New York City to Catskill, NY

In the morning we woke up to a spectacular (although hazy) sunrise, weighed anchor and motored
up the Hudson past Manhatan.  It was slow going because a strong current was running against us.

 

We had made arrangements to take the mast down at Catskill because there are several low bridges we had to go under between Albany and Lake Champlain, but it was looking like we might be a day late getting there.  By noon the tide had changed in our favor and we were making good speed. The tides run a long way up the river, all the way to Albany.  It was strange to see the river running backwards for the rest day.  

The river was very wide for a long way, and deeper that we had seen anywhere on  the trip (including the Atlantic).  We sailed past West Point, and places with funny names...like Yonkers, Tarrytown, Poukeepsee... We spent one night on the river near Poukeepsee, anchored close to the river bank and out of the barge traffic.  At about 2 am we were awakened by the tremendous horn blast from very nearby.  My first thought is that we were about to be run down by a barge.  I flew out the deck hatch without removing the screen only to find that an Amtrak train was passing by just a few feet away.  The tracks run right along the river bank.

   

As deep as the river is, there are still some very shallow spots, so there are old historic mini-lighthouses along the river.  The one above on the left is typical.  They're automated now, but people are trying to restore them.   The center picture is some kind of grain loader.  It reminded us of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.  

We pulled into Catskill right on schedule, removed the mast in record time (thanks to the simple tri-stay catamaran rig), and spent the night in the first of several wonderful, towns in up state New York.  Tomorrow, we work our way through the 12 locks of the Champlain Canal.  


Okeechobee     South Florida to South Carolina     South Carolina to Virginia     Norfolk, Virginia    

Atlantic City     Atlantic City to New York City      The Champlain Canal

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