Ambition Accomplished!

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Sailing by Lady Liberty from the Hudson on our way to the East River
When we first conceived the idea of traveling the Atlantic ICW up the east coast we thought how cool would it be to be in New York City for the 4th of July!

We decided that our sailboat would be too slow and have to open to many bridges for the trip so we considered how to make the cruise in a powerboat.

We (Marvin) searched for boats on Boat Trader and Yacht World with the idea of buying a boat for the trip that was functional, but mostly depreciated, and then selling when we were done. Investing in boats is consistent with our financial philosophy of "Buy High - Sell Low".  We found our Tiara 31 Open Express in Naples, FL last year while cruising on Bay Breeze - and the broker, Chris Burkhard, got us into this temporary addition of AQUAVIT to facilitate our voyage.

A steady parade of boats, large and small, make their way
under the Brooklyn Bridge to the viewing area -
all on VHF Channel 13, controlled by USCG,
under the surveillance of police and fire boats.
When we discussed with the dockmaster how to view the fireworks displays in the harbor, we were advised that it was not a good idea and too stressful to take a boat out on either the Hudson or East Rivers. In the East River in particular the current is very strong. The captain has to stay on the helm at all times to hold position - no anchoring - and be aware of all of the boats surrounding you. Then, it gets dark so you can watch the fireworks. And, after the fireworks, in the dark, all of those boats are leaving at once. Crazy small boats rocking and rolling - darting in and out between large harbor cruisers and ferries.


We were so glad we chose to take the schooner, Shearwater, with a decent buffet and open bar, great crew, but mostly a very competent captain who must have nerves of steel or was heavily sedated to stay calm. He was able to keep the boat in line with the imaginary line in spite of the heavy current and the switch in the direction of the current when the tide changed half-way through the fireworks. He had to turn an 84' sailboat, under power of one engine, in cramped quarters while others boats were also turning.

Waiting for darkness, the boats stacked up in position,
all maneuvering for hours to stay in place against the  current.
An added bonus was meeting two very nice folks to share the experience. Amnon and Kate live on Central Park and were a delight to converse with while waiting for the fireworks. Amnon was a big time photographer that built a major photo house. We reminisced about the similarities in our work and experiences - he with his 1000+ employees and six worldwide offices, and our mom and pop small shop. We both sold our companies at about the same time but in an order of magnitude difference. Turns out Kate had a career in TV production and theater before becoming a LCSW and mediator. Her father produced Dark Shadows, the 60s TV series. What wonderful folks and so open to sharing their knowledge of the city and place on Long Island.




Returning down the East River to the dock at the North Cove Marina at World Financial Center, we got a second treat to see the Jersey City fireworks. The fireworks were designed to make hearts and happy faces! All in all - fine folks - fine food, good beer, and attentive crew. Though not on our own boat as we had planned, we accomplished our ambition to see the NYC fireworks from the water.




Tomorrow we meet up with Lee's cousins who live in NY and NH.  Meeting us in Grand Central Station we plan to go to the New York Botanical Garden and see a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit.

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