New York City

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Our long anticipated arrival in New York City finally took place on Friday, June 11.   As we left Manasquan Inlet and cruised up the Atlantic, the fog was so thick that we couldn’t see anything near us. Thank goodness for radar which kept us from running into a few fishing boats.  We kept thinking that the fog would burn off but as we got closer to New York, we came to grips with the fact that our first glimpse of the city by water would be somewhat obscured.  

Still, it was spectacular to approach the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.  At the time of its construction in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  It’s still the longest in the U.S.  As we got into New York Harbor, Jersey City also came into view.

The Statue of Liberty was on our port side with the impressive three-masted schooner, the Eagle anchored nearby.   We motored very close to Lady Liberty and it was an emotional experience seeing her from a boat and thinking about the fact that each of our grandparents had a very personal  experience seeing her as  they arrived in America for the first time in the early 1900’s. 

We were excited to be anchoring in Lady Liberty’s “shadow” or more precisely off of Liberty Park in Jersey City, NJ.  This afforded us a fabulous view of Manhattan and the tip of her torch above the treetops. 

After settling into this amazingly quiet anchorage, we took the dinghy out to explore our surroundings.  We wanted to see how long it would take to dinghy to Jersey City so we could take the ferry or PATH to NY the next morning. As we entered NY Harbor on our 10 foot dinghy, we realized that we  were the smallest vessel out there.  At certain points in the voyage, it got increasingly choppy such that Lynn insisted that we put on our life jackets.  Finally, it became clear that this was not the way we were going to get to and from the city the next day (what if it rained, what if we wanted to stay out late?) so we decided that we would stay the night on anchor and head over to Liberty Landing Marina early the next morning.   

The anchorage was calm with very few boats and right across from the Daily News office building.  We were rewarded that evening after dinner with a great fireworks show that took place over the head of Lady Liberty!

The next morning, we got up early and “zipped” over to the very nice (fancy) Liberty Island Marina and met some of our fellow “loopers” there.   We took the ferry into NY and landed very close to the World Trade Center.  

We chose not to do a tour of the museum as we had not purchased tickets in advance and the line was very long.  However, we were able to see all of the outside sights including the two reflecting pools which are a gripping testament to the lives lost from that tragic morning.   

Lynn had read about the role that St. Paul’s Church played for all of the rescue workers so we took a walk over there.  That church, which George Washington worshiped at, was right near Ground Zero and yet it did not sustain any damage.  During the rescue effort, it became a refuge for the rescue workers to go to for food, rest, comfort and counsel.  All the pews were removed to make room for the supplies and services provided.  Where you often find small altars and alcoves to saints, this church featured spaces filled with collections of letters to loved ones, teddy bears sent to comfort the rescue workers, origami banners from Japanese school children and many other very moving symbols of comfort offered to victims and rescue workers from around the world.  This experience also became a very emotional one for us as the expressions were incredibly personal and meaningful.

We then took a bus to the theatre district because we had tickets to see a matinee of Kinky Boots (quite a departure from the morning’s activities)!  Times Square was a  trip, as always!  We managed to find a very cool place for lunch called City Kitchen.  It was located on the second floor of a building right off of Times Square and it had an assemblage of food truck type food from all around the city. Each section was run by a different vendor and there were choices from Korean to Middle Eastern to New England Seafood to Deli and everything in between including the most outrageous selection of gourmet doughnuts you ever saw. We were in foodie heaven.  And of course, Lynn hates to waste eating out at a place she hadn’t researched or been referred to – but this one turned out to be a find.  Pass it on!

Of course, Kinky Boots was wildly entertaining!  Cindy Lauper outdid herself writing all the music and lyrics for this Tony Award winner.  A fun, feel-good show that left everyone smiling as they walked out.  We had great seats, front row center mezzanine, and last minute tickets to boot (no pun intended)! 

Walking is the thing to do in New York, so walk we did – this time going up to Fifth Avenue,window shopping and people watching all along the way.  Lynn wanted to stop at St. Patrick’s which we did. However, the interior is under construction and much of it was filled with scaffolding even as they were getting ready for a 5:30 mass.

We had decided on an early dinner by NY standards and were referred to Sotto 13 .  This little Italian restaurant was located on the edge of Greenwich Village on a tree-lined street of well maintained brownstones.   We had a lovely dinner on their  patio and Lynn was happy that their special appetizer was fried squash blossoms!  Spent the cocktail hour coaching Stephanie by phone on how buy her first car on her own.  She’s growing up and has a mind of her own and I guess that’s what we raised her to have!  Fortunately, she does reach out for advice rather frequently. 

After dinner, we strolled through the Village and found our way to Christopher St. where Jonny had an oriental furniture store back in the late 80’s.  It’s been transformed back to its original life as a corner coffee bar – a real classic!  Next time you see us, ask us about our experiences with that shop which was located in a very colorful part of town!

We finished our long day’s outing into the city by taking the PATH back to Jersey City and  preparing for the following day’s trip up the Hudson River.

