10 Days To Go

Ten days before we left Lisbon for our first Atlantic crossing were frantic. So much needed doing and there seemed so little time to sort it all out.  By comparison, 10 days before we need to leave the USA, the list is short, the days warm and sunny, and NYYC at Newport is a lovely relaxed place to prepare.  As I sit and type I can see classic schooners and 12 metres sailing past, where else could I do this?!  The suspension bridge arcs across the far side of the bay and the mast and pennant of the NYYC stands proud at the foot of the club dock.

We have settled into a daily routine, of breakfast then schoolwork in the mornings, with the afternoons spent at the club, or going into town shopping.

Sunday on the terrace, E met a couple with a parrot on their shoulder!  Pirates ahoy!

The children have made themselves at home in the club gardens, creating a den in a small thicket which seems to be even more popular than playing binweevils online in the doghouse. E has been working on the boat doing cleaning for me to earn pocket money and M is keen to find a job that he can do to earn money too.

I have a list of small spares items ordered and being brought out by crew.  The new main is on the way and we should get in on Thursday or Friday.  Then we need gas, fuel and food to be ready for the off.  Our first new crew member arrives on Friday night, and we shall meet her in NY, and come back to the boat on Saturday.

 

 

Staying in Newport

Best laid plans go astray.

We had been told that the new main would be here in Newport on May 15th, giving us enough time to sail back to NYC by the 24 to collect our new au pair, Lidia.  However a call to the sail maker yesterday revealed that it will not be in Newport until early next week, leaving us no time to get the sail sorted and get back to NYC.

Fortunately Newport is rather a nice place to be in the meantime.  Shops and laundry mat are not too far, the NYYC clubhouse is close enough that I can send this from the mooring, and the anchorage is well protected. 

People are friendly, there are playgrounds a short walk away and there are lost of pretty boats.  We are settling into a daily routine of breakfast then school work, followed by lunch. The afternoon is mostly spent ashore either at the club, playgrounds or doing more mundane things, such as the shopping.

However, staying here, leaves us with the small issue of getting Lidia and then Cornelius and Richard next week.  A hire car for the week and a couple of trips to NYC might be in order.  It’s a 6 hour round trip...

Photos to follow when I can get them off my phone...

New York Yacht Club

Hello, everyone.

At New York yacht club there were...

 

Sofas, armchairs and a fancy desk with a big mirror infront and a bowl of sweets on the desk... IN THE TOILETS!!! And there were about 20, 000 different soapes as well and a glass bottle of mouthwash with a glass sphere on top for a lid. The bench for the sinks were marble and there are is a basket of thick paper towles to dry your hands on. The lounge has three sofas and eight armchairs in it and the walls are covered with models of boats and shelves full of hardback books.

Elizabeth's blog

Hello, everyone. We are alongside a museum and we are leaving tomorrow morning at eight o' clock.  The weather has been nice and sunny and warm.  I dont really know what to say, but I am sadly not missing anyone for some reason.  Matthew is missing Tiernan, though. We are at McDonalds and James is eating apple pie. I would have said "dad" but then you wouldn't know what I mean.  I haven't been getting sea sick lately, but I think that is just because it has been calm.

New York to Mystic Seaport

After a week in New York, it was time to move on and brave the wild tides of Hell's Gate on the East River.  Critical timing for the tides to ensure they were not running so fast as to make us out of control, or against us meaning we would get nowhere.  A study of Eldridge, suggested a 0700 departure, but we also needed to get a pump out from the marina before we left.  The earliest we could do this was at 0730.  Half an hour late on the tide?  Not too much problem.

 

At 0730 there was no sign of the pump out boat.   At 0740 I gave them a call, "Just a few minutes".  At 0755, I abandoned the idea and ran the security cards back to office, saying we had to go.  0800 we were off, with the pump out guy waving saving he was just about to come to us!  Too late now, time and tide wait for no man etc.

 

We passed round the southern tip of Manhattan Is and then started up the East river.  By Brooklyn Bridge we were doing 7 knots over the ground, by the time we got to the channel divide around the island between Manhattan and Brooklyn we were doing 8, Approaching Hell's Gate we got to 9.5, and briefly touched 10. Lots of fast spinning eddies were more than April could cope with so it was hand steering all the way.  Apart from the odd glance on deck at the Manhattan skyline whizzing by, E and M stayed below in the warm.

 

Finally out into Long Island sound with a moderate SE wind to push us along, we got sail up (2 reefs and genny) and headed for Huntington.  At 1030 approaching Huntington Bay, I realised that out speed wasn't dropping with the expect tide change.  A quick look at Eldridge, showed a reverse eddy on off the bay, and if we went on for a couple of hours, we would pick up the main ebb down Long Island sound.  I decided to dropout a reef as the wind eased, but missed that one of the reef points was still tied in.   With a now familiar ripping sound the main split at the 2 reef line.  Too long to hand stitch, and the fabric obviously too old and week, we pushed on with 3 reefs in. 

