Clay
and I awakened this Saturday morning at Great Kills Yacht Club (GKYC), Staten
Island, NY. The attraction to this location was the harbor host and dock master
John. The rave reviews of GKYC through the online AGLCA Forum never failed to
cite him in positive superlative terms. We were pleased to meet John who
introduced us around the docks upon our arrival yesterday, saying if we ever
needed anything, just holler "John" and at least a few guys were
bound to come runnin'. Following the introduction was a one-liner about the new
acquaintance which was often, "He's a retired NYC firefighter." Those
words boosted our admiration of the fella(s) as we remembered 9/11.
Having
walked yesterday early eve upon arrival, I led our morning walk today along the
Great Kills Harbor which sported numerous marinas, boatyards, supply shops and
eateries. The restaurants seemed to be highly popular based on last evening's
crowds, and the constant flow of traffic verified the popularity of boating here.
Up the hill, we encountered a busy two-lane roadway of retail establishments,
bus stops, and occasional vacant storefronts. Frequent intersections had us
stopping periodically, but we were able to keep the momentum going so as to
accommodate a decent cardio workout. We stopped for a purchase at CVS and a
look-see at Frank & Sal's Italian Market, then made our way back to the
boat in time for a quick breakfast before a much-needed grocery run with dock
master John. Having been enticed with the deli offerings at Frank & Sal's,
we returned there to purchase our Saturday night supper.
Great
Kills Yacht Club hosted a Sunday morning Fathers Day brunch so we joined the
festivities and were heartily welcomed into the folds of the families gathered
to celebrate the day. John had secured a table for his family and all of the
Loopers docked at GKYC; in total, we made quite a crowd. During the welcome,
thank you's and 50/50 drawing announcement, Clay and I made note of the many
Italian names that were called out. Glad we weren't in the position of having
to pronounce them all, let alone spell them.
I
would be remiss if I didn't mention Hurricane Sandy at this point. John urged
us to visit the bar area of the club to view the before and after photos
showing Sandy's impact and the devastation rendered by the Hurricane. I well
remember the Hurricane, but being here, studying the photos, and witnessing the
damage shown in the pictures as well as the sights along our walks of debris
and totaled boats which still sit askew onshore make it so real!
Following
brunch, I spent the better part of the day researching Broadway Shows while
Clay gave the boat a much-needed washing. I periodically interrupted him for
input and finally secured tickets to 'Kinky Boots' and 'Wicked' matinees to
coordinate with his ticket purchases for the 9/11 Museum and the Intrepid and
his plans with cousins Robert and Maria Sedlak and with cousin Kris Kinet.
We're gonna have a busy, delightful week in NYC!
Monday
we made the two-hour trip through New York Harbor to dock at Liberty Landing
Marina in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ. We had been cautioned to keep
alert to traffic on our trip because New York Harbor is one of the world's
busiest harbors; ships and barges are always on the move in and out of the
harbor, anchoring and docking at piers along the Hudson River, the East River
and heading to ports in New Jersey. "Tankers, freighters of all flags,
cruise ships, naval vessels, a myriad of tugs and tows and recreational boat
traffic--along with continual ferry service to and from Staten Island, New
Jersey ports on the Hudson and through The Narrows to ports south--demand the
full attention of even the most experienced skippers."
We felt like bobbleheads with demands of 360 rotation as we
kept alert and tried to snap an occasional picture of the scenes unfolding
before us as we made our way to Liberty Landing. Exhausting, but so much fun!
The sights were impressive; the demands, constant as we cruised by the Statue
of Liberty and Ellis Island on our port (left) and Battery Park, the Financial
District (and, yes, the NYMEX, John), and the World Trade Center on our
starboard (right). It was puzzling to determine if barges were moving or
anchored which added to the complexity of our navigation. We successfully dodged the fast-moving
Staten Island ferries of which we'd been forewarned, so we were feeling pretty
accomplished by the time we entered the deadend canal housing Liberty Landing
Marina. Finally, we dodged the Liberty
Lady II ferry from Jersey City bound for Manhattan, staying well out of her way
as we'd been instructed. Stress level was high, but we made it!
As we dock at Liberty Landing Marina for our week's stay, I
bid you a fond farewell until our next update. I know I'm a bit behind in
documenting our travels, but hang in there with me. The Captain keeps me quite
busy with activities, entertaining, first mate duties (navigating, crewing and
the like), and frequent commands of 'stand by.' Lends new meaning to the song,
"Stand By Your Man." Hmmmm...
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