Captain's Log: Star Date July 31, 2009

Instead of showing "the ponytail" I have decided to share one my favorite pictures from the month of July.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Finally it stopped raining and a beautiful day appeared full of sunshine and cool weather as we headed out early from Scarytown onward to Kingston, NY. I can not state strongly enough how absolutely beautiful upstate New York State becomes the more north we travel. We were totally blown away by the immediate change in terrain when we passed the Harlem River dividing Manhattan from mainland New York, but the Hudson Valley that we travel through as we make our way north just becomes truly breathtaking. I can only imagine how gorgeous this way must be in the fall months when the leaves change colors. It is my hope that when we come back with the pickem-up truck this fall that we may be able to drive through this area as the leaves are changing.

Hudson Valley surrounding West Point Military Academy is stunning almost beyond words. A dear friend of mine from high school and her husband are on staff at West Point as teachers/coaches and it is our sincere hope that we will be able to connect with them in the near future. West Point sits high atop the cliffs of the Hudson. The river forms whirlpools as it winds around and through the sharp cuts in the mountainous terrain. Access via the river is no longer allowed for transient boaters at West Point so we were unable to stop to tour the campus.



This the castle in the river that we have heard so much about when researching our trip on the Hudson. Pollepel Island was discovered during the first navigation of the Hudson River by early Dutch settlers. There are accounts Native Americans believed the island was haunted and European settlers also told tales about it, including the legend of Polly Pell, invented to explain the island's name after its Dutch origins had been forgotten. It is also said that sailors making their first journey up the Hudson River were left stationed at the island until the ship returned as a rite of passage.


Francis Bannerman VI purchased the island in 1900 not for a residence but for use as a storage facility for his growing surplus business. At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War Bannerman bought 90% of the US army surplus, including a large quantity of ammunition. Because his storeroom in New York City was not large enough, and to provide a safe location to store munitions, in the spring of 1901 he began to build an arsenal on Pollepel Island. Bannerman designed the buildings himself and let the constructors interpret the designs on their own. On the side of the castle facing the eastern bank of the Hudson, Bannerman cast the legend "Bannerman's Island Arsenal" into the wall to serve as advertisement of his surplus business. Today, the castle is property of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is mostly in ruins. The island has been the victim of vandalism, trespass, neglect and decay. While the exterior walls still stand, all the internal floors and non-structural walls have since burned down.

Also at approximately this spot on the Hudson River American Revolunitary forces attempted to attempted to prevent the British from passing upriver by emplacing 106 upright logs tipped with iron points between the island and Plum Point across the river.
Caissons from several chevaux de frise still rest at the river bottom. However, these obstructions did not stop a British flotilla from burning Kingston in 1777.


Saying hello and goodbye as boaters travel the Hudson is the most charming lighthouse that sits and indicates the entrance to Rondout Creek and the city of Kingston.

Speaking of Kingston, fortunately the city was rebuilt following that nastiness during the Revolution. In sharp contrast to Tarrytown, Kingston is one of the most welcoming communities that we have visited thus far. From the minute we hailed the harbor master to our departure two days later we were greeted, welcomed, chatted with by literally everyone strolling the waterside or along the streets. People often comment on the Lolligag as many have never seen a Nordic Tug before. We had an unusual number of requests for tours of our boat while in Kingston. We are always proud to show off the Lolligag and to do our small part to promote Nordics. For a small town, Kingston had several good restaurants of which Ship to Shore was our very favorite. We also found a very good wine shop which carried several New York local wines. Of course, we sampled eats and drinks at each.


An interesting structure in Kingston was the Healing Circle Arbor which is dedicated to cancer victims and survivors. As a place for contemplation and reflection, the arbor is also said to provide positive energy and good karma for all who seek peace and reflection within the dome. As a cancer survivor, I found the Healing Circle structure to be comforting and encouraging.



Here is the defining difference between Tarrytown and Kingston: While Tarrytown had clean restrooms/showers, Kingston’s facilities were being painted and were therefore unusable during our stay. However the friendly, courteous and outgoing way we were treated more than made up for the lack of facilities. After all, we almost always use the facilities aboard the Lolligag anyway making the people we meet the most important factor in determining the quality of a visit.