Glimmer Glass Anchorage, Manasquan Inlet, NJ

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After just a few hours of sleep, we left Atlantic City for Manasquan Inlet on the New Jersey coast.  The Jersey coast is mostly beaches (the famous Jersey shore) and there are not as many inlets as there are in the states further south.  So by the time we got to Manasquan, after an eight hour cruise, we were ready to stop and rest. There are many fewer anchorages along the Jersey coast but we found a great one called Glimmer Glass about two nautical miles up the Manasquan Inlet through the narrowest bascule bridge we’ve ever seen.

Glimmer Glass was as pretty as the name sounds.  A lovely cove with lots of greenery on one side, very pretty homes with well-maintained fishing boats on another side and a commuter railroad on the third.  Much to our surprise, we were the only boat anchored there.   We spent a quiet night cooking dinner on the grill, consulting with folks about our head (toilet) problem, and planning for our travel to NYC and the Hudson. We went to bed early because the next day we were heading to NYC!

 

Atlantic City, NJ

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We left Cape May and traveled up the Atlantic to Atlantic City on Saturday, June 6.  Our trip was fairly comfortable with winds at 10 – 15 mph and one to two foot waves.  Just a little rolling as we “surfed” on following seas.  

We chose to stay at a funky marina called Kammerman’s because the ratings and  prices were reasonable and it was not near the casinos.  It turned out that the marina was a little smaller and more rustic than we expected.  It did not have floating docks which is not always a problem unless you are required to climb a dock six feet up  with no ladder when the tide turns.   We started to look longingly at the modern marina across the way that backed up to two casinos!  You get what you pay for!

That evening we took a long walk to a restaurant in a non-touristy part of Atlantic City called Gardner Basin.  We were able to sit outside and enjoy a pretty good meal.  Jonny tried one of the local “specialties” called Taylor Pork Roll which he thought tasted like bologna!  This part of Atlantic City is experiencing extensive redevelopment and many of the newly renovated row-type houses were on or across from the water.  Atlantic City has struggled over the last several years as many casinos have closed and the job market is very poor.

We were leaving the boat there for five nights while we traveled back to Ponte Vedra.  We sold our house and needed to return to pack our remaining belongings, sign the closing documents and attend to various doctors’ and hair appointments.    It was sad to leave our beautiful home for the last time.   We will treasure the 13 happy years we spent there raising Stephanie,  celebrating so many holidays and entertaining family and friends.

We want to give a special thank you to Alex and Natalie Costas for having us stay at their comfy home and making us feel like family!

When we returned to the boat at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, we discovered that the floor of our second head (the one that still worked) was covered with water.  It turns out that we now have two broken heads. Jonny spend part of the next day figuring out what was wrong and jury-rigging a way for us to continue to use it until we can get it fixed (along with the other one)!  Good thing we don’t have guests visiting right now!

Cape May, NJ

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We had a pretty smooth crossing of the Delaware Bay to Cape May on June 5.  The current was with us for much of the way which lifted our speed to a whopping  11 mph on the Delaware River.   This is a 2.5 to 3 mph lift over our regular speed.  When we got into the bay we had 1 – 2 foot seas.  All in all, an easy passage on a foggy overcast day.
The marinas in Cape May were mostly full because boats were waiting for the weather to clear. We tried to get into Utsch’s but were unable to so we stayed at South Jersey Marina which wins the prize for the nicest restrooms we’ve seen thus far.  We generally use the showers in the marinas as they have a lot more room than the little shower on our boat.  As we approached our assigned dock space, we were enthusiastically welcomed by Mark and Denise on Island Office, who we had met at the Rendezvous.  We were also joined by Alice and Cornell on their little tug, Red Ranger, who had been following us out of Delaware City.

Cape May is designated as a national historic landmark. It has been in existence since the 1600’s but it didn’t become a big tourist destination until the 18th century.  Cape May became one of the first resorts in America.  It’s a charming town that has a  “throwback” feel to it.  We rode our bikes through the historic parts of town and passed many gaily colored “painted lady”  homes. We also rode along the beach and saw all the old-fashioned hotels and big  historic homes that have been converted to quaint bed and breakfasts.  We strolled along a pedestrian only street that reminded us a bit of Lincoln Rd. in Miami Beach.  Fortunately, it wasn’t swarming with tourists during our stay.  Somehow Cape May has been able to preserve its unique ambiance as the the advent of the automobile made other towns along the Jersey coast like Wildwood and Ocean City more popular. 

For dinner, we joined the two couples mentioned earlier and walked to the Lobster House, a famous seafood restaurant on the waterfront just five minutes from our marina.  Alice and Cornell are finishing up the Great Loop which they’ve done over the last three summers.  They will “cross their wake” in Hyde Park, NY which we look forward to visiting.    Mark and Denise are from Orlando and are still in the early stages of their Great Loop adventure.  They are frequently interrupted by that pesky thing called “work” with which they are still engaged.

