn't even feel like you were in the city. Odd, but comforting.
After a pleasant night, and a morning fill up next to a big 150'+ yacht, it was off. Off to our last day, the end of our voyage; Home.
For all the pitfalls and treacherous waters around New York (maybe more of a valid statement in 1840, certainly less so today...) our trip up the East River and into LI Sound was quite pleasant, certainly uneventful in comparison, and a nice, quiet, relaxing end to a fantastic trip.
We made the trip from Manhattan to Pt. Judith in about 4.5 hours, and were greeted by family and friends for an impromptu welcome home party on the boat that has been, and continues to be, a great source of enjoyment and bonding for all of us.
We circumnavigated Florida, made it to the Bahamas, voyaged the East Coast, caught some great fish, whacked a drawbridge, bent an outrigger on a Hammerhead, made new friends, had plenty of firsts, learned a lot about our new boat and each other, laughed, bonded, and have memories that will last us a lifetime.
Im writing this entry almost two years after the fact, yet I still think about our trip, and remember so much of it so vividly. After finally getting to do this trip, my biggest regret is not doing it sooner. If you have the opportunity to travel the coast by boat; DO IT.
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