07/12/08 New York, NY

We head to New York Harbor

it's very evident that lots of New Yorkers love to fish. Fishing boats all around us. The Coast Guard keeps announcing over the radio that you can not linger in the channel. You must make it open for safe passage. Of course everyone thinks that's where the fish are, so they keep drifting through. Do you suppose after all the years of fishing that the fish figured out they should hide out in the channels to keep safe?? The fishermen seem to think so.

Here comes a fast ferry again. Not bad as there is lots of room for everyone.

Even big ships...

There's early morning summer haze over the city & harbor as we approach the Verrazano Bridge, The Narrows and on to New York

This is the Fort Wadsworth Lighthouse (see light on upper right wall)
Like so many lighthouses this one fell into ruins once the Verrazano Bridge made it obsolete. Fortunately a former lighthouse keeper, Joe Esposito, launched a campaign to save it.

Did we mention traffic?

Manhattan Island

This trip we go to the right of Governors Island through the Buttermilk Channel

There's lots of commercial business on this side

Soon we come out and join up with the East River

Always a yellow Taxi in New York even in the water

The waterfall towers are new since our last trip through

As we turn and look behind us....it's breathtaking!!

Bridge, water taxi, sailboat, waterfall, NY and statue all in one glimpse.

Now just sit back and enjoy the excitement and beauty of cruising through New York
busy - busy, even helicopters buzzing about
We heard Coast Guard announce a navigation hazard....there was a seaplane loose in the river.
They had it tied up again when we arrived.


OK, heads up the light on Hallets Pt tells us we' will be navigating in some strong currents now
All this water is rushing through a narrow passage called
Hell Gate.
Thankfully it's going our way

Notice the train crossing the 2nd bridge.
Pretty exciting and great timing!
It was a really, really long train that stretched out of sight as it crossed

Here's one of those ferries again. This time is came from astern and passed us.
We were glad they had experience at this as we were in a narrow channel between the Brother Islands. This looked like an excursion with lots of happy travelers.
This is close enough to Rikers Island. No desire to visit there.

This seems to have offices/apartments? in it.

We go under the Throgs Neck Bridge leaving New York
and entering Long Island Sound
HAKUNA MATATA IS IN HOME WATERS AGAIN.

07/08/08 New Jersey Coast

WELCOME TO NEW JERSEY
and the Cape May CanalIt's a beautiful day for the beach along the canal.

As we pass by we're happy the ferries are still in their docks and not on the canal.

However there are numerous dolphin and whale watcher boats out early this morning.

It was sort of like coming home to be at Utschs Marina again.
This visit we walked into town. So did a few other people.

Notice a few puddles....it rained off and on all day. We managed to stay almost dry. Did some serious raining after we were back under our awning.

We left Cape May Inlet and sailed the Jersey Coast

Past the familiar outline of Atlantic City

This time we continued to Barnegat Inlet to anchor for the night.

I have a miniature replica of this lighthouse. Loved being so close up to it.
We anchored for the night in a beautiful harbor.

Bob filled the fuel tank with the diesel from those yellowncans you've seen tied to the deck.
We were not going to a dock for fuel and in case we had rolling seas he wanted a full tank.

No, we don't know if the seagull rides there regularly or just happened to land but he certainly looks comfortable with it.

A beautiful sky all around us as the sun set
and just as beautiful at sunrise.

We left earlier than even some of the fishing boats.

The waves breaking reminded us that this inlet
could become very rough in the right/wrong conditions.

We were thankful it was good this morning.

We traveled off the Jersey Coast and realized how many different style water tanks there are!!

Who Knew?
A wayward beach ball reminded us there are beaches with people playing over there.At one point we were close enough to see those lucky people (well almost).

At Great Egg Harbor Inlet this bridge has a very narrow entrance. We were hoping it would open for traffic as we passed by.We were in luck and were happy to just watch.
Glad we were not going that direction.

This tug is pulling The Staten Island Ferry?

A colorfully loaded container ship.

This we recognized as the New York City skyline coming out of the haze.

But for tonight we turned left at Sandy Hook

and entered the Atlantic Highlands to stay the night .

Our mooring was one of the last in the field closest to the docks. Notice the ferries docked on the right. They are high speed and ferry from various New York locations.

Across the breakwater we could see a very, very long dock with what looks like Navy ships docked at the end.

Early the next morning we pass by the long docks, clam rakers and endless fishing boats.

We were passed by a high speed ferry headed to New York.
We are also headed to New York
but you know they will all be having lunch before we get there.
We would never be called high speed.
Hakuna Matata