Sept 12 update

Sept 8

 

We set off today to make Waterford. 10 locks and 32 miles. The river continues to widen and we get more and more homes as it widens and deepens.

 

We let Daybreak a Holland 38 lead as they cruise at a faster speed. Just before the flight of 5 locks dropping us a total of 150 plus feet we run into our only closed guard gate. Here we have to wait until boats coming this way clear past us so we can go through.

Day Break leads as we head into the flight of 5 locks.

 

Next big project. Bring to Oriental for a party barge.

The only guard gate that is manned daily to stop traffic prior to entering the flight locks down to Waterford

 

Day break calls on the cell phone to inform us Waterford has plenty of space. When we arrive there are only 2 spots left on the low dock and maybe 3 on the high concrete walls as barges and sailing school schooners have used the balance of the space. We are lucky to find room.

We spend the balance of the day cleaning boat, checking oil etc. before calling it a night.

Sept 9

We start the day grocery shopping. We need to fill up to last to Cape May. I need another shot in the eye so we will try to use the same Dr. as last time in Atlantic City.  Therefore we will have a car to shop with. This is a real pain as timing for an outside run on the Atlantic, with weather to hit Atlantic City or Cape May is nearly impossible.

Sept 10

We head to Troy and our last real lock prior to the Dismal Swamp. We time it so we are right there at the 8 am opening so we can get a reasonably good day in. We took few pictures to show the difference in the Canal width and the Hudson River. We hope to break the run on the Hudson into 3 days, stopping at anchorages along the way. The problem is a lot of anchorages are really not as good as projected by various souls who give us advice. Active captain gives a good write up for Saugerties Creek. WE follow a Coast Guard Cutter in and feel this is a good omen since this is a big 65 foot boat. Say no more. The creek is about 150 yards wide and narrows down as you pass the coast guard station to marinas on one side and houses and docks on the other. If we anchor in the middle with the north wind we will close ½ the creek. We move on to Kingston Makes for a longer day at 51miles but we really have nothing else to do. Kinston is a great spot as you sit in a creek between 200 foot cliff sides.

 

Sept 11

We move out into a 10 knot south wind that eventually builds to 15 with gusts of 20 into a south running current of 2 knots. We leave at 7 am and by 11 the waves we are pounding through are 2-3 foot.

It is not a real comfortable ride and by 11 the crew is thinking about laying down on the job again.

We find a marina on the side that has room at Poughkeepsie, NY and call it a day. Four foot ides a full moon gives us 2-2.5 knot currents that are great in your favor but you need the wind to be going the same way. Even so if the wind is strong enough when the current changes you lose.

 

The Hudson is really big after running all the canals.

 

 

 

 

We got really nice West Point pictures this time.

 

Sept 12

We see 2 knots of current today in our favor with a North wind that is to hold to 10 or less. At 1 pm the following sea is building to 2-3 feet and we are in yesterday’s situation. We pull in to anchor but have zero protection so we end up at dock again. What a waste of a great day.