• AICW Great Loop Segment
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  • AICW Great Loop Segment

DE Bay, NJ, Hudson, Erie Canal & Triangle Loop #2

We've been cruising segments of America's Great Loop since 2016...7,050 miles and 234 locks to date. We plan cross our wake on the Erie Canal and continue on to complete a second Triangle Loop into Canada. Läs mer
  • För närvarande i
    🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada

    To Ottawa Flight of Eight Locks downtown wall

    I går, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    We had our choice of wall spots with power as most of the Looper fleet is ahead of us. We have to consider the Construction Holiday of 2 weeks from July 15, which is Quebec law but Ontario follows suit. That puts a lot more boats on the water and at the locks.

    Now we can see the Ottawa skyscrapers in the distance and its all displacement speeds. Since we thoroughly explored the city in 2019, we'll only take two nights here but add a second night at Montebello. It can take three hours or more to get through the flight of Eight.

    Nebolink log:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    Its still hot enough in the afternoon to appreciate AC until the sun starts to get low.
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  • To Black Rapids, Lock 17d

    10 juli, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    The lock just re-opened after being closed for high water. It has room for three boats on a low cement wall with 30A power. We get up before 5 AM and are underway as soon after first light as possible if there isn't any fog. We arrived before noon and all three were vacant. When we returned after lunch and our walk, the other two were occupied before 2 PM.

    NEBOLINK Log:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    We're getting closer to the Ottawa suburbs. It was a rainy day so we took an Uber (widely available) to one of the larger supermarket chains for provisions. We visited another huge supermarket nearby which turned out to cater to the large Asian population. It was interesting. They had a huge tub of live blue crabs, lobsters, and gallon jugs of Kikkoman Soy Sauce. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant which was very good. Every single one of the ten or so employees was Indian, but they sure made some good Italian dishes.
    There are now more houses, as well as mansions, along the canal, mostly on high bluffs. No wake zones are more frequent as are kayakers and small boats. This is another very pleasant stop, but not as 'countryside' with a large parking lot for visitors.
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  • To Hurst Marina, about Mile 22

    8 juli, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    When marina service techs in the midst of high season in a resort area tell you a part is expected in 3-5 days, they mean Parts Dept Days, which is 6-10 days, not counting weekends, holidays, days off, days on their own boat, or days when they intend to do something more fun than Parts work. On the other hand, Hurst is very well protected from canal wakes with a basin, they have a pool for water walking exercise AND a hot tub. AND a courtesy car if it's not in the shop this week, which it was (with 'no tires, no hood, and you wouldn't want to drive it that way.' Although some folks probably have. I told her that ONE TIME we borrowed a marina Courtesy Car that DID NOT have the Check Engine warning light on. But then I saw it was on but covered by black electrical tape. Sometimes Marina Management is SO subtle! Sing out if YOU have ever borrowed a marina Courtesy Car that did not have an illuminated Check Engine warning!

    We paid for two days assuming it would turn into eight. But at least there's a small pool.

    NEBOLINK log here:
    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…
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  • To Burritts Rapids, Lock 17

    7 juli, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Its amazing how those British army engineers built such complex stone infrastructure and even how they figured out where to build a dam and locks that would have the desired effects. Burritts Island is several miles long in the middle of rapids in the Rideau. They used the spine of the island to raise the canal 15 feet above the other side with dams and locks. The trail along it was our two hour walk. The Burrits Rapids swing bridge, like many others, has 10 feet vertical clearance, so without the radar dome we can clear it. We boated under it and walked over it.
    This lock also had power with one remaining 'iffy' pedestal so they didn't charge us for 'hydro', though it worked perfectly and it was nice to have the air conditioning on a hot afternoon. Near sundown, temps drop fast into the mid 60's. Washroom 'basin baths' work just fine in this climate, but not back home July after a six mile walk. The engines still don't have a hint of vibration under 1500 RPM/7 MPH.

