New York City

Finally- the rain stopped and the fog lifted and we were able to continue our journey today. We enjoyed our stay at the Great Kills Yacht Club, but it was time to move on. We did not plan to stop in the Big Apple since we have been here at least six times previously- and we don't particularly enjoy big cities. New York Harbor is a nightmare of huge cargo ships entering and leaving, ferries of every description scurrying here and there, pleasure boats, tows and barges, sightseeing boats, sailboats, etc. It's like a game of dodge 'em and very stressful. Even so, we made it through without even a close call.

Going into the harbor, we passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge with the Manhattan skyline in the distance

Our son Nathan was attending NYU Law School and living in the short red building in the center of this photo  on 9/11. The new World Trade Center is to the left.

Another view of Nate's apartment building, with Battery Park in the front. He and Jill were married in 2003 and then they both lived there until graduation in 2004.

Lady Liberty

Ellis Island- my great grandparents came through here.

Erie Lackawana Ferry dock

The Norwegian Escape cruise ship

Triangle-shaped building

Riverside Church and General Grant's Tomb

Henry Hudson Bridge over the East River

Empire State Building

Looking back at the George Washington Bridge and the NYC skyline

New Jersey Cliffs.

We are staying at the Haverstraw Marina for at least one night- no specific timetable at this point.

Great Kills Harbor, NY

Yesterday we completed what we hope will be our last cruise on open ocean waters. We left Manasquan, NJ, at 0745 and headed out Manasquan Inlet into the North Atlantic. We traveled a mile or two offshore for over two hours. The water was fine- we had 1-2 footers that built up a bit and then subsided into gentle swells. No issues with those conditions! Fog/mist and low visibility did concern us, especially as we had to cross shipping lanes leading into NY Harbor. Thank goodness for radar and AIS. We spotted a container ship in the distance and the Sandy Hook ferry speeding by us. Otherwise it was just small fishing boats.

We pulled into Great Kills Yacht Club and were warmly welcomed by Harbor Host John C., Rich, and several others. We are happy to be tied to a floating dock again- the fixed docks can make getting on/off our little tug challenging according to the tides.

The feeling we had when coming into this harbor!

Two other Loopers are here- Sauvy B and Diadema. We have met the crews of both boats,  (Robert and Carolyn and Jorge and Barbara) and had an adult beverage on Sauvy B last night. Yes, it is named for the wine!

This part of the world is heavily Italian and there are numerous restaurants and a wonderful deli to explore. We will have plenty of time to do so, since we are on a weather hold until Sunday at least.