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Americas Great Loop

April - Juni 2025
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The Great Loop from Florida follows the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, the Hudson River, the New York Canals, the Great Lakes, then south on the Inland Rivers to the Gulf Coast and back to FL to complete the Loop. Weiterlesen
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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    1

    Day 54: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    June 6. Another day, another $250 marinara dollars. But as Ned Kelly famously said (as they placed the noose around his neck), "Such is life", and I have enough Oirish in me to understand... it is what it is.

    We remain hopeful, though, as the latest from the Canal Corp is positive enough for Preston to decide we could make a move up-river on Tuesday. To that end, we're booked into the marinara at Kingston for two nights (the second night is to cover for contingencies), proceeding to Troy thereafter, ready to leap into the Waterford flight of locks as soon as a gap in the bLooper lineup presents. But it's still early for bLoopers, maybe there won't be so many yet. We're hopeful. The Canadians have been able to get up the Champlain for the last few days.

    Anyhow, it's going to be a fine, hot day, so we decide to drive up to Poughkeepsie [say Puh-KIP-see] to see what we'd see were we to have to moor there. We duly do that, having an early lunch at Alex's Restaurant--a wonderful olde-style diner in downtown Poughkeepsie--that would have fitted right in with Arlo Guthrie' song. Once again, seeing homemade cornbeef hash on the menu, I can go no further!

    Following our meal, we drive to check two of the marinas near town, then head out to find a shopping plaza for the girls, after which we turned for home. We had a rock-solid schedule to get back to Croton by 1500, so we could commence with meal preparations for a dinner partee tonight. Regrettably, we could explore historic Poughkeepsie no further, or the Walkway Over The Hudson; we had to leave.

    Ex-Sydney girl, Anne (who lives in Croton and who made herself known to us when she noticed our NZ flag a-flying), and her husband, retired NYC plainclothes, undercover, drug-busting cop were to come aboard for dinner, and they did... and what a riotous evening we had, swapping stories! We prevailed upon Preston to remain aboard and join us and were very glad he did... not least to help manage the BBQ on the fly-bridge. A lot of the success of this device's output is down to Preston's expertise with it

    Anne, an astute lady of advanced culinarian virtuosity, bought a homemade New York cheesecake and French wine (and Vegemite and golden syrup). Husband Owen, a native of South Bronx (and at one time, based out of the famous "Fort Apache"), drank beer... and who could blame him for that.

    This generous couple decided around midnight that they should take their leave... about two hours too early for me. But, to be fair, they DID have a lengthy floating dock to negotiate.    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    1

    Day 53: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    June 5. Another great day! We have a quiet 'administrative' day, getting stuff done on the computer and a bit of shopping for a dinner partee tomorrow with some new-found friends (they found us, thanks to our KiwiOzzie flag). OK, Ok, it's a NZ flag... but forriners don't know the diff, do they?

    The news from the NY State Canal Corp is better. They've completed repair works and are filling the navigation pool. We'll know more from them on Monday, but in the meantime we MAY start to move north on Saturday. Fingers, legs, eyes, and earlobes are all crossed.

    Today we blew the rust off the injectors and moved the boat over to the fuel dock for a black water pump-out and Preston washed us down.    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    1111

    Day 52: Imprisoned at Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Imprisoned? Not really, when locals like Anne Brosnan come and greet you, bring cookies, and information about what to do around the area; not that we've been lost for something to do thus far. But if these days at COH were to wear on, we now have extra opportunities to fill in our days.

    Today, Preston is up at his usual 'sparrow's' and today is off to Albany to catch up with an old mate who is overdue for his attention. We, though, are off to Kent, CT, to visit another quirky, historic town and a vintage machinery museum; we expect it to be about a 2-hr trip to get there, if we stop.

    Well, that's about what it took, with a stop at one of Connecticut’s historical covered bridges. Bull’s Bridge dates originally from the 1700s and the present one from 1862. The covered style of construction was partly for structural strength (iron ore and pig-iron was originally transported across this bridge) and partly for protection of the deck from degradation due to weather.

    Arriving at Kent, we lunched at a main street café and left the girls to explore the retail while Graeme and I continued out to the Connecticut Antique Machinery Assn Museum, where we dallied for a couple of happy hours. Returning to town, we rescued the gals, had a cold drink, and hit the road for home, stopping for dinner at an excellent Indian restaurant once there.

    And thus ended Day 52.

    (PS: There is encouraging news that repairs in the Erie Canal have been completed, and they’re flooding the pond. Hopefully it won’t leak, and we can make a move from here. We’re even thinking we might crank the Cummins’ and get going by Saturday. Preston is on the phone and computer, so our breath we bait as we sit and wait.)    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    1

    Day 51: We're at Croton-On-Hudson, still

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    June 3. To quote Donna Simpson in the Waifs' soulful song. But we have serious business today. Preston is training off to check up on the state of play with the MetroNorth network and we're heading down-town a bit to Mt Vernon where Graeme has secured an appointment for the attention his retina problem requires. It was originally at Rochester on Lake Ontario, but the Erie Canal delay has changed that, and Graeme has found a retina specialist down near the Bronx who will do what he needs. What joy!

