New Horizon is back in Newport

Friday September 9th - our son-in-laws birthday is the perfect day for cruising back to Newport RI. We stopped off at Galilee to fill with diesel - our last fill of the season. New Horizon docks at the Newport Yacht Club before returning to her mooring number 293 on Saturday morning. After cruising over fifteen hundred nautical miles on Rivers, lakes, and canals it is nice to be finally back home. After scrubbing the boat clean, filling up the water tank and three loads of laundry Nana and Nandad had a great night with Julie and Marcus ( members of NYC who just bought a Beneteau Sense 50 Sailboat) . Again the sunset was simply the best - huge red ball directly over Goat Island and the moon shining over Trinity Church. There are boats everywhere as the harbor prepares for the boat show next weekend. This will be the last of the blog entries for this season 2022 and what a journey we had. NH will remain at NYC for the winter.

Fishers Island and Block Island

Sunday September 4th : NH heads for Fishers Island. The background picture is leaving Westbrook Harbor. The CT coastline has beautiful beaches and lots of waterfront homes. A short cruise to Fishers Island where Nana and Nandad dropped the anchor at West HBR and enjoyed watching some of the boaters swim and paddle board in this crystal clear water. Next time we would anchor on the East side as the wakes  from incoming boats was very annoying.

September 5th: Labor Day Nana and Nandad witnessed the Exodus from the Great Salt Pond BI which made us very happy because we had our choice of mooring balls. Coming into the GSP passing the Coast Guard Beach and The Sullivan House with its large tent , is always such a welcoming sight. It’s hard to imagine that fourteen years ago Dana and Sinead got married here at The Sullivan House and now have four wonderful children. 

The Sullivan House with the events tent ready for another wedding celebration.

The weather became very windy, rainy and colder so Layday Tuesday was spent on the boat watching the wind and rain while NH swings back and forth on the mooring ball. A great day to finally do some yoga - although somewhat challenging with balance postures! Catch up on reading and simply enjoy looking over at Beane Point, Andy’s Way, and Mosquito Beach. The launch continues for one more week so tomorrow we will take the launch into the boat basin so we can take a nice walk along Bensons Beach.

September 7th Wednesday : The rain has stopped today but the wind continues to blow. We take the launch and have a wonderful lunch at the Surf Hotel now renamed Block Island Beach House. On our walk back Nana couldn’t resist taking a picture of the ducks who seem to have taken a liking to the kayak rental ramp. Tomorrow Thursday NH will return to her home port Newport RI. 

Thursday September 8th. The winds remain strong so Nana and Nandad decide to stay one more day. The sun has finally shown her face so it’s a beautiful day for a walk into town where we had a nice snack on the front porch of the The National Hotel, Nandad had a well overdue hair cut ( while Nana visited the library), lunch with Ed and Linda from NYC at The Three Kittens. Nandad took the launch back to the boat and Nana took her walk to Coast Guard Beach. A perfect day on Block. That evening the sky provided the picture perfect sunset over Charleston Beach and the almost full moon over The Sullivan House.

Tomorrow the weather will be milder and NH will return to her mooring in the inner harbor.

Safe Harbor Pilots Pointe Marina

Friday September 2nd.
The cruise from Glen Cove to Westbrook was a long sloppy ride! Nana took the helm and increased the speed to 12 mph which made all the difference. A total of 62.7 NM New Horizon arrived into Safe Harbor Pilots Pointe Marina South after six hours. Nana and Nandad were so used to the river, lakes and canals that we had forgotten how choppy the sound can be. The picture above it passing the Falkner Island Light on our way to Westbrook Harbor. The marina is very large with North, South and East docks. We have a pool, restaurant ( that is actually open), and a beach. Nana is sooo excited to finally relax on the beach - the first time this summer! 

New Horizon is among some beautiful sailboats. The Marina has several hundred docks!

