Friday, July 10, 2015
Navigating around here involves a careful study of the current charts. I determined when we needed to leave to be at Hell Gate at the right time. This involved riding the ebb current down the Hudson, and down the Harlem River, and riding the flood current out the East River into Long Island Sound.
We were making 11 kts down the Hudson, turning 1400 rpms for awhile (fast for us!) The extra speed caused us to reach the Spuyten Duyvil Railway Bridge a little earlier than anticipated, which was good, since our "open on demand" bridge tender told us to wait 20 minutes, at which time a train passed through. By the time he opened 35 minutes later, there were 5 vessels waiting to get through, including a police boat, who I suspect called someone to get the bridge tender moving. We still had the current with us, changing as we got to Hell Gate (love it when a plan comes together) putting us flying out the East River at 10kts.
Hell Gate is named, I think for the little dancing waves and whirlpools formed by the tidal current charging 4.5kts thru water that if full of holes and rocks. (There was only half that current when we came through.)
Today we passed Sing Sing Prison in the Hudson, as well as Rikers Island, which is HUGE!
The town of North Hempstead/Port Washington has done it right to bring boaters to their community. They have a great mooring field in a protected bay. The moorings are good, and they are FREE for two days. There is a town dock, with a free pump out, and two different dinghy docks. The northern town down is right across from a grocery store, and about 1/4 mi walk from a Rite-Aid, and a West Marine. There are dog walk bags and trash cans by the north dock. There are shops, and places to eat. The closer dock has a park area, where a band was playing under the clamshell this evening.
You can catch the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station every 30 minutes on the week-ends, didn't check the week-day.
So glad we came to Port Washington!
No comments:
Post a Comment