    NEBOLINK log is here, and James will be happy that we didn't the 7 MPH Molly Brown Max just in case my mechanic calls him to verify my 'story'. Thanks, James!

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    Three brave ladies are canoe tent camping along the canal lock parks for weeks in a tradition they've had for decades. Eileen instantly took to them when she saw that in the EXTREMELY LIMITED space in their canoes with the tents and provisions for weeks on the water, they each carried a 4L box of Jackson-Twiggs Pino Grigio. Making cruising fun is all about setting your priorities!
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  • Kilmarnock, lock 24

    6 juli, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    To snag a free lock wall mooring (with a Canada Parks pass) you pretty much need to be there by noon or 2pm to have a good chance, plus contact the lock by phone to see if there are any. This remote lock was full on the downside with two open on the up side; no utilities. We made good use of the inverter to run anything but the rooftop AC. It gets cool at sundown and upper 50's in at sunrise. Both the wooden lock and wood one-way swing bridge are hand cranked. We did have a half mile area to ensure the new props got us on plane...no problem. Our calculations now involve getting to the Ottawa Wall before noon on a weekend..Läs mer

  • Hurst Marina, M22, day 2

    5 juli, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    As Gomer would say, 'Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!' Blake in the Parts Dept called yesterday at 3PM to say Both props are in and ready for install while wTo oure were in the pool. Matt (in charge) decided that if a Hurst tech used the PWC floating dock to drive the boat 50 yards over there and change out the props (rather than us) it would meet his insurance requirements and avoid the $350 travel lift fee! So that's what we did. To our surprise, Matt arranged for his most experienced (40 years) tech to do the dirty work.

    The props were on and ready to go by 0900. We decided to stay since tomorrow is forecast to have T storms and rain all day, which makes locking and docking pretty miserable on a trailer boat. Good decision.
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  • Smith's Falls day 2

    4 juli, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    After some false starts, finally reached a helpful Parts Dept tech at Hurst Marina, which is 31 miles away and two weeks out for service. He spent several hours overall making phone calls to find suitable F150 props in stock. They have a Yamaha LH 17P in stock, to get the RH in would take three to five days. We paid for them and made plans to move North. There are no SOLAS or other brands available. They don't have have any interest in changing props in these waters any more than I do, but the rig is back in Delaware, and They don't have nearly as much arthritis as I do. So it looks like a short haul on the Travel Lift ($350) is in her future if we don't want to abort (and we don't).

    The Mishap Review Board is aboard and met during breakfast. The strike did not stall either engine. John was driving (22MPH, our slowest steady planing speed in Heavy Cruise Mode). I put down the anchor, cut the engines and raised the outdrives while Eileen assessed the props. I marked the spot on the display, but by then had drifted some. The Reds and Greens are very twisty and as little as two boat lengths apart. The Garmin track clearly shows in 6-8 feet of water with absolutely no charted obstructions, though I was on the wrong side of a green because we'd just met a large boat. Back east of N561 'Hunter Rock" at 2 ft is charted on the latest SD card, although my path is over the 6-8 ft line. Most Canadian Escarpment rocks are perfectly content to remain in position for millions of years, but perhaps I hit a frisky one. To me the prop damage (esp the port skeg ditzel) suggests a rocky rather than a woody encounter. At that same point, Aqua Map has Hunter Rock in a different position and even an Alternate Recommended Route line going AROUND it in 1.9ft of water. Wouldn't it be better to go OVER Hunter? PS Canadian Hydrography does all the charting data and other companies purchase it.