While at the beach Nana learned that the area is surrounded by Duck Island, Menunketesuck Island, and Salt Island. These islands are noted for their long-legged wading birds such as egrets, herons and ibises. This is a very active spot while also providing a quite place to walk, ride your bike, take a run or simply enjoy the beaches. A lovely sunset from the restaurant. Nana was surprised to realize that sunset is now 7.19 pm. We have had a wonderful Layday here and will head to Fishers Island tomorrow Sunday September 4th.

While Nana and Nandad are enjoying the sunset at Westbrook Harbor the Nevins are enjoying the sunset in Newport RI. It certainly is the good life. 

Nandads Birthday at Glen Cove

After Nana and Nandad dropped the Nevins back to Liberty Landing we were on our way to Glen Cove on Long Island Sound. In the background is the skyline as we leave with the Hell Gate Railroad Bridge barely visible in the background. 

The Throgs Neck Bridge , generally accepted as the demarcation line between East River and Long Island Sound can be seen in the background of the second picture. 

Reservations at the Cove to celebrate Nandads 69th birthday ( a gift from the kids ). A waterfront restaurant with top class service and excellent food with a wonderful view of the sunset and moon. An extra lay day was spent here where Nana enjoyed the pool.

This picture is a reminder of what happens when you don’t take care of your boat! 

Tomorrow we will head for Safe Harbor Pilots Point Marina.

Liberty Landing and One 15 Brooklyn NYNY

Saturday August 27th after a long drive in lots of traffic The Nevins arrive at Liberty Landing ready to bike the Liberty State Park. What a magical few days. 

The dock hand couldn’t have been more obliging giving us permission to park Ceire’s SUV right there beside the C Dock for four days. 

Sunday August 28th we took the Ferry from Liberty State Park NJ to Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. 

It was a moving experience certainly at Ellis Island where you can feel what it must have been like to arrive into such chaos. The museum at both facilities are really informative and interactive. It has been reported that as many as 10,000 visitors visit Lady Liberty some days.

August 29th New Horizon took the crew for a short cruise up the East River where we got the feel for the magic of New York right from the bow of the boat and docked at One 15 Brooklyn. Boy did we rock and roll there! The docks bounced around day and night, our view was totally blocked by the mega yacht Liberty 187 feet! Despite this the area is truly amazing with so much greenery and activity - soccer fields right on the waterfront, basketball courts, volleyball courts, pickle ball, water splash parks, swing parks , mountain slides and the wonderful Jane’s Carousel.

Ceire having more fun then Ollie.

This was our view at Liberty Landing. Just magnificent.

The Ferry ride after our long day in the big city visiting the 9/11 memorial, One World Trade Center, the Oculus Center, the High Line ( a repurposed railway approximately 1.45 miles in length ), and Little Island at Pier 55 ( Barry Dillers $260 Million Public Park which took five years to build). 

The white spiked building is the Oculus.

The white spikes leaning over One World Trade Center.

After an exhausting day we had dinner onboard on sang Happy Birthday to Nandad. What a delicious treat.

On our last night the beautiful and distinguished 156ft motor yacht ARRIVA which was previously owned by Johnny Depp and currently owned by J.K.Rowling pullled in to dock. The kids and adults were naturally intrigued. The bow of the mega yacht Liberty is what you see towering above the picture.

Riverfront Marina

After a wonderful dinner at The New York Restaurant downtown Catskills Nana and Nandad were intrigued with the Cats.

Later we learned from Mike - the owner of Riverview Marine that the town has this community artist event seasonally which is sponsored by local businesses and at the end of the season an auction is held where the Cats are purchased. A great event that pulls the community together while also providing necessary funds for community projects. 

Unfortunately when Nana and Nandad returned to NH the emergency bilge pump light was on - never a good sign! After checking down below we find that water is pouring into the starboard stern side of the boat. A call to Boat US and two hours later we discover that the outdoor shower tubing burst under the pressure of the water pump. It was with much relief that we discovered the issue and after an evaluation by Boat US and turning off the valve to the outdoor shower we could return to somewhat normal! Many thanks to Joe from Boat US and Mike from the boatyard. Nana and Nandad slept in the Vberth while the fans and the air conditioning dried out the area that got wet - fresh water leak much better that salt water ! 

