Well, here we are, end of November, and most boats are in the safety of the boatyards and driveways all bundled up for their winter sleep. We reflect on the past season of boating and think of the good times we had cruising with our friends and relatives(not always the same). It's at this time that I think about where I will cruise to next season. If you want to take a cruise you will not soon forget ,plan a trip up the Hudson River. Best of all, "It's a no brainier" once you get into NY harbor go north young man go north. The water is deep and the river is not all that wide so you can see both sides of the river most of the time. The depth runs from 30 to 150 ft. and the river is well marked on the chart. The chart is definitely a good investment for this trip, you will be able to track your progress and locate the few shoals you will have to avoid.
A trip up the Hudson will require from 9 to 14 days depending on how much you want to push, your hull speed, and how much time you have. You may want to spend a few days at some of the marina's instead of just overnight. I made this trip this past summer with a friend who drove a 30 ft Searay and we made pretty good time. We tried to stay on plain most of the time when going from marina to marina with the occasional stop for lunch, pictures, and engine cool down. We cruise at about 3500rpm(20mph.) and we made it to the federal locks in Troy and back in 9 days. We took our time and enjoyed the sights, plus we stayed at some of the marina's a few days.
Ok, lets start cruising. First two rules: give the big boys (tugs,tankers,barges,battle ships) plenty of room. They can't stop or turn so fast, that's if they see you at all. Second rule is watch for floating garbage in NY harbor. Some of it is big(poles,docks,barrels,bodies) and it can be floating with very little visible. Just go slow and take your time with a look-out till you get to the Statue of Liberty. Always keep a sharp eye out for debris, you can come upon it anywhere but my last two trips showed clear water after the Statue. Speaking of Ms. Liberty, you can see countless pictures of the Statue of Liberty in books and magazines but when you pull up to the Statue in your boat a certain feeling comes over you . After you pass the Statue on your left you will see dead ahead the New York skyline of Manhattan. We stayed at the Newport Marina which is across from the world trade center and the view is spectacular in the morning and especially at night. There is also a nice marina ,Lincoln harbor, about 4 miles from the Statue on the left side of the river.
Continuing up the river you will pass under the George Washington then the Tappan Zee bridges. This is great, I AM always sitting in traffic on these bridges crawling to the toll booths. The same thing goes through my mind each time I look over the bridge(should I jump- Only kidding),"where is that boat going?" I ask myself. Well the shoe is now on the other foot,the cars on the bridge don't look real, they look like match box cars. You go under the Tappan Zee and realize that this is a big bridge, not a Wantagh or a Meadowbrook bridge. As you travel up the river you come to the Palisades with its cliffs and rocky beaches below them. When you look up on the cliffs you can see an occasional hawk or eagle soaring above. If you look on the bank on the right you will see train tracks that run along the river. The occasional train that comes by is usually very long(we counted 100 cars on one) and they fly through the tunnels that are cut through the granite rock.
Once past Tappan Zee Bay you will approach one of two marinas for your 1st overnight stay. The Haverstraw Marina is very nice with a large pool, ships store (well equipped) and bar/restaurant with live music. Its nice but a bit pricey. The other place to stay over is Willow Cove Marina which has a slightly smaller pool, outside snack bar (burgers and such) and a huge well equipped repair facility. If I broke down this is the marina I want to be towed to.
The next leg of the trip to the next overnight stay is a long haul, about a day to the Catskill Marina. This was a very nice little place(many slips)at the end of Catskill creek. On the way to Catskill you will come to one of the many sights of the Hudson trip. This major point of interest is West Point, the buildings are awesome to look at and photograph. If you look on the shore you can find small coves to pull up to for lunch or a break. Use your chart to find an area that is deep and close to shore. We found a cove, Gees point, near a bell buoy. We threw the hook about 20 ft. off shore and were in 90 ft of water. This cove is a short distance past West Point on left side. We dingyed in and walked on the trails that were part of the West Point grounds. There were deer running through the woods and it was very scenic. Since I saw no signs saying "keep out- violators will be shot", I guess it was all right to be there. After having lunch at West Point we pushed on the rest of the day to reach Catskill Marina by late afternoon.
Our original intention on this trip was to go through the locks to Lake Champlaign. When we got to Catskill we decided to go only as far as the federal lock in Troy. We saw at that point that we could have made it to the Lake if we pushed hard ,but it would leave us little time to hang out and relax. We had planned the trip for 9 days but decided it is really a 14 day trip allowing for leisure time and possible bad weather.
When we left Catskill Marina we pushed on north through Albany(Yuck! Industrial and ugly) about a days ride to the federal locks. For most of the trip, through the federal lock, we had only a few speed restrictions. When you continue past the federal locks heading north, you are timed lock to lock (if you reach the next lock too early they know it and you pay big time).The federal lock at Troy is not like Shinnecock, a baby lock, This is a real lock with a 25 ft drop and large leaking doors that look like the gates of Hell. When I was at the bottom of the lock looking up I remember thinking "what if some terrorist blows these doors and the water just gushes in". My wonderful wife says "I'll be rich, I swim better than you!!).Just out of the locks a little further north was our last port of safe haven,Van Skyck's Marina. We stayed there two nights and then started our uneventful trip home after 5 days of good weather, good food, and good friends.
We highly recommend this trip up the Hudson, especially for those who don't travel too far on the water. You can't get lost, just go north, red marker on the right and coming home, remember, RED LEFT. Lastly, get that chart (Embassy's Waterproof Charts, The Hudson River, Number 4.1), it has points of interest, marinas with phone #'s,channels they monitor,and navigation info.
Happy boating!!
Jim
You can email Jim at: SCOOCHA@aol.com