    But in the meantime, a lady--Annie--comes along the dock and introduces herself. She lives nearby, with her retired policeman husband, and has been out walking and seen our NZ flag. She's a Sydney girl, originally, and we have a great chat. After all her years in the US, she has managed not to adopt (or have effected) the American accent, and that impresses us. Just a ridgi-didgi Aussie gal. We swap many stories of our 'backpacking' days o/s in the mid-70s.

    But soon we have to head off to Mt Vernon. We drive down--a 30-min drive--suss the place out, and because we've heaps of time before his appointment Lorraine suggests we head over to the the New York Botanical Gardens and have our picnic lunch. So we do that (along with hundreds of other visitors, we soon find), and having eaten we queue up for the 30-min 'tram' ride around the gardens. This is worth the $10/person, and we enjoy the current focus on Vincent Van Gogh and his garden-inspired art. Once done we head for the car and return to Fleetwood (Mt Vernon) for Graeme's appointment. We haven't done the gardens justice, but we know what to expect if we ever return. We get Graeme to his appointment, and Jan and I amuse ourselves meanwhile, and only have to do that for an hour before Graeme emerges with the procedure done! They're not THAT streamlined in olde Dunedin!

    We are all a VERY happy crew as we drive back to Croton. We're just getting our home-grown pizzas organised when Anne turns up with a bag of home-made Anzac biscuits (we can say 'biscuits' when we're among friends), tied up with a green and gold ribbon. Was there ever anything ever so sweet? I think not. Let's hope we're here long enough to have Anne and Owen over to the ship for dinner.

    The Anzac biscuits are more than delicious...    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    21

    Day 50: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    It's June 2 and it's a lovely calm, sunny morning; going to 23 deg, I believe. We are warned to enjoy the last 'cool' day for a while.

    Oh no... the onset of summer! How are we going to cope?

    I've got a couple of shots from Preston of two of the 'Heritage' liveries applied to MetroNorth Genesis P-42 locomotives. They're probably vinyl wrap graphics, but it's nice to see the railroads acknowledging that element of their ancestry. Still, I'd say that 'Genesis-spotting' at Croton has now reached its limit. I no longer even hear them throttling up as they head up the valley.

    The marinara is starting to get busy as bLoopers come and go... no doubt some jockeying for an early position should the short notice of the canal reopening that Preston expects, be received. We heard this morning that they've reopened the Champlain Canal (which runs north from Albany and connects to Lake Champlain and eventually the St Lawrence Seaway near Montreal), so some Canadian bLoopers are on the move too. But we're staying put for the moment.

    Preston heads off on Amtrak to clock some train-time, Graeme--who has cancelled his eye appointment in Rochester, since our schedule is uncertain--secures a new one with a specialist in Mt Vernon, NY. This is fantastic news! We drive to the supermarket and purchase the doings for a picnic lunch, which we then take up the Croton Gorge to the New Croton Dam. We were unable to get near the place on Memorial Day weekend but today is no problem. We join several Latino family groups who are cooking and playing games in the park. This must be the worker's day off.

    We return to the ship via the supermarket with the doings for Ferg to make an authentic Caesar salad. No American diner or restaurant I've been in has been able to make a REAL Caesar salad--even though they invariably include them on their voluminous menus--so I'll do it myself (although I'll be swapping anchovies for salmon).

    Someone came by and invited us along to the E dock at 1800 for docktails. The invitation may have come a little late for us to be able to join them.

    It seems the afternoon temperature has reached 27 deg.    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    21

    Day 49: STIIIILLLL at Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA

    June 1. Sunny this morning, with some scattered high cloud. 11 deg at 0700, going to 19 today, according to Graeme. The MetroNorth/Amtrak main line goes past the marinara and Preston and I have amused ourselves for a while clocking the historical liveries that have been applied to some of the big GE Genesis P-type locomotives, paying homage to the railroads that originally ran through this area. However, that's getting a bit old now, so I need to think of something else to do.

    Oh, I know... there's a steam railroad museum over at Essex, CT. Well, it's not a museum as much as an operating steam railway with locomotives, passenger cars, and all sorts of rollingstock being renovated, refurbished or just plain serviced and maintained for running. We made the 2-hr drive over there, stopping in Westhaven for an early lunch at an authentic little diner we found off the Interstate.

    The others took themselves off into this quaint and historic little town, born in 1664, while I 'ran into' some workers and was given a cook's tour of the locomotive and passenger car facility, taken to the office to sign a waiver, and shovelled (courtesy of an earnest and forthright young Asst CMO) onto the footplate of the steam locomotive running the 10-mile round trip with 4 passenger cars. The locomotive engineer who hosted me onboard also worked back in Baltimore at the B&O Museum I'd been to with Preston, and informed me he was the last engineman to run the 1832 'grasshopper' locomotive, "Atlantic" (see previous Footprint 32A) prior to it being sent permanently for display in the B&O Museum roundhouse. so, much discussion ensued with he and his fireman.

