We wanted to spend a relatively quiet night on the mooring so that we could get a jump start early on Saturday to go as far up the Hudson as possible. That was the plan, so we loaded up food and kids (and Grandma) and headed down to Atlantic Highlands. Atlantic Highlands is a great spot to be on a mooring for most of the time so long as there isn’t a strong N, NE, or E wind. We played quite a few games of golf sitting in the cockpit while we watched the moon rise.
Golf is played by dealing 8 cards to each player set up in 2 rows x 4 columns. Players turn over 2 cards but NOT in the same column. The goal is to end with the lowest number. Either turn over a card or draw from the stack. If you turn over a card in the same column as another card that is already face up, you lock that column. Jacks -3, Ace 1, King 0, Queen 10.
We motored up into the NY Harbor and passed a lot of container ships working their way into a port and other marine logistics activity.
When we got to the Statue of Liberty, we were greeted not only by the magnificent statue, but also a FDNY pumper, a Staten Island Ferry (as expected), and a tourist / sightseeing.
We had the current with us, but the wind was starting to really slow down. We made it all the way up to the Water’s Soul sculpture before the wind was down below a few knots and shifting. We were making no Northern headway so we decided to run down back to the battery and head up the East River for a few minutes.
We motored back (yuck!) down to the Sandy Hook area. The whole day was overcast. Gray, gloomy — blah! Once we past the Verrazzano, the heavens opened giving us bright sun and glare. It was magnificent. Although we were still motoring due to the winds holding < 5 knots.
Grandma tooks some snapshots of the family as we docked at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club dock. It was a nice moment; something we had been waiting for all year long. We were glad that the COVID restrictions had been lifted this year allowing my mom to travel to see us.
They say any day on the water is a good day. I tend to agree with that. Admittedly though, I am growing wearly of sailing in and around the NY Harbor. We have logged probably a few hundred nautical miles in the NY Harbor area, and although there are some great views, we are starting to see it more as a through-way, a highway of sorts to passage through rather than sailing around. We spend about 3 hours motoring to get up to the battery, and if the wind is weak, the trip becomes not worth it. Being based in Atlantic Highlands is nice, but we are constantly hopping onto the NY Harbor highway to get to a destination on the Long Island Sound which is getting a little old.
Maybe it is also hard to watch and follow friends and other sailors on Instagram making their way South this year that is getting me thinking to make a change. Nevertheless, we are want to sail to Martha’s Vineyard, Boston and Connecticut areas next year. That should be a good mix alongside a trip down to Cape May.
The Loxodograph 