The big decision for the day was whether to take the intracoastal route or the Atlantic Ocean route  to our next stop, Atlantic City.  New Jersey’s intracoastal is notoriously shallow with lots of shoaling.  We weren’t sure if the ocean was going to be calm enough for the passage but as it turned out, the seas on Saturday morning were calm with light winds and 1 to 2 foot swells.  This proved to be an easier, less stressful  route.  We left Cape May at 7: 45 a.m. and arrived in Atlantic City at 2 p.m.  We’ll leave the boat here for five nights while we fly home to Ponte Vedra to finish packing and moving out of our lovely home there!

Oxford, MD on the Trett Avon River

On Memorial Day we arrived in Oxford Maryland which is located on the Trett Avon River off of the Little Choptank River on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake.  At first we thought we would anchor near the mouth of the the harbor leading into the town but we decided to cruise into the narrow harbor to "check the town out" from the water,  We were immediately entranced with its charm.  As we looked at the various marinas, we found one that had remarkably low rates and was located in a perfect spot. It didn't take much arm twisting to go for it and that's how we ended up at Oxford Yacht Agency.

The Oxford Yacht Agency is primarily a broker and marina for Grand Banks yachts and we were the only non-Grand Banks there.  Surrounded by those beautiful trawlers was a real treat and the name of the boat docked next to us reflected our feelings.

This marina was not the typical modern marina. Instead, it looked like a weathered New England village with natural shingles and a homey vibe.  

 John, the owner, was extremely helpful in pointing out the features of the five restaurants and ice cream parlor we had to choose from.  He recommended that we first go to the Oxford Mews (the local food market) to buy sandwiches and eat them in the waterfront park across the street to get a real "feel" for the town. We took his advice and walked the couple of blocks through this incredibly quaint and well maintained town to enjoy a breezy lunch in a beautiful spot.

 Afterwards we walked all around the town with one street looking prettier than the next.

We also chose this marina because Jonny had to do his first oil change by himself on Zendo and he needed to take the head apart and see if he could fix it.  John was willing to be there as a coach for Jonny and help him where necessary.  This was a real advantage in allowing us to see if we (Jonny) could handle the repairs ourselves with a little professional consultation as needed!

The first evening in Oxford we had dinner at the Key West-type restaurant that had very good crab cakes and a great view of the sunset.

Docking here also provided a great and affordable place to leave the boat for a couple of days so we could rent a car and drive the five hours to Connecticut to attend Aunt Pearl's funeral and then spend a day at Stephanie's in Parsippany to help pack up her apartment for her move to the Philadelphia area.

Upon returning from our short trip north, we spent the day doing repairs and trip planning.  Jonny did a great job with the oil change (saving us over $600) and was able to take the head apart and find the source of the problem.  Unfortunately in doing so, we found that the solution required some new parts which we won't be able to get for a couple of weeks.  Lynn wasn't originally convinced that we needed two heads on a 36 foot boat, but she is certainly convinced of it now!

That night we ate at another of the four restaurants in town and enjoyed a delicious meal. We have to leave the next day to continue on our journey but we could happily spend more time in this slow-paced and lovely town and hope to return another time. 

Solomons Island, MD

On May 23, we arrived in the Solomons, on the western short of the Chesapeake, after a sunny cruise with one to two foot seas.  Even though we knew that Solomons was a major boating center, we were unprepared to see all the marinas and the large number of  boats traversing the waters.  All of a sudden we had to be very cautious of heavy boat traffic moving this way and that!  We had reservations at the very friendly (and cost effective) Calvert’s Marina.  We borrowed the courtesy car, an old Mercedes, and drove into “town” to the grocery store and fish market.  Since one of our goals was to eat as many soft shell crabs as we could get our hands on, we eagerly bought four fresh ones from the local fish market.  

While Jonny washed down the boat (you wouldn’t believe how salt–encrusted it can become running through the Chesapeake), Lynn made the best soft shell crab dinner we’ve ever had!  These were fat, juicy and succulent and along with corn on the cob and salad, we had a meal as good as, if not better, than any we could get at a fine restaurant!
The next morning we took the dinghy just across the inlet to the Calvert Maritime Museum.  There were several highlights here including a real lighthouse that had been transported from the bay to this spot.  It was one of the old fashioned lighthouses that the keeper lived in with his family.  The museum also had displays of the many wooden boats used in the Chesapeake as well as an aquarium and displays of endangered and invasive species of fish and plants.   

Later that afternoon we left to cross the Chesapeake on a four hour run.   Although we had checked the winds, the ride was pretty rough.  We had to carefully “batten down the hatches” as the boat was rocking so much that the heavy salon table fell over as did many other miscellaneous  items.  Unfortunately, we did not do a good enough job of securing every little thing (i.e. one of the toilet lids) because the little rubber sink plug in the forward head must have popped off the counter and into the toilet.  When we went to use it, an awful noise ensued and that was the end – at least for now- of that head!  Good thing we have two of them!

Sadly we learned that afternoon that Jonny’s Aunt Pearl died in Connecticut at age 94.  Fortunately, Jonny had just gone to visit her knowing that the end was near.  We stayed at a peaceful anchorage that evening on Fish Creek off of the Little Choptank River surrounded by lovely homes as we figured out how we could get to her funeral.