May 20th
After staying an extra night in Tarrytown, NY to catch up on our sleep, we headed north on the Hudson River. The interesting thing about the Hudson is that it has tides all the way from New York City to Troy, 160 nautical miles north of NYC. As a result, there are two high tides and two low tides each day, which results in the current changing direction four times a day. When headed up the river, it is prudent to leave at low tide and plan to travel for approximately 6 hours while the tidal current is going north. Thus, we only planned to travel on the river for six hours each day. After leaving Tarrytown, the river took on a character of it’s own, with tall granite hills on each side of the river, and a feeling of being in the wilderness. One can almost imagine being an explorer 300 years ago, and seeing this wilderness for the first time (pic 1).
The military academy at West Point (pic 2) was one of the few reminders that civilization had arrived. It was built around a fort which had been built on the river, and many of the new buildings take on the architectural lines of the original fort. We spent the night at a marina in Marlboro, NY, which was about as picturesque as the logs and driftwood we had been dodging all day in the river.
May 21
We had another pretty day on the river as we approached the Catskill Mountains. For the night, we stopped at the Catskill Marina in Catskill, NY. The marina was about .75 miles up a narrow, windy creek off the Hudson. I think this marina had more charm than any marina we have been in on the entire trip. It was also a short walk into town, where we ate dinner at La Conca D’Oro, an Italian restaurant with the best value for meals we have had on the entire trip.
May 22nd & 23rd
We arrived at the Albany Yacht Club, and plan to spend two nights here while we get the boat ready to transit the Erie Canal.
The first night here, we walked three miles out, and three miles back to get groceries. On the morning of the 23rd, Peter,the young man who works in the marina office, stopped at Home Depot on his way to work, and got us some lumber which we will use to build a tripod to help lower the mast, The mast is too tall to go under some of the bridges.
May 25th
Sorry, there were no pictures today. Jim and Paul left The Albany Yacht Club at 6:45 AM, and passed through the Troy Lock on the Hudson River about a half hour later. Shortly thereafter they entered the Erie Canal for the trip west to Lake Erie. They had six locks to transit on the Erie Canal today, and they are the six tallest on the entire canal; a total rise of approximately 200 feet. It is not easy holding a 50,000 pound boat off the lock wall in swirling water as the lock fills. Both guys were very sore and tired by the time they reached Schenectady. EverGreen will lay over at the Schenectady Yacht Club for a week. Jim is leaving on Tuesday, and Jeff Geltz will be arriving on May 31st to help with the Transit through the canal. Paul is anxious for Helen to rejoin them on June 1st, at Amsterdam, NY. The SYC is a $20 cab ride from the nearest grocery store, and Reo’s fresh greens have just about run out, so she is enjoying fresh dandelion leaves which grow abundantly on the YC grounds.
Here is the picture of the river above Terrytown....which, by the way, is the area which is home to Sleepy Hollow fame....Washington Irving lived and wrote in these hills...
And this was our view as we passed West Point....
