USA - New York, Catskills to Maryland, Annapolis

We left Catskill Marina at 6am on Friday 8 October. It was Dark, Foggy and Very Cold.

Slipping out of our berth and gliding down the Catskill Creek was eery and ghostlike. We picked up the creek channel markers by their illuminated stripes with our mast lights. Gliding out into the Hudson we could not see much beyond Meshugga. Thank goodness for AIS, for who else would be out here if there we could not see them on Radar or AIS.

Later in the morning, ghostlike ships emerged, either at anchor or going past us.

Nicholas cold, and legs wrapped in a blankie

As the day wore on the Fog lifted and we could see some of the foliage reds and greens. The Coast Guard powering past us.

We went under numerous bridges, all of which, we’d been under coming up the river so there was no ‘angst’ in going under them down river

Cold Cruising

Fall colors

The Iconic Bannerman Castle on an island just north of the famous West Point Academy. An anchorage is available south of Bannerman Castle island, but we chose to continue south….

Commercial traffic on the river, Barge with their attendant Tows (or as I would rather say ‘Pushers’)

We arrived and anchored at in the mooring field just north of the TapenZee Bridge about 8pm and had a quick, hot dinner, shower and bed. Nicholas woke me at 4am with the motors starting. We needed to get going to use the Ebb Tide south to New York City. 

The TapenZee Bridge did however look amazing with all it’s lights. And Yes, it was Cold! But, at least NO FOG.

The loom of NYC was amazing and lit an otherwise dark river with brilliance. The City that Never Sleeps!

What we think is the original Ellis Island arrival building for immigrants, now in disrepair

The New Ellis Island ….

Kierans’ yacht clubhouse when he lived in NY. I would have to check the name of it

Liberty Island

and the most Worlds most recognizable statue, Our Lady of Liberty !!!!

We anchored north of Coney Island at 10am, and spent a couple of hours resting and prepping Meshugga for going to Sea. We left at noon, and headed out into an awful NE tight reach of 30m knots with swells breaking over the bows. I was not happy, but there was nothing to do except grit and keep going. Once we’d cleared Sandy Point we could ease up and head more south and then the NE wind became a blessing and sped us along at a good 10 knots with swell on the beam, but not breaking.

A fast afternoon and night and we made Cape May, the northern point of Delaware Bay, and anchored just inward in the bay behind a breakwater of the Canal at 2am. Another long tiring day.

Sunday, we were up again and going by 7am to catch the Flood Tide going north into Delaware Bay for 50 miles to the CDC (Chesapeake Delaware Canal).

We made Salem by 12h30 and headed into the Canal with a flood current of half knot which steadily rose to 2 knots with us.

CDC straight and clear, we sailed the whole way through the Canal

ConRail Lifting Bridge whom we had to call to check the Lift was high enough for Meshugga

Beautiful Bridges

Some sights along the Canal towards the Chesapeake end

My incredibly handsome wonderful husband and partner in adventures

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Last bridge of the Chesapeake Delaware Canal

After eleven bridges and power lines, we exited the Canal and headed south for another few hours before tiredness started to take it’s effect and we sought anchorage in the Saffaras River at about 5pm. An early dinner and I was showered and in bed by 8pm

Next day, Monday 11th , Columbus Day, we upped anchor at 8am and sailed with the Ebb Tide 30 miles south to Annapolis. A nice light sail. Arriving in Annapolis we anchored in the Severn River along with many other largish yachts both sail and power.

Our next week will be varied with both maintenance arrangements, and fun visiting the Annapolis Boat Show and seeing friends.

USA - New York, Catskill Marina - A Final Farewell

 

Miracles do happen! Nicholas is doing dishes !!!!!

My foot with it’s Bunion operation now 6 weeks old, I am able to take off the 24/7 Orthopedic Shoe, and am now into Sneakers with an Orthopedic insert, for another 6 weeks. That said, I finally felt capable of walking the 1 mile from Meshugga into the Catskills village Post Office.