    I never pass up a train museum, so we had to go. We were first in line so we grabbed the Conductors seats up top in the caboose. A nearby unused RR bascule bridge was designed so carefully that even with two sets of tracks and all that steel it could be raised or lowered manually with only one hand on the lowering wheel.
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  • Prop strikes enroute to Lock 31, Smith's Falls

    3 juli, Förenta staterna ⋅ 🌬 90 °F

    We hit something...most likely a submerged log since it was long enough to take out a quarter-size chunk of the starboard prop and gouged up the port and a chunk out of the skeg. We have four sets of props in the garage but decided not to take spares. I DID have the techs change out our regular SS props to aluminum for Canada condtions (esp the pink granite Canadian Escarpment). So glad I did! After that we could run up to7 MPH without vibrations and limped in to the city marina to contact nearby marinas for service. This was late on a Friday afternoon in July so we didn't get far. We rewarded ourselves with dinner at The Opticom resort...perfect fish & chips and Cesar salad. We snagged a spot on the wall with power under a shade tree (so Star link doesn't work). We started researching options. We'll have to buy from a Canadian company due to customs delays.Läs mer

  • KINGSTON ON TO UPPER BREWERS LOCK ON THE RIDEAU

    3 juli, Förenta staterna ⋅ 🌬 90 °F

    So nice to be back in a safe, sound and weather protected canal! We had a nice 20 MPH cruise up to Upper Brewers Lock (which has 30A power, RR and showers, our Most Important Options).
    A thunderstorm knocked out all power around sunset. We've learned to simply plug the poat power plug into the Pecron Li battery/inverter for full AC panel control (of course, with load management considerations like no air conditioning on battery power). tis worked great with plenty of fan cooling and dinner/breakfast 120v power.
    We are surprised that this wall has ladders for active swimmers near boats plugged in to shore power, a shock hazard for swimmers.
    Also we are surprised that Canada Parks does NOT require boaters oacking through to wear PFD's. Folks even older than us are balancing on the bow with no PFD while holding a line and pushing off the lock wall with their hand. Don't get out of the safety of your C-Dory cockpit or helm if you don't have to!
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  • Kingston, Ontario into the Rideau Canal

    1 juli, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    A predicted heat wave is affecting the area earlier than predicted...it's 102.4 under the bikini with bright sun on it. Today is Canada Day (equivalent to our July) so we selected a very quiet country lock wall that offers 30A power, RR & shower (no climate control) after seven locks and 20 miles. The Seasonal pass for locking and 'mooring' (mainly at Parks Canada lock walls or docks) is a great deal if you use them just 12 times on the entire cruise, even without the extra discounts natives get. We chose Upper Brewers lock wall and it was great! Solid 30A power, hot showers and clean RR. As usual, we hit it at noon with only two boats there, but by 6PM there were six...only half full on a holiday.

    We were serenaded by the crews of eight local boats with "oh Canada". Another highlight was defrosting the fridge (there are no auto-defrosting marine fridges). This is a bit of a break so we have some relaxation and catching-up time after worrying about weather windows in a trailer boat.
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  • Crossing Lake Ontario at 25 MPH to Kingston, ON

    1 juli, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We made 22-25 MPH and pulled into Kingston, ON Confederation Basin marina by noon. We felt lucky because there is no guarantee a trailer boat can cross 52 miles on that large lake on any given day. All three of our weather sources forecast 0.7 to 1 foot seas with SE to S winds under 15 MPH, and that's what we got. We had some cat sneezes on the windshield when I had to hit a wave at 90 degrees rather than offset, but overall a great ride.
    We checked into Canada Customs by phone and got a Report Number to display. That was a nothing-burger compared to some Canada entrances we've experienced.

