New York City - Here we come!

Calm morning to leave Hoffman's Marina in Brielle, bound for NYC.

Breakfast was at the River Cafe' in Brielle. We only have 38 nm to go to get to New York or, more accurately, Jersey City which lies across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Heading back out the Manasquan Inlet we noted the weather was perfect for our outside run along the ocean shore.

Coming in to Masasquan there was a Corps or Engineers vessel holding its place in the channel.

Well spaced rollers sneaked under a glassy surface. We could make 24 knots cruising along about a 1/2 mile off the beaches and still have a smooth ride. Checking the AIS display for the expected increased ship traffic, we saw few boats. Most were cruisers traveling the same path as us. We passed them and a few large head-fishing boats at Sandy Hook.

As the skyline of the City revealed itself on the horizon, we realized we really had made it from the Gulf to our destination, or soon would be making it, after navigating up to our safe harbor.









The transit was mostly uneventful. The harbor didn't seem as busy as we anticipated.  We found the markers, avoided the cargo vessels at anchor awaiting their turn at the wharfs, and slalomed thru the ferries and tugs.

A navigation aid at the entrance.

Log shows we are a long way from our dock.

Passing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island gave us shivers and cause to pause and reflect on how these places symbolize the best of America as a beacon of hope and a on-going experiment  in democracy.

Sadly, our passage comes at a moment when illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and economic refugees, aspiring to join the melting pot of the US, are being scapegoated, interdicted and children separated from parents in political theater. We think the spirit of Lady Liberty is tarnished with despair.

Big boats board day and night cruises at the fuel dock.

When we got to Liberty Landing, we added to a traffic jam in the canal. Large super yachts were at the fuel dock, the ferry was moving across the basin, and a power catamaran was following us in. On channel 13, "Stand by for your slip assignment. We have to clear boats that are sticking into the fairway where you need to go and free up a dock hand to help guide you in." We have a tight space inside slip - backing in for a port tie. Fortunately, we had another lucky docking. AQUAVIT was connected to water and electric and ties fore and aft. We are in New York!

Thankful we bought this Tiara for our trip!

The marina appears to be the excellent facility that fellow cruisers have told us it is. The marina store manager gave us a tour of the entire facility, not just his store. Andy, the affable dockmaster, checked us in and worked the best rate scenario available. Still expensive, but the old adage, you get what you pay for, applies.

View from the marina's resturant

After settling in, we chatted with Allan, from a 46 ft Jeaneau sailboat moored nearby. He and his wife had an emergency medical stop here and visited the Jersey City Hospital. While there, three separate gun shot victims were delivered to the ER. Now his wife is back at their land base awaiting surgery and Allan will be moving their boat to a safe mooring before joining her.

Sharing much in common in travels in the Caribbean, and of the similar political views, we sat up late on the deck of the boat and toasted with Aquavit to share and compare.

Sun reflecting on the glass and steel edifices lights up the eastern skyline.

Lee's cousin, Betsey, lives a way up the Hudson River and commutes to the garment district in Manhattan. We arranged to meet for lunch. We enjoyed getting acquainted and found so much in common that it was like we had been close family for years. Strange how different paths can lead to the same place.

We look forward to getting together with Lee's cousins, Betsy, Steve, and Nathan and their spouses after we take a brief visit back home. We guess we walked 12 to 15 miles on our first day just to get reacquainted with the City.

We're on for last performance of Margarittaville and
have tickets to Harry Potter and Book of Mormon.

We still have a lot to do in New York - theater, botanic gardens and parks. museums, guitar stores, and rural rube excursions in the first city.



And, hoping for the lottery for Hamilton tickets! Help us put it there by sending good vibes our way.

A round-the-world sailboat race on identical 70' boats coincided with our arrival. There are 11 sailboats in a 14,000-mile 8-leg race. Six of the boats are at this marina and five are at Liberty Landing Marina, with us. Each boat has a seasoned captain, but the crew are from all walks of life. "Having completed a rigorous training course, participants are suited and booted in the latest extreme protection gear to commence the race of their lives." from clipperaroundtheworld.com.

The sun sets on the first segment of our NYC visit. as we return home to pet cats, pay bills, and see friends for a few days. Then back to resume our adventure.