Left around 9am Friday morning from the Rondout for a run to the city. Fog was real thick nearly all the way to Poughkeepsie. Barely could see the lighthouse or Tom's boat from the creek. Pretty ghostly and scarey to come up on a nearly still barge heading south in the fog. I picked up a boater friend at Poughkeepsie (a real short walk from the train station to the river). Had a light wind at my back with the tide going out to the city. Made a quick gas stop at Alpine ($3.04 per gallon) and headed to the battery. Virtually no recreational boaters on the water but many, many water taxis, ferries, sight-seeing boats, barges, tugs, coast guard vessels (around 10), police cruisers (around six)and a couple of insane jet-skiers. The UN was in session and two large, non-military marked helicopters with United States of America on them flew overhead (Air Force two?). Probably Connie or Dick on their way to save the world from the evil doers which'll cost us a few hundred billion more (cha-ching Cheney). But I digress. I was expecting to be boarded by a crew from a machine gun ladened Zodiac boat. They were escorting SI ferries. The harbor was like a ferocious washing machine from all the frantic traffic so went up the east side as far as the UN then turned around to head back north up the Hudson. No boats on the east side and still no boarding. Goverment heliocopters were overhead nearly the whole time and we were being carefully watched by NYC police boats. So, spent a quiet night at 79th St and got up early on Saturday to ride the tide north. More fog but a slight breeze from the south. When we got to Tarrytown I boated up the Haverstraw side and watched not one, two but three local patrol boats pull over Saturday boating enthusiasts. I figured the Haverstraw side to be a wiser choice given the opposite side's proximity to Indian Point. We were ignored on the west side of the river. I dropped my two passengers off in Beacon and returned to the Rondout in a slight drizzle but very happy with the trip. It took around 4 hours each direction taking my time and a short break both ways. With this summer weather we're having, I recommend a trip of this sort before winter sets in. Hope this is of some help to anyone planning a similar adventure on the water.
Kingston to NYC and Back
- Thread starter BillM2
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- Mar 2, 2000
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Not bad Bill, it could be you escaped boarding because you can run fast. We on the other hand, are a lethargic tub that is like candy for them...
So the 79th was calm?
Normally the ferry traffic will whip up the harbor good on the west side of manhattan.
So the 79th was calm?
Normally the ferry traffic will whip up the harbor good on the west side of manhattan.
I was doing between 30-34 (GPS) through Haverstraw Bay. But think since they were stopping folks on the east side, it might have had something to do with proximity to IP. 79th basin was a bit rocky but got an overnight slip well inside the sea wall so was well protected. Drove up from the city yesterday afternoon up the west side highway and think I saw two boats heading south just before the GWB. Kinda surprised not to see more out there. It hit 89 in Poughkeepsie today and the forecast is for 70+ days until the end of the month. Looking forward to a northbound voyage to check out the foliage north of Kingston this weekend. Another stretch of calm, dry days -- with no logs!