Hours on the water: 8
Nautical miles traveled: 57
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Number of locks: 0
Next Destination: Waterford, NY
What we are listening to: Finished Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Lesson for the day: Kingston is a wonderful place to visit
Obligatory knitting report: Purple Lace Shawl for BFF Linda

Two Days in Scarytown

After visiting and spending time in Tarrytown, we have decided that the area should be renamed Scarytown. Not every port, town or marina can be spectacular or exciting and we found this to be the case in Tarrytown. The marina restrooms were clean and the diesel fuel was reasonably priced and that pretty much sums up the high points of our Tarrytown adventure. Of all the marinas/docks that we have visited in our ten plus years of boating with the big boys, I don’t think we have ever encountered a marina staff less willing to assist us or less knowledgeable of the surrounding locale. If it had not been foggy and raining heavily on the morning following our arrival, I think we would have moved on, but since we could not see across the river due to the fog, we decided to stay put another day before heading to Kingston.



Two completely different “residents” make Tarrytown scary…one is fictional and one is much more subtle. Tarrytown's positive claim to fame is American author Washington Irving. It was in Tarrytown that Washington Irving became familiar with the nearby town of Sleepy Hollow with its quaint Dutch customs and local ghost stories. From these stories, Irving created Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. In 1835, Irving purchased a "neglected cottage" and its surrounding riverfront property in Tarrytown, New York. The home named Sunnyside is visible from the Hudson River just before approaching Tarrytown.

The second factor that makes Tarrytown scary is infamous Sing Sing Prison that is located several miles from the center of town. I always thought that Sing Sing was a fictional prison but it is live and well and living in upstate New York. In fact, the prison is not really in the town of Tarrytown at all but in the municipality of Ossining, NY. Originally the prison was named after the town of Sing Sing but then the town opted to change its name so that the residents would not be thought to be imprisoned. The phrase “to be sent upriver” was derived from prisoners being convicted in New York City and being sent up the Hudson River to Sing Sing Prison which is located immediately on the shores of the Hudson.

However and most importantly, we met the crew Of Mr G from St Petersburg, Florida who docked next to us. It is our hope to see Lenore and David often in the future as our paths cross while traveling on the Hudson and the Erie Canal.

New York City to Tarrytown, NY

Since discovering the Chart House Restaurants while staying in Annapolis, I have made it a personal quest to sample the cuisine at each location. As it just so happened, the NYC metropolitan Chart House location was immediately adjacent to the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club in Weehawken, NJ. I think Captain Mark knew this in advance and just smiled proudly when I squealed with delight to see how close our slip was the restaurant. The evening before we left, we had a most wonderful meal to conclude and celebrate our time spent in New York City. While the menus are similar, they are slightly different at each location. Instead of cream of crab soup as in Annapolis and Philadelphia, I had the lobster bisque which is the specialty of this location – I was not disappointed in the least.

We were up early as we readied for our departure.



This is the view of Manhattan directly across the Hudson as we pulled out of the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club marina. We turned south on the Hudson for one last quick tour of New York City before we turned around to head north on the Hudson to upstate New York.



The New Jersey side of the Hudson almost directly across from where the Twin Towers were located.



The Robin's Reef Light aka the Staten Island Light



The Statue of Liberty



Ellis Island



A private marina in Manhattan about 25th Street



A private home in New Jersey across from 57th Street in Manhattan



The approximate area on the Hudson where the US Airway plane safely landed earlier this year.



Grant's Tomb





This is the George Washington Bridge which is significant for several reasons:

1. It marks our official departure from New York Harbor and New York City

2. Geographically, immediately beyond this bridge the terrain of New York takes on a completely different look of hills and forests

3. Our boat insurance premium drops substantially as we are not longer considered to be in "hazardous ocean waters" but back within the waters of the Great Lakes and their tributaries








Hours on the water: 4.5
Nautical miles traveled: 35.7
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Next Destination: Kingston, NY
What we are listening to: Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Lesson for the day: I left my heart in NYC
Obligatory knitting report: Purple Lace Shawl for BFF Linda

The Lady, The Island, The Land and The Teardrop

As we came through New York Harbor and up the Hudson River I put my new mini video camera to use. Unfortunately, I have not yet learned now to edit videos, so please bear with my unedited stuff until I master the video editing software…

