Blue Moon Sails Away

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.

Central Park

We had been planning on taking a spot on the Hudson River across from Central Park to be able to see someplace I've always wanted to see. We met another couple at the dinghy dock, a great place to meet the nicest people, who told us about taking the train in from Port Washington up the East River and in Long Island Sound. That sure sounded a lot better than putting up with the constant traffic of large, fast boats roiling up the water all around us whenever we were on the boat so that is just what we did and had another wonderful day in Manhattan.
Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, a real giant in park design. I have studied his work and marvel at his genius. He envisioned the perfect blend of pathways, green spaces, statuary, ponds and beautiful buildings. Spending several hours in the park was a dream come true for me and David was impressed with the scope and design as well. We walked from Penn Station to the park and rented bikes for three hours. That allowed us to tour the entire bike path system and get off to walk some of the paths. After we turned our bikes in, we went back to walk on some of the paths where bikes are not allowed. I think you could spend a lifetime touring parts of the park and always seeing something new. It was a truly magical spot that I'm glad developers have not been allowed to bulldoze. Believe it or not, that has been the goal of many over the past.

One of the many tunnels in the park. This one was a work of art both outside
and inside. The acoustics were so lovely that a girl singing opera pieces was
mesmerizing those walking by. Buskers rarely sing opera so it was very different.

One view of Belvedere's Castle

Same view but another level up. The castle has about 6 levels, each
revealing a different scene of the park and the surrounding city.

One of the porticos in the castle.

The bushes were in great blooming beauty.

David with our rental bikes by another tunnel.

Of course, Central Park has lots of gardens.

The colors and textures were so beautiful.

Happy people in front of the waterfall.

This was a building in Harlem where we left the park to have lunch. The details
on the building were really eye catching.

This was a square with a street vendor who had the most tasty food at
very reasonable prices. David had a lifelong dream come true eating
hot dogs from a genuine New York street vendor. We sat on the curb
like real New Yorkers.

Pedicabs and horse drawn carriages were a popular way to see the park.

These oakleaf hydrangeas had such huge blooms that the branches of the
bush were leaning over.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir.

The bright lilies lit up so many patches along paths all over the park.

The mall is lined with huge American Elms and is also
literary row. Statues of famous American authors line both sides.

The mall is also a busy place with lots of stalls selling everything from
pictures to souvenirs.

A building just outside the park but visible from the top level of the castle.

The plaza at the end of the mall. Fields and the Great Lawn are just
beyond this area.

Fencing like this graced many of the paths in the park.

You can rent radio controlled sailboats at the ponds.

The bike paths were well maintained and inviting.

This tunnel led over to the skating rink/swimming pool.

Signs at turtle pond tell you not to feed them but these guys can't read.

A waterfall we found along a path.

The water was so clear and the sound was so relaxing.

The Statue of Liberty

Years ago, I interviewed a woman for our yacht club newsletter. While chatting with her, I noticed a photo of their boat with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Ever since, I have had the dream of having Blue Moon with Lady Liberty in the background but never thought it would be possible. Well folks, some dreams do come true. David, my ever valiant knight, lowered the dinghy and took pictures while I took the boat past. The launching and recovery were an adventure in themselves. We both had to time our speeds and avoid wakes from passing ships and compensate for the tidal current. Happily it all came off perfectly. The only downside is the picture I took of him in the dinghy didn't work out. That may have been the time I was avoiding the police boat but that's another story. Turns out the availability of tickets to actually tour the statue are sold out until September so this is as close as we'll get this trip.