Liberty Park Anchorage to Milford

Sunrise over Lady Liberty and Manhattan

United Nations Headquarters

Colorful factory along East River

Stepping Stones Lighthouse off Great Neck, NY

Tug and Barge

      Rested but apprehensive about my trip up the East River I awoke early and was underway by 6am. By leaving this early I knew I had plenty of time to reach Hellgate on the East River at or just after slack water which was at 7:36am. Heading out under a mostly cloudy sky, I passed the Statue of Liberty as Lower Manhattan and the Battery came into view. At this hour of the day there was limited water traffic which made for a much more relaxed cruise across the Upper Bay, past Governors Island and into the East River. I meandered about in the lower East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn awhile, passing by ferry terminals for Staten and Governors Islands, the South Street Seaport, then the Brooklyn Bridge. Then Puffin passes under 3 more suspension bridges- the Manhattan, the Williamsburg and then the Queensboro which places me between Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, just past the United Nations Headquarters, traveling at about 8 mph. By about 7:45am, the sun had come out to stay.  About 8am I have passed Hellgate and am now on a flood tidal current,  aiding my trip into Long Island Sound: speed has picked up to 9 mph with no change in throttle. Shortly I pass between North and South Brother Islands and put Rikers Island to starboard. By 8:40 Puffin is past Whitestone Bridge and by 9am she has passed under Throgs Neck Bridge and out of the East River into the western end of Long Island Sound. By getting the timing right on current ebb and flow past Roosevelt Island and Hellgate, the whole East River trip was a pleasure instead of a white knuckle ride on turbulent waters in my slow sailboat.

Execution Rocks Lighthouse off New Rochelle, NY            

By 9:15am, I was passing Manhasset Bay to starboard and Hart Island to port. As I worked my way eastward, I passed by several lighthouses marking shoals, ledges and islands; the occasional tug and barge, numerous pleasure and recreational fishing boats, a windjammer, and commercial clammers, draggers and fishing vessels. All in all a very pleasant day. I motored into Milford, CT at 4:15pm, a 10 hour 15 minute run of 55 nautical miles (63.3 statute miles).

Great Captain Island Lighthouse off Greenwhich, CT

Next leg of journey will be to Point Judith and Wickford, Rhode Island.

Penfield Reef Lighthouse off Fairfield, CT

Haverstraw (Half Moon) Bay to Liberty Park Anchorage

Haverstraw (Half Moon) Bay to Liberty Park Anchorage

Croton Point Park, Half Moon Bay

Leisurely start to the day: 8:30am, wind & water calm as I got underway. It is hot and humid. By 9:15am, Puffin now out in the main body of the Hudson, the wind had picked up, kicking up the waves a bit. At 10 O'clock we were approaching the Tappan Zee  Bridge, which was concurrently under construction, between Nyack and Tarrytown, New York, so it was time to figure out where I could tuck in overnight and get some fuel before the Harlem River which I hoped to traverse to shorten the run through New York City.

Tappan Zee Bridge

I turned the boat up into the current to hold steady in position, but after about 30 minutes of going through all information available to me, I couldn't find an anchorage or marina above Spuyten Duyvil (Spitting Devil) Creek, the northern entrance to the Harlem, that had space available for a vessel of Puffin's draft. However, I did find a place to fuel up- Englewood Boat Basin, just before the George Washington Bridge. So, plan B, now I was under way again but down Hudson to Liberty Park Anchorage. It wasn't until I got down to the Riverside Park area just above Manhattan that boat traffic really began to pick up. 

The Palisades along Jersey shore



Riverside Heights Church, upper Manhattan

                                                        








 As I passed Ellis Island and approached the Statue of Liberty, a high speed tour boat called the Beast began to approach Puffin head on, then started doing donuts right in front of me! I'm in neutral, then reverse wondering when the display will end and the Beast finally peals off in another direction, allowing me to continue on to the anchorage.


The Beast

Ellis Island

Erie Lackawana, New Jersey

As on the way up, it was a beautiful sight to see - the Palisades, Erie Lackawanna on the jersey shoreline, all the buildings of Manhattan's skyline, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty! Finally I dropped anchor for the night, just behind the Statue of Liberty, to rest and make ready for an early start up the East River, through Hellgate and on to my next stop.



Statue of Liberty and Manhattan