5/27/22
Transiting New York harbor is an exercise in timing the tides and currents. Slack water at Hell Gate was around 1 pm so we lingered in Sandy Hook and lifted the anchor around 10 am. (would rather winched the anchor up with the windlass but that piece of equipment is sitting on the bow pouting like a petulant child). Note to non boaters…a standard dock greeting amongst fellow captains is ”What broke today?”
It was Parade Day for Fleet Week in New York Harbor, which seemed that it could be a problem but actually directed morning traffic up the Hudson, which left relatively few pleasure boats going up the East River. There was still a fair amount of commercial traffic but much lighter than when we were coming south in October. We were going to take another closer look at Lady Liberty but a pincer movement of tugs, barges and ferries proved way to stressful so we chose to stay on the Manhattan side of the East River.
Approaching Hell gate, we were behind a tug&barge traveling at 4 knots and ahead of a tanker traveling at 7 knots. (Hell Gate is a narrow, twisty passage connecting the East River to Long Island Sound) We maneuvered past the slower traffic as soon as we passed the Hell Gate bridge and never looked back.
Our plan was to meet the crew from Pronto in Port Jefferson for dinner. Adverse current in Long Island Sound (it runs east through Hell Gate while running west through the sound, go figure). It also runs East on the south side of the sound while running west on the North side…sometimes. We were going to pick up moorings but dock space at the Port Jefferson Yacht Club only cost a little more and allowed us to walk into town.
We tied up around 6 pm Pronto tied up about 6:15 and by 6:45 we were enjoying dinner at Ruvo (highly recommended Italian restaurant). After a quiet night at the dock, we wished the crew from Pronto safe travels on their way to Maine and set a course for Stonington.