Arctic Songbird Adventures

Another cold, rainy, yucky weather day with temperatures only in the 50's. We took the short ferry ride to downtown Manhattan and got our five miles of walking in. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge (built in 1875), went by the New York Stock Exchange on Wall St., and visited the WTC Memorial, which was spectacular, as well as extremely emotional! The designers, architects, engineers, planners, and all the people that constructed this memorial did a wonderful job, that the world should see! The new Freedom Tower is amazing too, but the observation deck 1,250 feet up was in the clouds so we did not go up for the view. There is a lot of money in NYC and some hard working people that keep it alive 24/7. It is definitely alive! After we got back to the boat we were kind of lazy and just hung out. Frazier slaughtered us at Skip-Bo.....again! I received the fuel fitting from Hewescraft and repaired the boat. I will know if my repair was successful after I top...

After a dreadful night trying to sleep with gas fumes seeping into the cabin, the day was actually quite pleasant. I went to the marina laundry and got everything washed and dried just before the crowds showed up. I had to wait for the west coast to wake up and eventually spoke with Hewescraft and just like every other time, Carie Ann came through and had replacement parts on their way here! After getting that necessity completed, we went for a bike ride, circumnavigating Liberty State Park. The dogs had plenty of attention riding in their trailer.  We gave them a couple breaks, letting them run and play in the miles of grass.  After a nice lunch, I decided we needed more fuel out of the tank prior to me installing the new parts, that hopefully will arrive tomorrow. The only way to do that was to run the engines. We departed the marina and made our second circumnavigation of the day.....all the way up the East River and around Manhattan Island. The back view is totally differe...

The day started out great with sunshine and was getting quite warm. We found the New Bethel Baptist Church on our map and walked over for the 10am worship service. We were welcomed with warm greetings and hugs. The service was fantastic and we enjoyed everything from the singing, preaching, communion, and prayers for our safe journey. A great day to worship with fellow brothers and sisters. Later on we biked over to Jersey City for some groceries. Wow was it crazy busy but we got our shopping done and biked home in the light rain. Now the bad: I recognized some gas fumes in the boat and quickly found the problem. The vent fitting in the fuel tank was seeping gas which was not good. The tanks was too full to work on it as gas had already ran out when I loosened the hose. So, we ran up and down the Hudson until dark attempting to burn of some fuel so I could get the fitting out and reseal it. Getting back, I started the process again. The fittings had galled threads so when I fina...

Today was a photographer's paradise! We cruised the final southbound leg of our journey and took hundreds of pictures of this stunning background of human ingenuity and achievement! There were thousands of people attending a polo event with outdoor concert right in Liberty park. We met some very nice local folks and Gracie made many new friends with her kisses for every person that wanted to pet her. The weather was near 80F with a light breeze so another perfect day for ice cream. New York and it's many suburbs was a sight to behold! We also got to cruise right up to the security zone around the Statue of Liberty. A true gift from France that every American should see. She stands guard and just as importantly, welcomes those arriving to the greatest country on earth. There is a lot to do and with only one week, we will have to prioritize what to do each day.

Another great cruising day and we made about 50 miles. Some of the highlights were: the Culinary Institute of America, West Point, Indian Point nuclear power plant, and some more impressive bridges. The afternoon breeze kicked up some very rough waves inside our marina and we had to leave the boatand stay on land awhile. We walked over eight miles, getting supplies and going out to eat at a local greasy spoon diner. After noticing a red spot with a dark object in the middle, I dug out an apparent tick head 1/2 inch from my eye. Carrie found the rest of him in my sleeping bag. She also woke up screaming last night after finding one crawling up her leg. We did a thorough cleaning of the boat and dogs and hope we don't find anymore. The weather was hot and humid today but felt nice. It feels like the wind is picking up again and the boat is a rocking tonight! Tomorrow is the big day when we cruise into the Big Apple!

Another beautiful day cruising on the Hudson. We saw several old lighthouses, magnificent castles, and only a few boats. Arriving at Norrie SP marina, we inquired about the local area. After a quick lunch, we were off on a 7 mile hike to the Mills Mansion. We walked through the woods and along the coast until it majestically appeared on a beautiful grassy hill. Along the trail we saw some huge centipedes and our first snake. "We ain't in Alaska anymore!" The mansion was built in 1895 during the "gilded" years when some very wealthy men were making and spending millions. Everything was great until we got back to the boat and I found a tick on Gibson. That is when the real yucky fun began. Eventually I pulled about 20 off both dogs. After that it was doggy shower time, and then I pulled out the scissors and gave them both a buzz.  It was a long evening!