More NYC, 'cuz there's lots there to see!

After a rolly night anchored behind the Statue of Liberty, we headed toward the island of Manhattan and took a right to head up the East River. Eventually, we would end up on Long Island Sound.  Before we got there, we would pass under many bridges and hit a new top speed.  We had consulted the current tables carefully, and clocked an even 10.0 knots speed over ground running through Hell Gate.  Not a bad feat since our normal cruising speed is 5.5 knots.  Below is the view as we were passing Manhattan on the left.  Ahead of the bow and off in the distance, you may be able to see the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

The view from the East River of Manhattan and all the bridges was quite a thrill. Here we are approaching Brooklyn Bridge.

Next up is the Manhattan Bridge.

Along with the bridges, there is some crazy architecture in this town.  Whoever built this thing needs to check their level.

We had a nice view of the UN building as we cruised up beside Roosevelt Island

Hell Gate is a turbulent area during the times of peak flow, as the strong currents in the East River mix with the currents from the Harlem River.  It makes for some fun navigating as the changing currents push the boat in various directions.  Here you can see some of the turbulence on the water's surface as we approach Triborough and Hell Gate bridges.

We were nearing the end of the big city, and before passing Rikers Island, we passed beside North Brother Island.  I found it interesting that here in New York City, there are islands that have gone into ruin.  This island has had an interesting history and currently it has the ruins of a quarantine hospital, where typhoid Mary spent her final days. 

It was just a few more miles around the bend to Port Washington where we stopped for the next few days.  We finally were able to meet up with our friends Russell and Steve on s/v one80.  Here is Russell in his self proclaimed lil' blue clown car.  Thanks for the warm welcome to P. Washington!

We ended up taking the train into NYC with Russell and Steve for a day trip.  The train dropped us off at Penn Station, and we headed south toward ground zero.  We planned it perfectly, walking through this normally hectic city on the fourth of July weekend.  The only people out were tourists, and the hustle and bustle was notably absent.  We made our way south to the impressive new Freedom Tower, along with the very serene WTC memorials.

Somewhere we should all take the time to visit...

We made our way to Liberty Park, where we would catch another glimpse of Lady Liberty.

We were getting a bit tired of walking now, so we hopped on the subway for a trip back north to Central Park.  Wow, is that a big park.  I was expecting much less, and ended up being very impressed. 

On our way back to Penn Station, we passed through Times Square, where we caught a glimpse of the ball that is dropped, confirming that we were, indeed, still in 2017.

It was getting to be a long day, and after some grub, we headed back to Penn Station and our train, and back to Port Washington

And back to our floating home on a mooring...

We ended up spending a total of four days in Port Washington, where everything a cruiser needs in accessible and affordable.  From the town dock at the grocery store and shopping area to the transient moorings and boat shuttle for people passing through town, we felt very welcome in this harbor.  Plus, it was a great way to visit NYC.  After stocking up and getting our fill of the city, we left Port Washington headed toward more New England adventures...