    By 4 PM there were Tornado and severe storm warnings as a vicious front charged through. It was pretty scary. A group of four slow boats that left two hours before us had to bail out at several islands and anchor.
    Yet another advantage of a trailer boat is a short air draft. The old LaSalle Causeway Bridge has very limited open hours, but we can pass a 14 ft section easy. We explored Kingston on our last segment here in 2019 and took three days to do the tourist thing. We like the 'Hop on Hop off' double decker buses for big cities. We're in a heat wave advisory but the new AC works great.
    This is the start of the section we've been most looking forward too. The water is clear, days are warm and nights cool with low humidity. We walked around town and the waterfront trail and to a supermarket for provisions. We generally add groceries and laundry about every 4 days when available. All our clothes except outerwear each fit in a clear bag smaller than a brown paper bag.
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  • Ilion to Rome, NY

    29 juni, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    An easy segment with a few spots under 5 feet. The Rome free city dock has no power, the shower and RR is half a mile away. This is the first time using our new suitcase all-in-one Pecron 4,200w lithium-battery/inverter to power the boat instead of a shore power pedestal on a dock. It also has multiple MPPT inlets for solar panels, an automatic transfer switch, auto detection of any charging etc etc. We simply plugged the pedestal end of our boat power cable back into the boat through a window and into the Pecron with a 30A RV adapter. It's about the same size as a Honda 2300, but with no gas or carbon monoxide risks, plus perfectly silent. Importantly to us, it requires no modifications to the boat electrical system and can be easily removed for more home backup power in the off season. There is no such thing (yet) of a true drop-in lithium replacement battery with an inverter, BMS, etc but this is as close as it gets at this point. Now we can transfer the biggest 12v energy hog (the fridge) to either the Pecron overnight or the totally independent boat Group 31 x 3 batteries plus solar or engine alternator recharge. Dinner, fans, fridge, breakfast + all the usual 120v loads brought the Pecron down to 40% of capacity. It recharged in 90 minutes to 100%. If you don't want to plug in the whole AC panel there are four 20A outlets you can use. You can also recharge it underway by 12v lighter plug (limited to a slow 150w rather than 1800w) but at a max 6MPH on these canals one thing we got plenty of is time.

    https://www.pecron.com/products/pecron-e3800lfp…

    Lock 17 is unique in using a giant guillotine instead of the gates originally designe"d by Archimedes. Mr Locke is wrongly given credit for that, but on the other hand imagine what a pain it would be on the VHF;
    "Archimedes 45, Archimedes 45, this is Cat O' Mine, downbound."
    "Archimedes 45. Just wait for the damn green light."
    "Archimedes 45, Cat O' Mine copies wait for the damn green light."

    This is also one of the few that REQUIRES a portside tie, so it only holds half as many boats unless some agree to raft. As (always) the smallest boat we requested rafting and Ella B agreed to host us. To make things more interesting, there is a huge log in the chamber blocking most of it. It's been in there for three days, and the lockmaster says he's thinking of charging it rent. The inrushing current sent it banging into multiple boats but no damage.
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  • St Johnsville to Ilion, NY

    28 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    As usual, we leave early and like to be settled in at the next marina by lunch or at least early afternoon. At $1/foot per night the best stops can fill up by 3 PM and leave little choice regarding what's ahead. By 5 PM there were no slips left. This stop is very close an Aldi for easy re-provisioning. Most all NY and NJ grocery stores charge for bags so bring your own and a compact backpack or two.Läs mer

  • Brewerton Day 1 and 2

    27 juni, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We moved across the canal to Winter Haven Shipyard to attend the AGLCA Member Appreciation day and free pizza. AGLCA executive Director Kim Russo remembered getting a tour of Cat O’ Mine back in 2023 at a Panama City FL fuel stop. The pizza and company was great. We were the smallest Looper boat there by 15 feet. We did some trip planning and look forward to getting back to the Rideau Canal at Kinston, ON but first we have to cross Lake Ontario, which can be rough. I’m having problems uploading pics so plan to break out the Starlink. It’s been hot during the day cools off after sunset.Läs mer

