Trip to the Hudson River

V

VerdeRosa

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Joined
Sep 16, 2006
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23431
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Leaving for a trip to the Hudson River early tomorrow from Moriches. Been planning for weeks, studying charts, reading posts, etc... Last minute nerves getting to me. With three kids on board, I'm opting for the inside route through Patchogue Bay, Great South Bay to Lindenhurst cut and then the state boat channel to Jones Inlet. Timing of tides seems good with the exception of the inlet. Should arrive there around 1 hour before low tide. Weather prediction looks good for tomorrow with 2-3 foot seas in the ocean. Concerns I have are: Shallow water in the Lindenhurst cut, running the inlet close to low tide and clearing the Sloop channel drawbridge near Zachs Bay. I've traveled the Lindenhurst cut many years ago, but in a much smaller boat. Called Sea Tow Freeport and they indicated that as long as the weather was good, I shouldn't have any issues with the inlet at low tide as long as I stuck to the channel. They also thought I should have no issue clearing the bridge. I have a 34 Silverton convertible and draw 39 inches. Vertical clearance is about 14 feet.
Any thoughts on this plan, good or bad?
Thanks!
 
Where will you be going on the Hudson? How long will you be up our way?
 
Perhaps Walter will chime in since he has the same boat and has made this trip inside.

I can't speak to the bridges or the Lindy cut but Jones inlet is fine. Just stay in the channel all the way out to the sea buoy.

If conditions are rougher than expected when the day comes, you can also travel the state channel farther west and exit at East Rockaway Inlet (Debs) which is good inlet but three more bridges to contend with. Two you make it under without an opening if your antennas aren't too high. Third is a low RR bridge at Long Beach that everyone needs opened. Not a big deal unless it is rush hour. Your forecast is very good for tomorrow but this is good to know for your return.

Have a safe trip.
 
I ran this with my boat when we came home with it. Draft 39 and clearance is 16'
Came in Rockaway Inlet and ran under the all bridges and thru lindy cut.
Lindy cut is fine, plenty of water, stay bw buoys.
Moriches is fine, do it at high tide.
Bridges are good, though I just cleared bridge by Wantagh and I have a low flybridge.
We went this route with Walter's boat when went up the hudson I recall he cleared as well, just be prepared to drop your antennas.
Hitting it at low tide will help!
If conditions outside are good and you can hit fire island inlet at low tide, I would go that route, sure beats the 5 mph zones in state channel.
Coming back make sure you have a waypoint marked for Rockaway Inlet. When we went up hudson we came back with 8 foot swells in Ambrose. We limped to Rockaway to get inside. That took almost 2 hours, normally a 10 minute run, Stop at Paddy McGee's if you come inside, nice place! Good luck!
How far up you going? Roundout in Kingston is nice, Haverstraw is good too. Watch out for Banjo playing dudes. Keep a sharp eye out for floating debris in river....oh and raw sewage too! LOL!
 
Thanks all. Feeling a little more at ease now. We're staying 3 nights at Liberty Landing and then, if weather cooperates and we can get a slip, head up to Haverstraw for a couple of nights. I basically chose Jones Inlet and the inside route for safety and comfort with the kids onboard. Purposely avoided Fire Island inlet because of all the reports of shoaling. I'm leaving at 6 am just past high tide in Moriches so I'm in no rush. Have all day to get there. No rush to get back either so I'll wait for a day that has no more than 2-4 foot seas forecasted. I do have East Rockaway plotted just in case.
 
There are plenty of RO's in the Haverstraw area, give a shout if you need anything.

My son is a lifeguard at the pool.
 
I hit bottom in the Lindy cut this past Thursday while heading south, veered too far east near the approaoch to the St Boat Channel due to the wind out of the west and the fact that I was (incorrectly) keeping the green pole(SBC #49) to my STB. Lesson learned...should have realized it when I passed markers #1 & #2.
 
Mark is correct, I have the same boat, did the same trip, you will have no problems, refer to Dave's post.

"I basically chose Jones Inlet and the inside route for safety and comfort with the kids onboard. Purposely avoided Fire Island inlet because of all the reports of shoaling."

Good choice IMHO, FI inlet use to be the best inlet on LI, not so in the last 3 or 4 years.

Lindy cut is fine, 10 years never touched bottom, stay on plane and blast through it.

Plan an alternate route coming back, East Rockaway inlet, rather than Jones inlet, if sea conditions are not great, would be a good plan B.

Just My 2C
 
Thanks everyone. Headed to the boat now and leaving bright and early in the morning.
 
Ambrose Channel gets alot of traffic and fog.
Be prepared to go slow and use radar if needed.
Once year we saw a tugboat and he was dragging a cable in the water.
I waited for him to pass, because a few minutes later out of the fog, we saw this:
P1000750.jpg
 
Actually,
The real story is: Dave, hang loose, don't get this, but something does not seem right!!!!

What happened is we saw a tug boat pass us, the boat he was towing was lost in the fog, the gig was the tug boat had their tow cable slacked in the water. I did notice a cable slacked in the water but never saw that before or knew what that was. But, not knowing what that was, I told Dave to chill and just hang, he did.
We had no radar, new boat to Dave we were bringing home.

So after a few minutes (maybe 10 minutes, but felt like an hour), I said to Dave, f- this, lets get going, no sooner than I said that, we saw the barge that was being towed out.
Fog was thick, we were a good team.
 
The reason for the "slacked cable" in the water was the tug boat slowed down, cable dropped, once the tow boat speed backed up, the cable was tight.
 
That is the story! I wish I had a pic of the tug, because it was odd that we didn't see the cable.
Guy in tug definately saw us and knew we were probably not running with radar but it was a clear sunny day until we hit the fog.
The moral of the story is twofold, one don't ever assume that 2 boats in formation you can go between them if you see them on radar and two be prepared for the worst in ambrose. The fog came up on us all of a sudden. We headed straight to East Rockaway after this as I had to change my underwear! Once inside it sunny and clear again.
Another pic I found:
P1000751.jpg
 
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