Tuesday, July 23, 2013

18 July 2013
After doing all the obligatory things in New York it's time to depart the Big Apple... We headed up the Hudson past the United Nations Headquarters, past General Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb, under the Tappan Zee Bridge the day was a true history lesson.


Who's buried in Grants Tomb?
 

 We ended the day at what looked like a nice weather protected cove on the west side of the river - Haverstraw Cove.  There is a beautiful community park at one end and a band was playing lite rock-n-roll. Fifteen feet of water at MLW, not many bugs – this place looked excellent – so we dropped the hook.  After firing up the generator we sat on deck to enjoy the sunset and lesson to the music.

 Sometime in the late evening the generator started acting up.  It got louder and alarms started going off – did I mention this was about 0230 in the morning? - and that it was about 100 degrees outside - and that the air conditioner will not run without the generator? - and that when I went outside to check the overboard discharge (at 0230) there was several dudes  on the bank of the cove fashionably dressed in wife-beaters drinking what could only be forty ouncers and smashing the empties on the rocks?  Needless to say the rest of the evening was uncomfortable a). No generator, b). No A/C, c). Freaks on the beach.  Of course the cook was concerned about the fridge and freezer which added to my anger management issues.
19 July 2013
Sunrise came  about 0545 – while boat checks were being completed  the freaks on the beach started yelling 'take us fishing' – that did not happen. We departed to anywhere but Haverstraw Cove … 
As it turned out it was a beautiful day on the Hudson (after two pots of coffee).  We rolled by the historic West Point and Cold Spring where cannons supporting the revolutionary war were manufactured.
Historic West Point Military Academy
 The towering cliffs are filled with opulent mansions and ruined remains of fortunes long lost.
Unknown estate... but I did hear several varying story's about the structure

The ghostly remains of Bannerman's Castle circa 1901 on Pollepel Island
 
 We made the call and pulled into Norrie Point Marina in Staatsburgh, NY.  This hidden jewel is run by the New York State Parks Department at Norrie State Park.  The facilities were in great shape, with typical state park camping style bathrooms-but very clean, miles of hiking trails and beautiful scenery.  We stayed two days – okay one of those days I was in the engine room degunking the generator fuel system, but it was a beautiful spot to do it.

Many structures at the park- including the bath house were built by the WPA
While we were there a handsome old wooden boat ULYSSES from Stonington, CT pulled in… as we got into conversation with them it turns out a guest on board Tommy Tyler and I as kids were neighbors 40+ years ago on Governors Island, New York.  I thought he looked familiar - it is truly a small world.
Bill Kelly & Tommy Tyler -neighbor kids 40+ years later meet by chance on the Hudson River 

      

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like you all are getting true tastes of Americana!

    ReplyDelete