 

New Haven is about 70 miles from New York, and we slipped in to Morris Cove at  the entrance around 1930 and dropped the hook a couple of hundred yards from the only other boat in sight.  A very peaceful spot.  In the morning we moved to the main anchorage in New Haven, but found it empty, and we went ashore to visit the city proper.  New Haven is the home to Yale University, but the town was not inspiring.  A surprising number of homeless in the park, and the marina attendant said he wouldn't recommend walking through the local neighbourhood!

 

Next stop Essex... Connecticut that is.

 

What a change from New Haven, a beautiful unspoilt river (except for the railway bridge we had to wait for) and rather like stretches of the Orwell, Stour or Blackwater in the original Essex.  We were made very welcome by the Essex Yacht Club, who apologised for not being able fly a British ensign for us!  We obliged by giving them our unused red courtesy ensign.  Essex is a tiny little town with a few upmarket shops and a friendly population.  Beautiful houses along the river, and an air of calm sophistication and wealth.

 

A short 25 mile hop along the coast in a fine SE, took as into Mystic Seaport, and it famous Seaport Museum, where we berthed.  It feels odd to be moored in a museum, completely empty at night, and busy with visitors during the day.  Another nice spot and a good chance for the children to do a project on the exhibits and activities of a working port from the last century.  Coopers, milliners,  hoop shops and working sailing ships for starters.

 

Rhode Island next stop!

 

 

Manhatten on Sea

New York has a close association with the water and visiting by sea proved wonderful. We found friendly berth at Liberty Landing Marina in New Jersey, adjoining the Liberty State Park and with a frequent water taxi across the Hudson to Manhattan's World Trade Centre. We had been warned of shocking marina fees and had been previously quoted $6 per foot per night, but Liberty Landing berthed us for a mere $1.43 per foot. What a bargain way to stay in New York and with spectacular views of Manhattan just across the river!

Sailing on The Hudson - view from our marina

We did everything with the only proviso that if we missed the last ferry back at 20:45 we'd have to take the PATH train to New Jersey City for $2.25 and then an $8 cab ride back to the marina. New York proved welcoming and stunning. The city does not seem as nearly as crowded as London. The architecture has been carefully planned as the city evolved and public transport is safe, cheap and efficient. Even public hubs such as Grand Central became frequent haunts for us as we enjoyed the amazing architecture, spacious and high class dining concourse and the scores of free Apple iPads, iPhones and Macbooks to use for internet browsing.

Elizabeth on the BIG piano at toystore FAO Schwarz

James, as a member of the Royal Sydney, had arranged a letter of introduction to the New York Yacht Club and we had opportunity for several visits including a fine dinner. The model room is reminiscent of a galleon, with large ornate bay windows. Below this is the dining room which has the feel of being below decks on the same vessel. All club members' boats are represented as half models, as are all the America's Cup boats. We saw the models of the J-class we had sailed with in Europe, including Endeavour who had sailed to see us start our Transat Classique in Cascais back in December. We saw the model of challenger Sceptre which gave James' father his first taste of sailing on a delivery voyage south with old friend and delivery skipper Iain Forsyth. We saw other boats which are now members of the British Classic Yacht Club represented on those famous walls, such as the Fife, Argyll. Above all, we enjoyed their hospitality and fine dining. James intends to visit their waterfront club house, Harbour Court, in Rhode Island next month.

The Model Room of the NYYC

The Americans have shown themselves to be courteous and hospitable in the extreme. Not only did Eric Sirulnik come good on his offer of hospitality, but day to day Americans would just stop and talk to us about their country when they overheard our accents. We had even been hailed for a friendly chat by the Baltimore pilot who was taking a Liberian tanker past us up the Chesapeake, and the subway driver on my last day spotted my large bags and left his cab several times on the journey to check I was OK, chat and ensure I used the best stop for my onward transfer to JFK. We would never see that in the UK. Around New York, we saw many still affected by the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Aid tents are still in action in New Jersey and many businesses remain closed pending renovations. Despite this, New Yorkers have shown great resilience wrought from a decade of disasters and were among the most open and exhuberant of all Americans we met.

So, I have made my own farewells to Croix des Gardes and my family as James take the children further on their voyage. I hope he will continue to update this blog on their adventures. He plans to catch the early tide tomorrow at 7am up the East River and past Hell's Gate into Long Island Sound. He will anchor off thirty miles away and make his way up to Newport and Mystic. He will return to New York the last week in May to meet a new au pair who  intends to sail back as well as Cornelius and Richard who are flying out to crew. He has to leave the USA on May 31st due to visa constraints but may consider hopping up to Halifax to shorten the last voyage and wait for a weather window. Either way, I wish them fair winds and smooth seas and will see them again on their return to the UK later in the summer.

New York, New York

Dawn from Liberty Island, New York

Yesterday afternoon we sailed into New York Harbor and anchored just 200 yards west of Liberty Island for the night. After a lazy morning, mainly admiring the view and eating American style pancakes, we moved round to Liberty Landing Marina which will be our home for the last week of my voyage. We are now enjoying a late brunch in the crisp NYC sunshine just a block away from Ground Zero.

View from our anchorage