We were glad of the shelter by dawn. The southerly gale had turned northwesterly but we were safe and secure behind the breakwater, listening to the wind howling in the rigging. We were looking forward to the shower, laundry, wifi and playground facilities of the marina but didn't even fancy the trip across to the shore as even here the water was choppy and the wind cold. Then James looked more closely at the marina – there were no boats in the water, all the moorings were abandoned and the strops looked like they had been discarded a long time, the pontoons were missing, there was a boat on its side on the shore and many construction barges and cranes. James tried to hail them on the VHF and then by telephone but there was no response. We began to remember the destruction of hurricane Sandy last autumn and that this was the area it made landfall. I'd seen a New Jersey bridge destroyed and the recent charts did indeed show a bridge "under construction" nearby.
We telephoned another nearby marina to try to secure a berth but again got no reply. We intend to move on to New York but need shoreside facilities and information before we commit to moving into that busy harbour. James also recalled that many of the smaller marinas opposite Manhatten had also been hit hard by Sandy and may not have reopened. If anyone back at home can find out some information and ring us on James' phone, we'd be grateful!
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