I had in Cape Town, South Africa undertaken to Marita of SV Alleycat to transport some Anti-Emetic (Sea-sickness) pill to the States and mail them to a friend of theirs.

The village has beautiful hanging baskets from every lamp post.

The Catskill USPS is a lovely old building, and I was able to, successfully Priority Mail the Anti-Emetics to Key West, Florida.

Back on Meshugga, the Catskill River foliage is slowly beginning to change. Almost daily we can see the leaves change from green to yellow to orange.

Our time is running out here in Catskills, and we had a few of the people we’ve come to know onto Meshugga for drinks and snacks, both to say Thanks, and they all want to take a look at and inside the boat.

Laura of SV Second Wind and Susan of SV Autumn Borne

A huge special thanks to Bob, who lives in Catskills in a Condo overlooking Meshugga in the river. He was Awesome in texting us whilst we were in South Africa to let us know the status of the River and the weather. We are SO thankful for his friendship and support.

Bob on the Wheel on the Flybridge.

Bob and his wife Susan

Dean of SV Autumn Borne and Susan

Bill of SV Second Wind and Nicholas

And then a final night in the Catskills Marina, a Bonfire, Music and Pizza evening

Bill, Susan and Dean on guitar

Laura getting the Bonfire going

Laura and D, both determined to get that fire going 

D and Don of SV Southern Cross

Last look back at the Catskills Creek with Meshugga’s Mast the tallest in the Creek

Laura on Harmonica and Bill on Guitar of SV Second Wind

And that brings to the end our Sojourn at the Catskills Marina.

Early tomorrow morning we leave.

USA - New York, Catskill, Another Catskill River Flood Alert

Another text from Bob, alerting us that our area is expecting thunderstorms, and although we’d only get 1-3 inches of rain, up in the Catskill Mountains, they’re expecting 4-6 inches of rain, all of which drains into the Catskill River, and once again we were on 24 hours Watch of Flash Flood Alert!

It was high tide and I rushed outside to take photos as a reference to ‘see’ how high the water was getting.

This is the strut which ‘ties’ the walk-on pontoons to the shore. At high-tide, the strut is slightly ‘Up’ on the walk-on side. During Hurricane Irene in 2011, these walk-ons rose so high that the floated off the shore side pins, and docks and boats floated down the Catskill River into the Hudson River and South……, not something we want for Meshugga, as our Mast is SO tall (120 foot),  that we’d hit the Kingston Bridge 20 miles south with any rise in Hudson River waters. Hence our stress with Flash Flooding. We need to be aboard so that incase of ‘floating off’ the pins we can go into the Hudson River and anchor Meshugga out of the main current, and be Safe!

For reference, this is the Boardwalk at Low Tide

A close up of the Pin side at HighTide, as a reference for Flooding.

Time is important too, to determine the state of the tide.

We were most surprised when we got to the Catskill Marina to find that, although we knew it’d be tidal, it had a HUGE tide of over 1 meter, which we did not expect as we’re 120 miles upriver from the sea.

All ended well with the rise in water coordinating with Low Tide, and no discernible difference at High Tide. Quite a strong river flow kept up all day and next with logs and tree trunks flowing past us.

However, today is a sunny but cool Sunday
 

The Catskill Cruisers facilities, a Tent with tables, BBQ’s, Firepit, Rest Room and Shower facilities

Nicholas on Wifi

Unfortunately my MacBook Air, has some problem. He is online to Kieran to help with computer stuff. Seems like my MacBook Air is stuffed and needs a total reboot, clean out etc etc. This will take many hours at this Cruisers setup where there is a good wifi signal.Unfortunately on  Meshugga we are too far away to get a strong signal. I guess I’ll be sitting here tomorrow for 5 hours, whilst my MacBook Air updates, ……. reading Outlander book 5…… I can’t think of anything worse…. Just saying