Independence Day on the New York Canals

The staff at Riverview Marine Services who took down our mast were fantastic.  Very efficient and they loan power tools and provide scrap wood that south-bound sailors have left behind so we had everything we needed to secure the mast.

Not pretty but it works. I thought it
looked a little like we were planning
a crucifixion!

I'm always very nervous about this part!

This is why we had to lose the mast.
Bridge deck is only 17' above the water

I like when they let me help.

Shortly after heading north from Riverview Marine Services in Catskill, NY we reached our first lock in the NY canal system at Troy. On the way we passed a sunken Jetski tied to one of the navigation buoys.  I would love to know the stories behind some of the odd things we’ve seen on the American waterways.

 Speaking of odd things we’ve seen on the American waterways:

 Just past Troy we had a decision to make:

If my admittedly half-hearted job search had borne fruit we could have headed west on the Erie Canal to get home faster.  Since I am still an unemployed bum lady of leisure we have the time to head north to Lake Champlain, Montreal, Ottawa, and Kingston.

One of the great things about being back in rural inland rivers is the return of free town walls to dock at.  Some even have free power and water. We took advantage of this at Waterford, Mechanicville, and Whitehall.  Add in a couple of nights at anchor and this has been a very cheap part of the trip - a good thing after spending a week in the New York area! The town walls have also made it easy to keep up with the World Cup.  We’ve spent a fair amount of time in café’s, bars, and town marina lounges to watch.  We are usually the only people watching with the exception of Ed and Shannon on Darwin.  In the lounge at Waterford we caused quite a stir because the women who volunteer wanted to turn off the game at half time to watch The View! I always wondered who watched those crappy shows and now I know – little old ladies in upstate NY.

The other benefit of being back in the rivers is fresh water.  The salt is so hard on everything metallic on the boat.  That has meant a few extra chores this week:

Cleaning and adjusting brake cables.

One needs replacing but that

is a chore for another day.

Giving all the non-stainless tools some TLC

Speaking of cleaning, This is the best stuff to clean the slime of the ICW and rivers from the waterline.  Oxalic Acid is the active ingredient in many fancy marine cleaners.  Buying it at the hardware store and mixing it myself saves a lot of money. Be warned - it is tough on the gelcoat and wax so it needs to be thoroughly rinsed and not left on very long.

 

Up the Hudson

After touring NY we bought Binary north from Sandy Hook Bay, past Manhattan, and into the Hudson River.  Taking in the west side of the city from the boat was quite exciting.  Once north of Washington heights the scenery changes quite quickly from urban to rural and soon started to look a lot like home. Does that mean we are almost back to real life?

Our first stop was anchoring at Liberty Island for lunch.  You can't beat that view:

Here are the things we saw along the way north from NYC to just south of Albany where we have stopped to have the mast taken down:

The Staten Island Ferry.  There are actually lots of them and we had to dodge each and every one of them.

That's the view we came for.  Unfortunately it was a little hazy.  I'm hoping my mother can do her photoshop magic with it.

 

This lady needs no introduction

Our friends on Darwin came over for lunch so we got a rare photo of the two of us together.

Another skyline shot.  This one shows the wakes that criss-cross the harbour

We took turns on the helm...

... so we could both have a Facebook profile shot

Midtown

The best shot I was able to get with both the Empire State and the Chrysler Building in it

  

The driving range at Chelsea Pier.  Used in almost every rom-com filmed in New York when the dudes need somewhere to talk about the romantic heroine.

I loved this building and the way it appeared to change as we passed it from south to north:

Another great building.  Looks like a spiral staircase

Upper West Side

Meanwhile...

... across the river in New Jersey (how boring)

This is where it started to look like home with trees growing out of the rock.

West Point.  I learned that you need a recommendation from the President or a member of congress to be considered for admission.

We were boarded by the authorities for the first time. They wanted to see our documentation, some of our safety gear, and our toilet to make sure we aren't discharging sewage overboard. They were polite, friendly, and off the boat in under 10 minutes.

I wasn't expecting to see large lighthouses on the Hudson like the ones on the Great Lakes.  Some of them looked like full family homes.

Start Spreading the News...

There are a few highlights we have been looking forward to since before we cast off in Hamilton almost a year ago.  One of those is the Big Apple.  Staying at a marina anywhere near downtown is very expensive and the marinas don’t get great reviews so we decided to stay in New Jersey on Sandy Hook Bay and take the ferry into the city.