The Lady and The Island


The Land


The Teardrop

There has been a resounding amount of urban legend surrounding the Russian tribute to September 11th which made the Lolligag crew very curious to discover the facts about this iconic monument. We made it a special point to learn as much as we could about the statue, its construction, controversy and beauty. We found the monument to be exceedingly moving and wonderful tribute to all who have lost their lives to terrorism, not just those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. This is especially poignant when one considers the infighting and territorial concerns that have prevented a memorial from being constructed in Manhattan. Standing in Bayonne, New Jersey and pointing across the water toward Manhattan, Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli stated "from here if you looked at the trade towers, they looked as if they were blended as one." He further added that the tear symbolizes "sadness over grief that will become happiness in the future when terrorism is defeated." The massive 100-foot tall memorial evokes the World Trade Center that once sat across the Hudson River. Jagged lines divide the monument into two tower-like pieces, and a 40-foot steel teardrop gently hangs in the open center, like a bell. Like the 72-year-old artist, known for grand statues that some critics have called more "kitsch" than art, the sculpture isn't without controversy. The first plan had the sculpture located on the Jersey City waterfront, but city officials there rejected it. Jersey City Leaders said they didn't realize the monument's height and thought it would impede views of the Hudson and New York City skyline. City officials in Bayonne welcomed the sculpture. They offered a city-owned parcel of land that was once the site of a military base. The sculpture, To The Struggle Against World Terrorism, is the centerpiece of a two-acre park in Bayonne, whose officials are happy and proud to display the public art. The city is not paying for the memorial, but agreed to pay $1.25 million to create the first phase of the waterfront park. The monument also has been described as a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia and the artist to the people of the United States, in the spirit of France's gift of the Statue of Liberty.



To further this point, when standing behind and looking through the Teardrop, the Statue of Liberty and the site of the Twin Towers are within the direct straight line of vision. The memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2006 in a ceremony attended by former President Bill Clinton. Also in attendance were Michael Chertoff, the Bush Administration Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and family members of World Trade Center victims. Contrary to the claim of the internet rumor/urban legend, the announcement of the intended memorial as well as its dedication did receive extensive worldwide news coverage as did the visit to New Jersey on September 15, 2005, by Russian president Vladimir Putin for the groundbreaking ceremony.

New York City from the Water

Look what we found next our boat as we were leaving our slip at Great Kills Yacht Club…and we thought we had left these guys in the Chesapeake!



We are not going all that far as a crow flies but by traveling via the water it will take us a while to get to Weehawken, NJ. As we will go back out and around Staten Island and then into New York Harbor proper we pass the Great Kills lighthouse.


Both of us really wanted to visit Coney Island and were immensely disappointed when we learned that the bulk of the amusement park would be closed effective last September. So instead of journeying to Coney Island by land we decided that on our way to Weehawken we would do a boat drive by of the Island to see what we could see. We were not disappointed in the least and in fact, I think we were able to see more of the activities from the water than we would have from the land. Overall, we got a wonderful feel for the area and rumor has it that the park will continue to be an area of amusement, but just updated and more modern. The roller coaster, Ferris Wheel and Tower are all land marked so any new additions will be required to compliment them so as to retain the original flavor of the area.


This is the Coney Island Light that sits right in the middle of a residential area.


This is the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island to the rest of NYC. Since when traveling into the city we did not go over the bridge we will just go under it instead.



The amount of commercial traffic is very impressive and makes for very rough waters. Not only are there ferries coming and going from every conceivable direction but there are plenty of ocean going vessels as well. I find it very “New York” that the tugs and barges are fashion coordinated. We also saw some of the largest commercial/ocean going vessels that we have seen thus far that require four tugs (two on each side) to guide them in/out of the harbor.

Heading north on the Hudson the Manhattan skyline as well as the East River with the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges are on our starboard side while New Jersey was on our port.



We had planned to anchor near the Statue of Liberty, which would have been wonderful in theory but in reality was not such a great idea – first, it is way too hot for me to be without air-conditioning and still allow Captain Mark to live. Secondly, the water is so rough due to all of the ferry traffic that we would have been literally beat up within the first hour. SO… our destination for today and the next couple of days is the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club in Weehawken, NJ, which is located almost immediately across from 34th street in Manhattan. This is a wonderful place to enjoy the city lights at night and still be somewhat protected from the rough water of the Hudson in this area.


Hours on the water: 3.5
Nautical miles traveled: 27.5
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Next Destination: Tarrytown, NY
What we are listening to: Nothing - just took in all there was to see!
Lesson for the day: New York is just as spectacular from the water.
Obligatory knitting report: Nothing - just took in all there was to see!