Tues June 8: Lady Liberty to City Island Yacht Club mooring ball

 In which we meet a 'clam-digger' not a 'mussel-sucker' ...

 It seems like every day there is a new navigational challenge (which, as Mel says, is very good for our neuroplasticity).  Today we will transit the East River along Manhattan and into Long Island Sound (LIS).  There is a very strong current (up to 5 mph) and the center section of the 90 minute transit is through an area called “Hell Gate”.  So once again it was important to use the tide and current tables to calculate correct departure time so we could take advantage of the current to push us through safely into LIS.   Although Mel really wanted to see the sunrise over the Statue of Liberty, the best time to leave was about 7:30 am.  We pulled up the anchor and headed out again into the big harbor where we once again marveled at the number of ferry boats zooming around.  NY harbor is famous for the many different ferry lines moving people from one part of the city to the other and we counted at least 6 different ferries, including the Staten Island Ferry, zooming past us. We motored past Lady Liberty and Ellis Island and made our way around Battery Park on the south end of Manhattan and into the East River.

Note our path - not up the Hudson yet, but up the East River toward Long Island Sound.

We continued to take a endless photos!!
 

Other than the ferries, there were almost no other boats on the water and we marveled at how quiet and peaceful this huge city can seem, when seen from the water.  We could see all kinds of activities going on onshore - people running, basketball games, dogs getting walked and many bikers, but on the water it was quiet and calm.   We had an amazing view all the way up the river, passing many famous buildings including the UN building, Roosevelt Island and so many beautiful bridges. 

The view from my office today!

 

Once out the other end of the East River we moved slowly into LIS and headed towards City Island. We had planned not to go too far today as we wanted to explore this small island that seems so far away but is actually part of The Bronx, and not more than a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of NYC. 

Part of what the adventure is, day-to-day, is just getting daily life things accomplished in a new environment.  So we had our big bag of dirty clothes ready to take to the laundromat, almost as soon as we were tired up to the mooring ball.   It turns out that most yacht clubs in LIS have launch services.  When you want to come to shore you just call the launch on the radio and they come over and pick you up.  Very civilized.   We called the launch and 2 minutes later Chris pulled up in the cute little launch and took us over to the dock. 

We walked and sweated the few blocks to the laundromat and were so thankful that we could spend some time there cooling off in their AC (the only time we have hoped the wash cycle was long).   The owner could not have been more friendly and he gave us a private tour of the different machines and their washing capabilities!  Once we got talking to him he explained that he was a born and raised “City Islander” and that the nick name for such a person was “Clam-digger”.  Anyone who lives on the island but was not born there is called a “Mussel-sucker”.    But all together they are Bronxites!

Mel was so excited to meet someone from the Bronx, and to hear their accent, that she had to take his picture.

 

We stopped at the local coffee shop for CHAI, coffee and a muffin, and I stopped at yet another small hardware store to buy a repair item.  The owner had to quiz me on the job before he would agree to sell me anything!   Once back at the yacht club with our clean clothes we bought a bag of ice, hopped in the launch and were whisked back to the boat where we promptly went up top and took a nap!

We had noticed a background noise of almost constant popping sounds off in the distance.  It sounded somewhat like fireworks, or someone replacing a roof.  When we mentioned it to the dockhand he said, “oh, that is the NYPD firing range”....they must be preparing for some sort of invasion because from the sound of it they are firing cannons and machine guns almost constantly - late into the night.  It seemed to us that if they spent as much time learning how to mediate conflict as they spent firing guns the police might have a better chance of avoiding violence. 

Right before sunset a major thunderstorm rolled through.  It provided the most amazing lightening, and then rainbow and then fog display.  I'll let the pix speak for themselves.

 

A double rainbow - reflected in the water.  It doesn't get better then that!

 

After the storm and the rainbow, the fog started rolling in.  You can see it coming in the distance here.

As the fog rolls away, the boats are floating in the sky - Mel finds sailboats endlessly photogenic.

 

Almost dark - you can see in the distance the bridge coming over from the big city - but we feel completely removed from city life.

 

Another ridiculously pretty sunset - good night!