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

After the Warm---Alaska

Hi, now traveling to Alaska for a short time. Going from 60 degree weather to 0 is not the most fun. Especially when your flights are delayed and one spends overnight in Seattle Airport because of snow. The weather in Anchorage and surrounding area ranges from 0 to 20 degrees that time of year with short spans of daylight- from 9:45/10:00 until  3:30ish you get some daylight and by 5-6:00 the sky is dusk turning to darkness. It is strange to wake up to darkness when you are expecting a sunrise in the early morning.

I am visiting outside of Anchorage and in this neighborhood your child walks or is driven to the school that is a short distance away. The kids arrive at school for 9:00 in the dark and almost leave when the day is getting dark.
This will all change after December 21 when, unlike our East Coast, you gain more daylight each day than we do in the east as by June 21, you have almost 20 hours of daylight vs our 15 hours.

When returning to home, I will fly into Portland or Seattle where the sun rises before 8:00 am and sets around 4:30.
Even though the daylight is a short time, the mountains and trees glisten with snow.  It is a Winter Wonderland here, despite the cold temperatures/ Most are not bothered by the cold and dress like we do at 30's. So weird, yet a 60 people are loving their warm weather.


Another glance , sunset from downtown Anchorage.





Home for the Holidays and getting Puffin ready for our Great Loop adventure. You can follow on this blog.