Northwest Passage from Noank, CT to Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT
by Marilyn and Brock Richardson
August 13, 2003
We departed from Noank on Wednesday August 13th at 11:30a.m. with dense fog and poor visibility. Beth was there to see us off. We motored 30kts and we ducked into Duck Island in Saybrook at around 6:30p.m. The day was perilous as we had a close, (very close) call with the Long Island Ferry, Mary Ellen. The fog was thick and we heard a loud blast from a foghorn. We stayed our course and she emerged from the fog approximately 150 feet from our bow. It seemed much closer. It’s an image we will never forget! After that, a power boat appeared on our reciprocal course. They seemed as surprised as we were. Another near miss. The next rubber leg event happened as we were passing Niantic, This time we heard two loud fog horns. Again, with terror in our hearts, we stayed our course. Two commercial fishing boats approached. We saw the first and waited with baited breath for the sighting of the second. The fog lifted later in the day but haze remained. We chose to find a harbor early, as we were a bit frazzled. The anchorage was quiet and the seas calm, allowing us a very restful sleep. We saw oyster catchers playing and egrets roosting.
Thursday Aug. 14
We awoke at 6:00am to a glorious morning of clear skies and warm temperatures. We motored out of the harbor escorted by a tern who greeted us as if to predict good favor. We set sail with winds NW 10-15KTS. perfect conditions. I’m starting to get into the sailing groove as I was in my underwear all day and took a lovely nap. Dragon flies appear from time to time and I always seem to know who they are. The boat is performing well and our top speed hits 6.5-7.0 when we motor sail. We read, played word games, sang, and made sun tea. We spent the night at City Island, NY, arriving around 7:00pm. We learned upon arrival that the power was out in parts of S. CT, NY, and NJ. It didn’t affect our self sufficient lifestyle but we missed the lights of the city. We met a nice couple who shared our love of boating. The yacht club attendant was also very friendly and helpful. We anchored and prepared a delicious dinner of swordfish with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and zucchini. It was a beautiful sight to sail toward the Manhattan skyline.
Friday Aug. 15
We started our day with a tea toast to John Watkins’ 50th anniversary in Friendship Long Island. The day was fair with sunshine and temps predicted in the 80’s. We motored down the east river against the tide: slow going. We were forced to turn back and anchor until the tide changed. Hell Gate will have to wait!
(Brock journals here) We anchored off Rikers Island to wait for the tide to turn. Rikers Island is the jail for New York. To call it a jail does not begin to describe it. It is a city; a city built to imprison men. We pass building after building and docks with cages around them for unloading the convicted. It is a sad and somber place. As we motored by earlier in the day we saw a barge with a huge building on it across the river from Rikers. We speculated what it was until we saw a cage tipped by razor wire at one end. Several men, their hands grasping the chain link, watched our progress down the river. A stark contrast to the freedom and excitement we felt to be sailing to a new home and life adventure.
We cleared Hell Gate easily the second try. No current pushing us backwards. There is a huge amount of barge traffic on the East river. As we approached a narrow section, a barge appeared. It seemed there was just enough space for us to scoot beside him, then a tug that was following, pulled into that space so he could help push around a corner. I wondered how we could fit. Then a large power boat scooted beside them! We all made it somehow but I am not used to the closeness that vessels pass by each other.
At Hell Gate the river divides into three; the Harlem River far to the west and the East divided by Roosevelt Island. We take the west side of the East river and start our journey down the east side of Manhattan. It is exhilarating; cars, ambulances, buses on one side, tugs, barges, boats, and ferries on the other. Boats throwing huge wakes think nothing of passing 25 feet from you. I am used to it now so I am less fazed. Just when I think that I’ve seen it all, Marilyn says “hey, look it’s a sea plane.” I see it and also see a helicopter taking off.
We watch as the plane taxis out. How it can possibly find the space between all this boat traffic amazes me. As the plane starts it’s run to take off, a high speed ferry jets across the river into its path. Marilyn and I both wonder if it will make it. We watch with excitement as it becomes airborne and banks sharply left to avoid the ferry, seeming to miss it by just a few feet. It then climbs and just clears the towering bridge. I suppose this is just an everyday take off for this pilot.
We pass under the Brooklyn Bridge and can see Governors Island and New York Harbor before us. I point to Marilyn and say “look, there she is” as the statue of liberty looks on in the distance. We dodge the Staten Island ferry and head into New York Harbor. We fight our way through the traffic to Lady Liberty. She is breathtaking! It is Marilyn’s first time to see her. The day is clear and sunny and she welcomes us to our journey up the Hudson.
While the East river was busy, it pales in comparison to the Hudson. At least in the East river the traffic is mainly up and down the river. In the Hudson, it is every which way. So many high speed ferries crossing, passing, and oncoming it boggles the mind. If the East river is a busy highway, the lower Hudson is a demolition derby. The wake from all the ferry and boat traffic makes it seem as if we are in a washing machine. It is difficult to do anything on the boat because of the pitching and rolling. Each ferry terminal that we pass gives us comfort as we know there will be less ferries as we head north.
Manhattan is much prettier from the East river than the Hudson. This seems odd, as the Hudson is a spectacular river. The Hudson, huge and majestic, dwarfs the East river and makes it seem a canal by comparison. As we reach about 60th street the ferry traffic has diminished to a tolerable level and by the time we get to the 79th street boat basin, the traffic in not bad at all. We can begin to take in the beauty of the river framed by the GW Bridge.
The bridge has a new look. The white skin is being removed from the supporting towers and the lattice like structure is bare; a much better look to my eye. We have a long time to study it as our speed has dropped to 2.5kts as we struggle against a strong current. Hope it’s not this slow the whole way up. We hug the NY shore and our speed increases a little as we head for our nights anchorage, the western shore across from Yonkers. We are nestled under a cliff and an osprey sits on a dead tree above us. We hear the water from a brook and the cicadas sing us to sleep and although we see the lights of NY, we are a world away and happy that we are.
About the Richardsons
Brock and Marilyn own Good Goose, hull 552. They recently moved from Connecticut to Vermont, and have brought their Triton to a new home on Lake Champlain.
Click on a date below to go to that day's log.
August 13, 2003—Noank to Duck Island, Saybrook
August 14, 2003—Duck Island to City Island, NY
August 15, 2003—City Island to East River, NY, near Yonkers
August 16, 2003—East River to Marlboro, NY
August 17, 2003—Marlboro to Hudson, NY
August 18, 2003—Hudson to Waterford, NY
August 19, 2003—Waterford to Fort Ann, NY
August 20, 2003—Fort Ann to Fort Ticonderoga
August 21, 2003—Fort Ticonderoga to Converse Bay
August 22, 2003 —Converse Bay to Mallets Bay, Lake Champlain
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