Delaware City Marina;
We recommend staying at the Delaware City Marina, say hello to Tim and his lovely wife Beth (the feisty red head) . Their hospitality is top-notch. Charlie, aka Shorty, is also quick with the lines.
Boater’s Tip: The Marina is a continuous floating dock (no slips) with a side tie. 1) provide your true length overall 2) set fenders and lines on both sides of the boat as you will initially dock on the starboard side, then marina staff will help spin your boat around to the port side to depart with the outgoing tide. 3) The current is horribly strong near the marker at the channel entrance so don’t get too close, but also don’t get too far away as grounding is a real risk. Listen to the dock masters directions carefully 4) Do not miss the afternoon Captains meeting to hear the latest on the wind and water conditions for your departure.
Enjoy the local talent on the marina deck – brother and sister duet, delightful.
Also be prepared for an early departure, subject to tides and commercial barge traffic. We left shortly after 5 am!
South Jersey Marina – Cape May
For Exhale and Tonto’s Reward a two-night stay was too short. Sadly, with a boat repair underway, David B and Capt Rick did not get to explore the town.
Cape May Historic trolley tour!
Highly Recommended: Gail and Mary bought trolley tickets online, if it it looks like the tours are sold out, check back, we discovered they often add extra tours.
Sandy Hook – Weather Decisions
Buttercup often rides alongside Captain Rick in the Pilot House, sharing his wide helm seat.
We put a lot of thought and planning into when to “stay or go” because of the weather. Capt Rick has four separate apps that feed him meaningful data about the tides, the wind, the rain, and the depth of the water. We could see the conditions were not perfect, but we could also see the weather was predicted to get much worse, so we fired up Sally the seakeeper (stabilizer), and left as early as possible believing the winds are gentler in the morning.
Sadly, the water was rougher than expected and the bumpy ride made our young dog toss her cookies, literally and repeatedly. Tragically she was sitting on the lap of Capt Rick. I am sure you can imagine the mess. Drenched in doggy puke, Rick seemed unphased. After retrieving a change of clothes for Rick and some wet towels for the puppy my hypersensitive nose prompted a frantic dash to the galley sink, to sympathetically puke, multiple times. Another reason to be thankful for a garbage disposal! 13 hours later, we dropped anchor, followed by showers, laundry and a stiff drink. It was a rough day.
For us, anchoring out is usually a relaxing experience, but Buttercup greatly prefers to dock at a marina and then take a leisurely walk to a lush patch of grass to do her business. Anchoring out means she has to use the grass patch in the cockpit, while the boat is rocking and rolling in the waves, which she does not like.
Anticipating our trip to Sandy Hook, we acquired a patch of sod for Buttercup.
The Mighty Hudson River
The efficiency of the ferry system – back and forth from New Jersey to New York – is beyond compare as commuters whisk across the brutal waters, ripping up a current that is not for the faint of heart. It is also easy to visualize how the nimble captains were heroes, rescuing 155 passengers after Captain Chesley Sullenberger, “Sully”, flawlessly executed the water landing of Flight 1549 in 2009, known as the Miracle on the Hudson. Another great Tom Hanks, Warner Bros. movie, for Mija and other fans.
Boater’s Tip: Get OUT of the way and expect a heavy wake from the ferry traffic.
In 2018 the original Exhale anchored out behind the Statue of Liberty with Meanders and Vagabond; in the distance was Houlegan, again (well before we learned to love Sideways).
Liberty Landing
We recommend you dock at Liberty Landing where the view of Manhattan is magnificent!
There is also a magnificent restaurant near the marina, with a popular a game of chess.
A personal note: Happy Birthday Zach, my Grand Master Wizard.
Observing Memorial Day weekend in New Jersey and New York, a time of thanks and reflection.
Ellis Island
Tonto’s Reward joined us on a ferry ride from New Jersey’s Liberty State Park with stops at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
It’s so nice when someone else takes the wheel.
Boater’s Tip: Take a bottle of water – it’s a LOT of walking.
Here’s the History lesson, Commodore Greg
Fun Trivia: Long before it became a way station for people looking for a new beginning, Ellis Island—named for its last private owner, Samuel Ellis—was a place where condemned prisoners met their end. For most of the early 19th century, the island was used to hang convicted pirates, criminals, and mutinous sailors. The last hanging was in 1839.
Ellis Island is overwhelming, just knowing that our ancestors came through there makes it a treasured visit. It was easy to imagine the music, and the chaos, of countless languages as anxious families went through the grueling process of medical exams and interviews, with the fear of being detained or rejected. On average, the inspection process took approximately 3-7 hours.
From 1892 to 1924, Ellis Island was America’s largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed.
David B noted on the tour that we were surrounded by a similar mixture of languages, and the sounds of English seemed less than dominant.
For Danielle and Sandra
Curious about your ancestors who came through Ellis Island, click here! The Passenger Search database contains records from 1820 to 1957.
Hudson River Beauties
As we cruised along the Hudson River we continued to admire the exquisite architecture of both Jersey and New York. Capt. Rick said this magnificent structure appears to have a private landing pad for George Jetson.
What do you think?
Little Island – Pier Park
Have you seen the park that seems to magically rise above the Hudson? NYC’s first “floating park,” a $260 million gift to the city from billionaire Barry Diller, is phenomenal. Little Island opened in May 2021. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, Little Island is a public park that rises out of the water some 200 feet off Manhattan’s West Side. By land it’s Pier 51, located at 13th Street and Hudson River.
The 2.4-acre project includes an amphitheater – what a fabulous venue.
Thanks to the NY Times for the great photos, here’s the full article. NY Times Article
Celebrating Milestones
May 28, Brennyn; Scott Ginsburg; May 29, Doug Belknap, Joe Solari; May 31, Pamela Ledward
Anniversaries: May 26, Jeff and Patty North; May 27, Carly and Brandon Maurer!
Next Stop: Croton-on-Hudson, Half Moon Bay. 3 days, doing touristy stuff.
Exhale on the Water 