The next morning Mike checked out the electrical panel and decided that no damage was done so Nana and Nandad continue to cruise the Hudson and head for Riverfront Marina.

A pretty tug busy pushing its cargo along the way. The river was not as busy as we had expected so after six hours cruising at 10mph NH arrives at Riverfront which is in Newburgh.

This is just one collection of debris which we encountered along the way. Lots of weeds and drift wood to avoid. Check out the beautiful house in the background.

As we pull in to dock this pretty cruiser is docked at the waterfront. Unfortunately it is no longer in operation. There are at least three large waterfront restaurants in this area so with recommendation from the local dockhand Nana and Nandad head to Captain Jacks for dinner. A beautiful evening and after a brief rain shower we were once again witness to a beautiful full arch rainbow. Mother Nature once again at its best.

New Horizon on the dock with the mountains in the foreground. Tomorrow we will head towards those mountains to dock at Liberty Landing for two days and hopefully rendezvous with The Nevins.

Mechanicville NY to Riverview Marine Services

August 25th Thursday and New Horizon is leaving Mechanicville heading South to Riverview Marine Services which is just off the Hudson up the Catskills Creek.

 The wall in the background is where we spent the night just after Lock 3. Nandad finally found a pub that was open and we had a delicious late lunch. A sports bar called End Zone so it was fun to watch some of the horse racing at Saratoga Race Course on TV. 

NH had company today for our last locks. This picture captures Lock 1 which marks the beginning of Lake Champlain Canal.

Nandad looking a little stressed at Lock 1. The Federal Lock at Troy marks River Mile 147.75. We are officially on our return journey heading down the Hudson to New York City. What a great journey.

The dam right beside the Lock 1 - an impressive sight and Nana’s bike in the foreground.

Riverview Marine Services is River Mile 107.3. Tomorrow we will cruise to Riverfront Marina which is River Mile 56.0. We will spend the night there before heading into the big City. We have booked two nights at Liberty Landing - Nana wants to visit Ellis Island and two nights at One 15 Brooklyn so we can have a different view of the City. We are also looking forward to the Nevins joining us again for a few magical days. 

(Temporary Backup) The Champlain Canal

The Champlain Canal is a total of 64 statute miles beginning at Troy NY and ending at Whitehall NY. Construction began in 1817 and was completed by 1823. Over one hundred years it was rebuilt and rerouted several times. In the 1800s the boats were pulled by mules or horses sometimes on loan from local farmers. Today it is mostly pleasure cruising with 11 locks ( Lock 10 was not necessary ) and 27 bridges some with a clearance of 15.5 feet ! The canal climbs from Troy - which is sea level - to Lake Champlain an average of 95 feet above sea level. 

Before leaving this morning Nana confirmed that indeed those machines are for harvesting the waterchestnut plant which is very invasive. Here is a picture for the machine doing its job. 

Also while enjoying breakfast Nana and Nandad heard the clip clop of horses. The pictures shows the horse and carriage crossing the bridge.

New Horizon is headed for Fort Edward’s today which will take us through Lock 11,9,8, and 7. As of writing the blog we are on the wall at Lock 11 waiting for a pin to be fixed! The canal can be completed in a day however with a speed limit of 10 mph and the unexpected at the locks it is better to plan on at least two days. As always boating teaches you patience and also provides lots of opportunity to simply pause.

Nana and Nandad docked at Fort Edward which is actually on the Hudson River. After NH came through Lock 7 she took a hard right which took her upstream on the Hudson. Along the way we came across this unfortunate property which is about to topple into the canal! 

Lots of bridges today so Nana stood at the bow looking up to make sure the antennae were not touching. The last two bridges of the day Argyle St. and Broadway St. with Lock 7 just ahead.

