Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SoL.

[Expidia]

Left out of Newburgh, NY on Friday around 3pm. After docking and dining at the Hudson Water Club Restaurant in Haverstraw Bay, NY. Winds were still calm and as we went under the Tappan Zee Bridge weather was still great around 80 degrees and we ventured towards NYC again.

After passing the Intrepid museum ship, I could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.
Looked to be another mile away, so I went for it.

Funny, I've always pictured in my mind the Statue of Liberty to be at the mouth of the Hudson River where it enters the open ocean, but it's actually more towards the center of NY Harbor!

Even though I used to peer down at the SOL from the 50th floor of the World Trade Center when I worked there for a month 20 years ago . . I knew it was an island, but when you are in a 15 foot aluminum the distance away from the shore of NYC looks like an ocean away!

Biggest headache was as you are crossing from the financial district shore towards the SOL, the water ferries are brutal. They cross back and forth from Jersey and NYC and at times there were like 20 of them out there. They don't slow down and can kick up 4 foot waves. They really churn up the entire harbor into ocean like conditions. But once we were out to the SOL, it was actually very calm.

I wouldn't attempt this trip in a small aluminum on a weekend, because the large power boats kick up the harbor even more.

Next trip there, I'll do it early in the AM. We arrived at the SOL around 6pm which is probably the max traffic hour for those ferries.

I could see the entrance to the East River as we left the SOL and I could have gone home that way and circumvented the city which was another todo on my list of boating adventures, but I was worried about the time and gas supply. We got back to the launch in Newburgh at 9pm. And that was at full cruising speed going back. I have a GPS, but the problem is once it gets too dark on the horizon you can't see a floating log anymore and hitting one will take a lower unit out!

I'll also take an extra gas tank next time if I plan to go around Manhattan, because most gas docks close early.

Click on a pic to view it larger. 3 of them are movies . . .

http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa2/expidia/Hudson River to Statue of Liberty 6-18-2010/

 

[AguaSki]

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

I am envious. Looks like a fun place to boat. I have only boated the lakes in the western part of the U.S. so urban boating is nothing I have ever experienced.

A couple summers ago I was on vacation in NYC and my family took a water taxi around New York Harbor. I remember looking at how churned up the water was and compared it what I normally see on my lakes. Right next to Battery Park the water was really choppy and there is no way I would have attempted navigating my 18 footer through that. I was a bit surprised that you were able to take your small boat out in those conditions, but you did mention it gets better near the SOL. I don't know much about the Hudson, but I assume from your description that water conditions improve as you move up river. Maybe some day I will trailer my boat 2K miles and attempt a Hudson river boating trip.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

Thx for your comments AquaSki!

This was our 3rd trip to NYC in this boat. I never traveled farther down the Hudson, because I did not want to get too close to the open ocean. But once I realized that the SoL was more towards the center of NY Harbor it was only a short jump from the NYC side to the SoL.

Nice thing about the Lund brand is it handles like a bigger boat. So going over a few 3 foot wakes off the ferries was no biggy. It has very high sides (freeboard) too. Just have to hit them perpendicular or at a slight angle. I would have immediately turned around if it got dicey out there (I'm adventuresome, but not crazy) but it wasn't any more choppier then a day on an average lake when the wind kicks up!

The Hudson going north is actually pretty narrow once you get through the large bay below the Tappan Zee bridge. Going north that bay opens up into the Haverstraw bay which is 2 miles wide (the widest point on the Hudson). Of course going home through that bay the wind kicked up to around 20-25 mph which caused me to have to do that first leg home around 12 mph or get slammed around.

The last two legs I was able to do around 25 mph, but we still didn't get back until around 9:15 because I had to go so slow crossing the big bay.

I heard my Wife telling some friends though, it was the most exciting trip she's ever taken on a boat!

Next trip to the city will be in the early AM to cut down on boat traffic and we will follow the same route around Manhattan that the Circle Line cruises takes you on. That was probably the one you went on!

When you are going down the Hudson with the NYC buildings on one side and the NJ buildings on the other because my rig is so small, you feel like you are cruising through the Grand Canyon

By the way, I've seen advertised a couple of marina's that rent you any size boat you want. That's what I would do for your next trip out here. The channels are well marked.

My boat is the gray and burgundy one in the bottom of this pic where we had lunch the next day at a Poughkeepsie NY restaurant called Shadows. This place just put in the most amazing docks I've ever seen for docking and dining:

 

[jmoore73]

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

Re: Another Adventure down the Hudson River to the SL.

Old thread, but I grew up in marlboro NY. Seen many of those sights, many times. Used to work at Gully's in Newburgh which is nect to Torches now I imagine. That whole area near S. William St/Water St in Newburgh used to be horrible, but it seems to have turned around a little! Hooray for the Hudson Valley!