this view never gets old
The Yacht Club summer cruise this year is up the Hudson, into Lake Champlain, and within spitting distance of the Canadian border.
Here is how the overall cruise leader, Alan Shearer, reported the first week of this three week venture:
Twelve AYC Cruising Boats embarked on the cruise on or about July 6, and because they are boats, one of the 12 didn't get very far. Our Cruise Leader, Steve Sharkey, had a mechanical problem and had to abort the cruise before Steve and Audrey exited the bay. Cruise Fleet Chair Mike Pitchford, Tom Farcosky, and several others dug in and helped with logistics, and once again, we adapted.
Undeterred, the fleet moved on to our first stop at Liberty Landing Marina in New York Harbor. Our first event was at the New York Yacht Club facility in New York City, with a very well-done open bar and dinner. All 26 cruisers enjoyed an exciting bus ride into the city and the hospitality of the venerable old club.
Our next stop headed north up the Hudson to Newburgh, NY. We had some early warning about strong currents at the Riverfront Marina, but nothing prepared us for the current pushed upriver by 15-knot winds. Four boats scheduled to be on a downriver side tie moved on to Kingston as waves were crashing over the floating dock at their slips. The rest of us had a very rocky night that evolved into a calm, still morning. The highlight of this stop was worth the marina conditions as the group took a tour of the West Point Military Academy arranged by Jim Kizziar. Our tour guide was excellent, with almost 50 years of service at West Point. All were moved by the history and pathos he recounted as we visited important spots around the academy grounds.
The next day, the entire group headed to Kingston. The Hudson Maritime Museum and Kingston City Dock provided comfortable slips for the whole group, with excellent local restaurants nearby.
Moving on to Troy and the Troy Municipal Dock, another transit point with a reasonably acceptable restaurant close to the dock.
Boating up the Hudson River from New York to the entrance to the Champlain Canal is almost too much to take in on one trip. Passing through Manhattan to starboard with its seemingly endless rows of skyscrapers and moving into the scenic hills and cliffs above the Tappan Zee Bridge is a contrast to enjoy on a cruise such as this. The river is wide to these points, making for comfortable, scenic cruising.
Leaving Troy for the Champlain Canal and the locks. For many, this was their first experience of transiting locks, and despite the excellent tutoring from Peter Thornton and others, nerves were on edge in the first lock. While it can get you dirty, transiting locks is not such a big deal if you take them slow and follow directions. Sounds familiar?
Saturday, after transiting the first six locks, most of the fleet arrived in Fort Edward, a municipal basin well-suited to transient boaters. The Murph got an early start and traveled the canal to Whitehall in one leg due, I am sure, to superior seamanship and a lot of luck.
Of course, the entire cruise is the point, but tomorrow promises our first look at Lake Champlain.
More to follow next week!