The village of Fort Edward is named after a British fort built here in 1755 - which was dismantled shortly before the Revolutionary War. The village has a long history of Native American activity which is documented by archeological evacuation. Many buildings in the downtown area are closed and The Smyth House at the Old Fort House Museum was also closed. 
After a long day of heavy rain, thunder and lightening, the reward of a wonderful rainbow.

Nana is busy planning the next journey into the Hudson, New York, Long Island Sound and finally back home to Newport RI.

(Temporary Backup) Chipman Point Marina, Orwell, VT and Whitehall NY

Sunday August  21st New Horizon cruises underneath the Samuel de Champlain Bridge. At the base is the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse and the ruins of two forts: French-built Fort St. Frederic and British-built His Majesty’s Fort at Crown Point. The memorial has a bronze bust of “La France” by the renowned sculpture Auguste Rodin. Unfortunately Nana’s picture does not capture the bronze sculpture as she was busy looking at it through the binoculars and did not take the picture in time- hence the blockage with trees. You can dock your boat at that boat dock and tour the memorial and forts however the wind picked up and the Captain wanted to continue on.

This part of our cruise also bring us to Fort Ticonderoga. The Fort was built in 1775 by the French, captured by the British the same year, taken by Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain boys in 1776, only to be taken again by the British in 1777. There is a cable ferry that leaves from Larabee’s Landing on the VT side and docks at the Fort site. There is no landing for private boats. Also there is a tourboat called Carillon - which was the Forts original name - that leaves from Teachout’s Warf at Larabee’s Landing, Shoreham,VT. The site is surrounded by Mount Defiance on one side and Mount Independance on the other. 

The tourboat Carillon on its way to the Fort.

So much history in this part of the lake. New Horizon docks at Chipman Marina. This is a family run Marina and they are some of the friendliest people we have met on our journey. The two magnificent four story buildings, one built in 1810 and the other 1824, still provide multi purpose use. At its busiest time a variety of boats- sloops,schooners,and canal boats, stopped at Chipman Point to unload a variety of goods. 

Pat - who continues to operated the Marina with her family, offered her car for us to visit the Fort

 but unfortunately the Fort closes on Mondays. We will just have to return. 

While taking a short stroll Nana was impressed with this basketball hoop and pickle ball court. Very creative use of space and lots of fun.

Monday August 22nd we are our way to Whitehall NY which will take us to the into the Champlain Canal. The southern most part of the lake has many farms, industrial plants, and a variety of agricultural land so the water reflects this with its muddy brown color. Despite this Nana spent most of the cruise bird watching. The lake is almost river like with its windy, narrow and sometimes shallow waters. The water Reeds and Rushes provide the best camouflage for the waterfowl, great blue herons, eagles, turkey vultures, terns etc. Despite several attempts Nana just could not capture these magnificent birds. To watch them in their natural habitat, wading through the mud with their curled necks, some simply standing still, some perched on drift wood drying their wings, but always just as NH would get close they would spread their huge wings and fly away. On occasion they would just stay still with their neck elongating to its full potential and simply stare.  

As you can see the cell phone simply does not do the job. Nana did take some shots with her Canon but has not as yet figured out how to post it on the blog!

Lock 12 , the last lock if you are coming from the north however NH is heading south so for us it will be our first lock into the canal. Seems like we are cruising backwards! 

Whitehall is the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy, in 1776 the ships of the nation’s first navy were constructed here. The village is now much neglected despite what seems like a lovely visitors centre and museum both of which were closed. Lots of historic buildings in disrepair and businesses closed. A sad sign of the times. The magnificent Skene Manor - a Victorian Gothic-style mansion was also closed. 

Nana noticed these machines when we docked at the wall and thinks they are for harvesting waterchestnuts. She will try to confirm tomorrow.

Tomorrow Nana will write a little blurb about the canal.