On to Port Washington- Part 1

Going to Port Washington was on our agenda anyway but the idea of skipping all the hassle of enduring the wakes of passing ships and ferrys sold us on taking the train instead of anchoring in the Hudson River.  It was during this stretch that we took the Statue of Liberty pictures as well.  One notorious stretch of water we had to negotiate was Hell Gate.  This is a narrowing spot on the East River where the flow creates waves and eddies that have sent more than one boat to the bottom over the centuries.  There was a procession of boats all making the run at the small window of time where the flow would be at it's least, and if going the right direction, a bit of a boost.  Even with the more ideal conditions, we could feel the swirls and pulls.  A light boat would have had a rougher ride but one more milestone under our cruising belt.  The East River was an interesting trip all in itself with Manhattan on one side and famous bridges and places all along the route.

There are so many rocks and shallows throughout the harbor and rivers that
lighthouses were so common on nothing more than spits of rock.

It was always interesting to look at the various shapes and colors of each beacon.

Forts such as this one guarded the economically vital New York Harbor.

Closeup of the same fort.

Boat traffic was wild.  Ferries and tourist boats of all types and sizes ran alongside
huge cargo ships and small little pleasure craft such as Blue Moon.  It's amazing we
all managed to get through in one piece.  It does make for lots of turbulent water.

One skyline view

Unfiltered, you can see the haze and smog that envelops the city.

These were a series of apartment building in public housing.  We wandered
through there and wondered at all the razor wire and police cars.  I would
hate to live there.

The Verezzano-Narrows bridge is the gateway into New York Harbor.

These two buildings seemed to be a study in the old and the new.

This is a huge power plant along the Manhattan shore.  I can't fathom the amount
of electricity required to keep the city working.

Rounding Governor's island, we entered the East River to head up
to Long Island Sound.

The Staten Island Ferry terminal in lower Manhattan.

Another view from the water.

Being heavily industrial and people intensive on both side of the river calls
for bridges, lots and lots of bridges!

I'm not sure of the story behind this boat stuck in the side of Roosevelt Island
but I'm sure it's a good one.

One of the modern marvels of engineering, The Brooklyn Bridge.  The
engineers had to  create so many new methods of construction.  Wire needed
to hold up the roadbed had to be designed of new material.

Maintenance is a constant struggle in the harsh conditions of salt air
and temperature variances.  Hanging from the gondola for hours at a time
doesn't seem like a lot of fun.

Designing the caissons required to hold back the river for the long periods
of time needed for the concrete to set was a challenge in itself.  The builders had
to go so deep that the workers were dying of a mysterious disease after hours
in the holes.  The bends and how to treat them were the result of  the'
bridge's construction process.  They might not have started if they knew of
all the unseen problems.  David McCullough wrote an excellent history on
the bridge detailing the challenges and  triumphs. 

The moorings for the barges and large ships were huge since they needed
to hold several tons of boat.