    We were pleased to have encountered and experienced historic Essex, CT, but ours wasn't the only successful day. Preston had trained up the Hudson valley to watch a grandson play in a US Tennis Association tournament... which the young man won outright!    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop

    Day 48: STILL at Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    May 31 . Awoke to heavy rain today; our first for this expedition. But we were expecting it... '100% chance of rain' said the forecast.

    Latest from the authorities;
    "Notice to Mariners
    New York State Canal System Update
    Map Link Correction
    May 30, 2025

    The New York State Canal Corporation today announced the following update:

    Critical repairs to the Rocky Rift movable dam west of Lock E-16 in St. Johnsville are expected to be completed this weekend. Once the dam is operational again, the Canal Corporation will raise the navigation pool between Lock E-16 and Lock E-17 in Little Falls. The pool will be filled slowly to monitor how the earthen embankment reacts as it holds water at the normal navigation level.

    If additional work is required on the embankment, the temporary closure of this section may be extended beyond the original estimate of June 11 - 18. More information will be shared after the water level is raised and monitored.

    Additional work on the Rocky Rift movable dam will occur later this season. Additional information about those repairs will be shared in advance of the work."

    When Preston returns to the boat later today, we'll have a meeting of the committee. Meanwhile, to reborrow a Buffetism, it's 5 o'cock somewhere...

    We decide to go out for Greek, so it's off to the Piato Greek Kitchen. we order dolmades (of course), saganaki, lemon potatoes, moussaka, loukaniko, and (for Graeme) the ,pièce de résistance... New Zealand lamb chops (marinated and cooked a wee bit rare).    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop

    Day 47: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    It's May 30. Today, we'll make a trip across to White Plains to go shopping for luggage for Jan. The baggage handlers at Houston managed to mishandle her suiitcase, and the zip burst open. Lucky for her she'd fitted a strap around it before travelling.

    So we drove across to Bedford Hills where Jan found her luggage and some clothing articles. We then went to a local diner (the real deal!) for lunch, then drove down to White Plains in the hope that I might get my suitcase handle repaired. T'was in vain. I may have to do it myself if I can find a suitable jewellers screwdriver. We'll be here at COH into next week.

    We returned to the marina... some of us joyful and some less so. But it's 5 o'clock somewhere!    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop

    Day 46: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    It's May 29, and we remain moored here. I'll finish this Footprint later, but I'll start with a couple of Lorraine's photos and one of mine.

    It was a bit of a wonky day. Low cloud, damp, not really cold. We trained down to NYC with a vague intention of taking the train out through Long Island to Montauk at the end of the line... probably for lunch. Once at Grand Central Terminal we were confronted with the brutal reality that the Long Island Railroad was NOT MetroNorth or the MTA. Our MTA 'OMNY' (OMNY, get it?) card did not work on the LIRR and anyway, the trains out there only ran in the morning and evening commuter periods. So that idea was out and we retired to Luke's Lobster & Seafood for brunch. Jan and I had 'the best lobster rolls in New York'. I thought those from the Oyster Place at the Chelsea Market were better.

    Then we caught the subway shuttle up to Times Square to see what shows we could get matinee tickets to, and found somethng called "Singfeld - An Unauthorised Musical Parody About Nothing" to be the only realistic opportunity. So we got 4 seats together and walked up Broadway to a wee hole-in-the-wall place called The Theatre Centre. I've long been a fan of Jerry Seinfeld and his TV series, so I was able to comprehend the excellent casting and the various mannerisms, foibles, and idiosyncrasies of the cast members and their antics; the others not so much. But they did appreciate the performance and creativity of the minimal sets.

    Following the show, we wandered back to Times Square--wasting some time looking in various tourist outlets for the luggage Jan wanted before it became obvious that we were looking in the wrong outlets--before catching the subway back to Grand Central Terminal--a 3-minute ride--where we had dinner at the Oyster Bar (see Lorraine's photo) and made our way to Track 37 for a non-stopper (that stopped at Harlem!) back to Croton/Harmon.

    A not too exciting sort of a day. But I had some tequila on the boat... and it's 5 o'clock somewhere.    Weiterlesen

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  • ReisenderAmericas Great Loop
    1

    Day 45: At Croton-On-Hudson

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It's May 28. Preston headed off very early this morning--Graeme drove him to the station--to catch a train to Harlem from where he can get across to La Guardia and catch a direct flight to Traverse City. We expect him back on Saturday. One critical portion of the Erie Canal is still not open (due to remedial works being conducted, see image below), so we remain here at Croton for the time being.

    It started raining around midday--a gentle, silent rain-- and continued into the evening. We had a lazy day. I caught up with some tasks on my laptop and the others went for an exploratory drive around town. In the evening, we attended an 'open-mic' night that Lorraine had found was happening at one of the village's cafes. Interesting. Lorraine tried to get me up and recite a Banjo Patterson poem (I had previously refused to sing a song!), but no-one had sourced the words for me, so I was forced to decline.

    We might go for a train ride tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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