  • Amsterdam to St Johnsville, NY

    24 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    The blue Windy app predicts gusts to 30 MPH in the afternoon on the nose, which generates chop that can hide logs etc. We were underway at 0730 for 30 miles and docked at the St Johnsville city marina by 11 AM just as the wind was picking up. 31 miles and a pleasant cruise averaging 23 MPH. The Mohawk river is wide here and it's easy to avoid other traffic. Very little commercial traffic. There is a Tom Cat adequate boat ramp that could make this a candidate for a segment loop. We walked into town, which is suffering the common post industrial effects of many others after an anchor large carpet company shut down. We got gas because all these small marinas only have one pump, so if it's offline you need to make it to the next one. The $1 per foot transient rate is average for the area and an embayment provides partial wake protection. We have a $120 freshwater Tow Boat US in addition to SeaTow on the inland rivers. We've been air conditioning during the heat of the day, but at night it drops into the 50's and we often run the portable heater for a while before breakfasts.Läs mer

  • Waterford to Amsterdam, NY

    23 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    36 miles of scenic cruising and again avoiding the 25-30 MPH winds associated with maximal heating on some days. Cool mornings and warm days with low humidity w are just what we like compared to home. Both Amsterdam and Scotia city marinas have some issues with water skiing contests (speed limit is 45 MPH) with boaters complaining of them getting too close and causing wake damage. The new manager with a lease on the city marina cafe(Dan) is a hoot! It's closed on our arrival day of Tues, but he came over with his (presumed) wife who went over the specials for the night with the five boats tied up. It was delicious, Very generous portions for great prices and $2/ft including power with 4+ AC bath house and laundry. Highly recommended. Historically, the trains followed the river valleys after the historic barges, so there is always train and road bridge noise but it never bothers us with fans on.
    It's amazing how much riverfront is virgin forest...no condos or development on the riverbanks for 90% of the journey...so surprising for what we assumed to be NY!

    NEBOLINK log is here:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…
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  • Shady Harbor to GOLD at Waterford, NY

    21 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Shady Harbor to GOLD at Waterford, NY

    In August 2019 we ended a segment of the triangle Loop into Canada at Waterford New York, which marks the completion of our Loop. We traded the white (In Progress) AGLCA burgee for the gold (completed). It’s a nice stop with a cute town, long walking trail and supermarket nearby. We had some celebratory food and wine and enjoyed the farmers Market with live music.
    We chose to travel on a Sunday to avoid the worst of the commercial water traffic around Albany New York. It was smooth sailing up the Hudson River and a very pleasant cruise. One of our favorite parts of the loop is the triangle Loop into canada. we can reach that by cruising the East area Canal to the cutoff at Oswego into Lake Ontario and then Kingston at the beginning of the Rideau canal to Ottawa, Montreal, then down the Richelieu canal to Lake Champlain. NEBOLINK details:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    On our walk we discovered an old small cometary and a trail down to the Hudson River. The town wall is right next to Lock 2, which will be our 235th...and a lot more to come. A LOT of rain/thunderstorms is forecast for tomorrow so we elect to stay another night. Heavy rains can dump a lot of debris in the canals, sometimes close locks to navigation, Iand lockmasters don't lock with lightning in the area. I bought a T shirt that has a picture of the gates and caption "I Got Locked Up At Waterford."
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  • Hyde Park NY to Donovan's Shady Harbor Marina

    21 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Donovan's caters to Loopers and they return the favor with good reviews. Although it's right into the Hudson River, both locals and towboats mostly go to no-wake speeds and there's no traffic at night except rare tows. They even have a small pool. Blue Windy again predicted bad wind gusts in the usual late afternoon/maximal heating timeframe of noon to 4PM so we headed out at 0700 in good conditions. NEBOLINK data here:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    Seems I got full data back, so that is no longer in the What Broke list, Hooray!

