Monday June 6: New York City

Yesterday we left Manasquan Inlet about 10 am to check out how the ocean was and since it seemed pretty good off we went. It wasn't that long of a run to Sandy Hook where we anchored for the night but we fought the current for part of the way and especially at the end as we turned east and south to hook into Sandy Hook. And it's name is a good one. It's basically a very large hook of sand! The current was running about 2 mph against us so our usual speed of 8 mph turned into 6 instead. I felt like I should get Steve to paddling to help out! After leaving the Manasquan inlet, we basically went up along the Jersey shore. The shoreline from the water is very different, once again, from the other places we've passed. No high rises here like in Florida but still beach 99% of the time. The anchorage at Sandy Hook was right in front of another large Coast Guard station as well as a large ferry landing. We couldn't figure out who was riding a ferry to here as it seemed to be just a big sandy area.

As we approached the opening to the New York Harbor, Steve spotted something on the shore to the right and decreed it was the old parachute drop ride at Coney Island. He has memories of this of when he was a kid and the family would make a trip or two to New York City a year (his mom grew up in Manhattan!). Coney Island amusement park was a favorite stop. Anyway, I didn't believe it (looked too tall to me - I thought it was a construction derrick but then in my defense we were quite a ways away yet). Anyway, bottom line is that it turns out he was exactly right! Check it out at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_Jump We passed under the Verazano Bridge - another great bridge. Lots of traffic on it!

Other sights on the way in: the Staten Island Ferries, the Statue of Liberty (we'll see her with lit up tonight - hopefully the pics will come out) and Manhattan itself. We will be able to get closer pictures tomorrow when we start up the Hudson River.

One last picture today: Steve has done it again. Ruined any chance of my being able to order crabcakes at a restaurant and be happy with them. He had picked up some crab from Wiso's in Delaware City and decided today was a good day to try making them. None anywhere will ever compare ..... they were delicious :-)