We arrived in Port Washington on Sunday an took a mooring ball. We were told that there are a number of yellow mooring balls that are free for a two day stay. We motored into the mooring field and picked out a ball. After the current on the Hudson it was nice to have calm water. When the guy that collects the money for the moorings came by he explained that we were not on one of the free balls. We were planning to stay on the ball for three days so we paid the $25 for one night which included unlimited water taxi trips.
On Monday we used the taxi to go to town and check it out and hit the grocery store. In the after noon we moved to one of the free moorings and launched the dinghy.
On Tuesday we spent the morning on the boat watching the sailing school boats and the coming and goings of the other boats. In the afternoon we took the train into the city to so some more sightseeing and to have dinner with our friend John who was in town from Houston. We had a great dinner at Frankie and Johnie's Steakhouse and got caught up on what is happening with Michelle and Jet in Houston. The train was nearly empty on the trip in but very full in the evening but it is a fun and relaxing way to get into and out of the city.
Wednesday we moved to the marina to plug in and wait for company. Cori had caught a cold or something and has not been feeling well and spent the day napping, I spent the day reading as usual.
Thursday was a relaxing day with light winds so we took a dinghy tour of the bay. Some great boats and amazing houses. We watched the sailing schools for a while and then back to the boat.
Friday Cori's sister Heather and her friend Bobbie arrived. One of the dock hands told us where to watch fireworks so we made a run for BBQ for dinner and hit the grocery store again and then went sailing. We left the marina and motored out of the bay and set the sails for the town of Rye, sailing across and up the Sound. We joined a number of other boats, dropped our anchor and waited for sundown. We had a display from the yacht club and when that finished we had a display from the amusement park. While these were going on we could see at least ten more displays going on all around us. After the show we pulled anchor and motored back to the marina. We made it through the mooring field in the dark and pulled into the marina. Docking was a challenge. Every time I got the bow into position the current would push the stern over and we would have to start over. Fortunately there is a lot of space between the docks and there were a lot of empty slips so we were able to maneuver without worrying of hitting someone. Cori finally got a stern and bow line to the dock and we were able to walk Hi Flite into her slip about 12:30 am.
Saturday, the 4th, we had plans to go into the city for dinner and fireworks. Instead of the train, Bobbie drove us into Brooklyn and parked near the Brooklyn Bridge. Instead of using the subway this time we took the opportunity to walk across the bridge. Unfortunately it started to rain as we started across. Once on the Manhattan side we took the subway up to Grand Central Station ans then walked to Times Square since it had stopped raining. We had an early reservation for dinner at Carmines and then took the subway back to Brooklyn to wait for the fireworks. We got there early and staked out our spot and waited for it to get dark. The people watching was amazing. The crowd grew until there was little space left over. Security was everywhere and did a good job of monitoring and controlling the crowd. We were not in a spot where we could see the light show an the Empire State Building but we had a great view of the bridge and the new Freedom Tower and where the fireworks were expected. When the fireworks started we had a building blocking our view. We shifted with the crowd and ended up with a great view of one of the best fireworks displays we have ever seen. After that we worked our way back to the parking garage and headed out. The traffic was not as bad as we had anticipated so we made good time getting back to the boat.
Sunday we got up and said good-bye to Heather and Bobbie. Later Cori got into her kayak and gave the boot stripe a good cleaning. The boot stripe is the white painted line just above the waterline. It needs cleaning from time to time but now it was the dirtiest it has ever been. While she was doing this I changed the oil and filter and adjusted belts. We are ready to continue on with the trip but will hand here until Wednesday. The best deal we could get at the marina was to stay for six days so we will hang out and relax.
No comments:
Post a Comment