Lady Liberty and the NY Harbor

This private yacht was anchored between Ellis Island and
Liberty Island.  There is a sailboat on the yacht on this side
on the other side next to the sailboat is a power boat.
Talk about overkill.

I know the picture is a little out of focus,
but at night when Lady Liberty is aglow
it is an awesome site.

I was excited at the thought of anchoring behind Liberty Island.  I was sure that since I wasn't arriving until 4:30 the anchorage would be full.  I rounded the last buoy and didn't see another boat in sight.  I double checked the chart plotter with the Active Captain data, I was in the right spot. I was sure that I would soon be run out of the area, this was to good to be true.  As I got into position to start the anchoring process, I noticed a mega yacht anchored between Ellis Island and Liberty Island, out closer to the channel. But hey if they can anchor here so can I. So I lowered the anchor and let it set in.  Thankfully, there weren't any thunderstorms in the forecast, but just so I could sleep well, I backed down on the anchor three times.  It was in solid.  After a day that started with a fire in the engine compartment, fog, and cold (see the "Wow what a day" post), I needed a good nights sleep.  I fixed the spaghetti I had been thinking about all afternoon. and settled in for the night.  But Lesson Plan wasn't finished messing with me.  A carbon monoxide alarm started chirping.  I opened some hatches and turned a fan on the detector, it continued to chirp away.  I opened a new carbon monoxide detector I bought for the "just in case" and set it next to the chirping one, it was silent, so I pulled the defective one off the wall and cut the wires to it.  I settled in to read a while.  After 45 minutes, I was nodding off.  It was only 9:45, I was hopping it was because of my taxing day and not a carbon monoxide build up. I was sure I aired out the cabin sufficiently, so I peeked outside to take another look at Lady Liberty and went to bed.

The next morning I woke up about 5:45 and set about preparing breakfast and thinking about one of the days I have been worried about, going through NY Harbor.  So I pulled up anchor.  Backing down on it three times really had it set in the mud and I had to give it a little forward pull with the boat to get it loose, in my opinion a perfect anchor set.

I have read countless stories about how busy NY Harbor is and how the ferry boat operators have no regard for other boats, they continue on their assigned path and you better get out of the way.  And since I only move at 6.5 to 7 NM (7 to 7.5 MPH) at full throttle, it's not like I can get out of the way real fast. I should explain a little about the "rules of the road".  Since I was motoring through the harbor and the ferries are not restricted in its ability to maneuver (e.g a tow boat with barges) , the primary rule I had to worry about is that you have to yield the right of way (give way) to boats that are coming from your right.  So normally you keep a general eye out all around you, but you keep a keen eye out to the right.  Based on what I heard, I would have to keep a keen eye out for 360 degrees, I envisioned my head spinning like a top.

I turned on my navigation lights, even though it was day time, and motored out of the anchorage, right past the mega yacht, into the harbor.  Soon I passed a ferry terminal with ferries leaving and some waiting to get to the terminal.  Here we go.  I saw a ferry coming toward me on my left, ok technically I have the right of way, I should hold my course and speed.  The operator either changed course, or it wasn't really heading toward me.  OK that was good, then my AIS started beeping, one was coming up from behind me, oh it was going to another terminal.  Then here comes one from my right side, this one I knew had the right of way on me.  He buzzed through so quick I didn't have a chance to yield.  On and on it went for the next hour (7 miles).  Maybe it was because I started out at 6:30 AM, but I found the ferries went about there business, buzzed around you and it seemed often changed course, even when they were the stand on boat (had the right of way).  I think these ferries move so fast and these operators travel this route so much, they now when they can cut in front and clear you and when they can go around behind you.  I more wakes and closer passes by fishing boats in the Manasquan channel, than anything in NY Harbor.

As I progressed up the Hudson River, the traffic got lighter.  The rocky cliffs (The New Jersey Palisades) of the Hudson River are incredible. Just think about the forces of nature that formed this canyon.  The cliffs are easily 300 ft tall, maybe 500 in places.

Another story I had read was about the swift current of the Hudson River.  Maybe it was because I was able to ride the incoming tide, but I was able to maintain 6.5 NM all the way to the Marina where I will be keeping to boat for the next month.

Lessons Learned:
I have been to the Statue of Liberty before, but seeing it from your own boat, and especially at night is incredible.

NY Harbor was not as difficult as I had built it up to be.  Sometimes our imagination creates scenarios that are much worse than reality.

Sunsets are just somehow better when boats are in the picture.