    We set out on a narrow country road with 18 inch shoulders towards a grocery store, but turned back due to Google craziness. We found a trail to the river and hiked that. There is very good wifi, but it's limited to a grand total of 3 hours per day, even it it's turned off, so we resorted to Starlink, which always works great.
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  • Mills-Norrie SP marina Day 2

    19 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    It took a lot of research to find this gem, which I've never read about on about on the looper Forum. Only $24/night including 30A power, superb protection, new all-tile and SS climate controlled bathhouse with twice the rooms Half Moon Bay has. Also a ramp adequate for a TC255.
    Historically, barges then railroads then roads followed the river valleys, so all Hudson River marinas have some train noise, but here it's minimal. We're glad to pay for an Uber to Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie and have protection from wind, wakes and current. The 5-6 foot tides rush all the 150 miles to Troy before the Troy Dam and Lock stop them.

    The only bad thing I'm going to say about Juneteenth is that it spoiled a long-anticipated 90 minute guided tour of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) due to the Friday Federal Holiday (I forgot). Our Consolation Prize was lunch at Lola's Cafe, a local CIA chef grad. My BLAT, (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato) sandwich with peanut noodles was great!
    Then we Ubered over to the FDR 1,000 acre estate, home, visitor center and Presidential Library and Museum. It turns out that FDR founded the very first one of those! It did NOT look like a billion-dollar pregnant Klingon Gulag, like some do...see pic.

    We walked around Hyde Park and across the Hudson River Pedestrian Bridge (an old abandoned RR bridge), the longest in the world at 1.28 miles. The wind blew as predicted with gusts to 40 MPH and flags flying straight out. There's lots of history in the area, which we always enjoy.
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  • Half Moon Bay to Mills-Norrie State Park Marina

    18 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    We knew wind and wave conditions would be knocking on the door of our NO-GO criteria, but the wind forecast (the Blue Windy app) was south gusts under 25 MPH until 1100, then picking up to 30 MPH with river waves under 2 feet. We chose this marina because it was the only one in this neck of the woods with some protection from South winds and waves. Although we were tied up before 1100 it was a rough ride overtaking 2.4 ft breaking slop. Within a few hours the forecast changed to Gusts of 40 MPH (35 sustained is a Gale Warning) as pictured. No pictures en route because it was just too rough and I needed Eileen's help in watching for floating logs hidden in the chop. We luckily avoided about six.
    Eileen thinks the SP Turtle Crossing sign is cute. I imagine a mom and 12 babies could hold you up there for hours.
    We have an (online only) reservation here for tomorrow night to allow us a full day to explore the FDR gardens, a famed cafe and walk the Pedestrian Bridge over the Hudson back at Poughkeepsie.

    https://share.nebo.global/voyage/31c41b94-6b29-…

    What Broke: NEBOLINK Gold unit is no longer reporting full voyage details as an Email to me. Likely an Operator Error button push somewhere.
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  • Halfmoon Bay on the Hudson, Day 2

    17 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We enjoyed the more mellow weather, low humidity and 50 degree cabin temp this morning so we turned on the heater in the middle of June with humidities as low as 27%. We had to abandon two 25 ft premium dock lines when Eileen couldn't reach them on a falling 6.5 ft tide...no big deal when a fill up of 150g of E0 marina gas runs $800.
    Many of the boats waiting for the weather to improve arrived toda for 26 total.
    We took an Uber to Croton dam park and had a nice walk. The dam is the send largest hand hewn stone structure after the Pyramids.
    Prior to arrival, the dockmaster sends a PDF email that is the best marina introduction we've ever seen. There was an enjoyable docktails meeting on the deck overlooking the Hudson River...very scenic. The humidity is very low; we've using the heater every morning and the AC every aftertoon.
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  • Sandy Hook NJ to Halfmoon Bay NY, Hudson R SM 36

    14 juni, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    The forecasted front was slower coming through, so we got a lot of salt geysers slammed on the windshield and a stressful but safe cruise up a snotty Hudson River with 1 to 2 foot white capping chop on the beam. The shores are less developed than we had imagined and very scenic among the surrounding hills. We've previously spent two weeks exploring NYC so didn't need that.Läs mer