In NY, Reg came back from dropping Riley off and turned around again to take Sam home as he starts work next week. While they were gone, my Mum flew in so we could do a girl’s tour of the city.

We walked miles every day and took in as much as we could.  Here are the highlights:

Grand Central Terminal.  I love the details of the interior particularly the clock and the ticket windows.

Times Square. It's a tourist trap but a must-see for first time visitors like Sam.  The recruiting station has been in the square since 1946 and is apparently the most successful recruiting station in the country.

NYC is great for window shopping. The most ridiculous item we saw on display was these expensive leather headphones made to look like they were manufactured in the 40s.

The Empire State building. Another must-see for first time visitors.  Sam and I toured the lobby but decided to go up to the top of the Rockefeller Center instead so we could get a view of the Empire State.

The Brooklyn Bridge - a favourite NY stop for me.  I didn't get any great pictures of the bridge this time because it was absolutely packed with people.

Ground Zero.  My last visit to NY was in 1999 when I was very pregnant with Sam so this was my first time at the memorial and the site of the new buildings. I thought the memorial was very well done but was less taken with much the new construction as it is mostly glass skyscrapers.

Every victim has a rose placed on their name on their birthday

The new buildings include the stunning Occulus Transportation Center, the rather ho-hum Freedom Tower (both shown below left), and several others.  The Occulus is slightly diminished in my eyes when you go inside and discover it is a shopping mall but at least it is a beautiful shopping mall.

Another new addition since my last visit - Fearless Girl has been placed in front of the bull in the financial district. I was annoyed that I couldn't get any decent photos due to the line up of people who wanted to photograph the bull. But then this little poppet wandered up and started interacting with the statue while her mother waited in line in front of her.  


 

Learning about the immigrant experience is a big part of any tour of New York.  With all the hateful things Trump as done and said regarding immigrants it is a particularly poignant time to be here. I finally got a chance to visit the Tenement Museum which I strongly recommend to anyone.  Unfortunately cameras are not allowed so I don't have anything to show you. The statue below, The Immigrants, is located in Battery Park.  From NY Parks: "The sculpture depicts figures of various ethnic groups and eras, including an Eastern European Jew, a freed African slave, a priest, and a worker. The figures’ expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person." Hopefully America will one day again be a welcoming place for immigrants but I fear that day won't come any time soon.

Broadway and Off Broadway. We had a chance to catch 3 shows while we were in the city.

Spongebob - The Musical.  Sensationalist media, ineffectual government, misguided religious zealous, fear of foreigners, and the apocalypse, all wrapped up in comedy.  

Avenue Q.  What happens when kids who grew up watching Sesame Street and being told they were special and could do anything they wanted find out that being an adult actually sucks?  Oh, and the puppets have sex and watch porn.

Come From Away.  I've heard many good things about this show but they were all from the CBC who is obligated to rave about anything Canadian.  I couldn't see how one could take the story of thousands of people stranded in Gander and turn it into an engaging musical.  Turns out the CBC was right.  It was absolutely magical. I have never seen an audience react to a show like that. Leaping out of their seats to cheer at the end, wiping tears from their eyes.  The young man next to me wanted a hug when he found out we were Canadian. I can't say enough good things about this show.  See it if you can.

The Guggenheim. My Mum has been to New York many times but is only ever free on Thursdays when the Guggenheim is closed. She was really looking forward to seeing the ramp and it doesn't disappoint.  The architecture is amazing but I have to say this engineer didn't understand the art on display one little bit.

Bunnies and gangrenous feet?

Melty carrot people?

The Met.  First of all, I got to sit on the steps from which Blair Waldorf ruled the roost in Gossip Girl.  That was cool. There is an exhibit right now at the Met called Heavenly Bodies - Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.  It is a mix of papal regalia on loan from the Vatican (mitres, crowns, cassocks, capes, even papal slippers) and haute couture from the past decade or so inspired by the church. Cameras were not allowed in the papal exhibit so the pictures below are all from the couture collection.

Sunset over the Upper West Side

Other scenes from NY:

The highline.  An old elevated freight rail line turned into a park complete with paths, grass, gardens, and a small splash pad.

I love the balconies.  So many scenes from so many rom coms filmed on them.

This pastor sits on the corner outside his church on the upper East Side doling out advice like Lucy in Peanuts.

Dog walkers are everywhere. 

Nap pods! And a coffee shop for helping you wake up.

Third is a series expressing our political views.  We wanted to get one of Sam in front of  Trump Tower (the gold one) but there were guards with automatic machine guns and full kevlar suits so we decided against it.