Voyaging America's Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II

Tag: Hudson River

Onward and Upward
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Welcome aboard to Dave and Barbara, of Miss My Money. Hope to cross paths this next week as both crews, head up the Champlain Canal.

Summary of week:

Not much progress the last two weeks as the crew waited for the opening of the Champlain Canal.

The crew traveled from Bear Mountain State Park on Memorial Day and took a slip at Shadows Marina in Poughkeepsie (1). The next day, the crew headed to Oklahoma City to watch the Women’s College World Series. The crew returned to Poughkeepsie on Thursday, June 6th. The Champlain Canal opened on June 5th, so the crew headed north and anchored out off Houghtailing Island (2).

Click on the Still Waters II Travel Map site to see detailed voyage logs.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:

1 How much money was offered to Benedict Arnold to swap sides in the Revolutionary War?

2 What was the prize that the British hoped to gain from Benedict Arnold?

3 Who do historians credit for pushing Benedict Arnold to his treasonous actions?

At the Box Office

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop

Monday, May 27th

This tends to be one of the crew’s favorite cruising days as they go by West Point and Bannerman’s Castle on their way to Poughkeepsie.

Bannerman’s Castle

As the crew passed by Bannerman’s Castle they wondered if there was any resolution in the alleged kayak murder mystery. Back in April 2015, an engaged couple went for a kayak paddle around the island that the castle sits on. The woman returned ashore but the body of the man was found a month later down the river near West Point.

The woman was charged with murder and has been sitting in jail awaiting trial, while expressing her innocence. She claims that it was just a boating accident involving bad judgement. For example, drinking while paddling, not wearing a life jacket, and kayaking in cold stormy weather.

Forget the fact that she admitted she removed the drain plug from his kayak so it would fill with water and sabotaged his paddle so it would come apart and not work properly.

The prosecution offered her a plea deal in the summer of 2017, where she agreed to criminal misconduct, negligent homicide, and would be released from jail for time served.

The family of the deceased was not impressed, so they filled suit preventing her from getting any insurance money [just a mere half million policy] and also filed civil lawsuits. Both sides have reached an agreement where by little miss negligent homicide gets no money, gets deported back to Russia, and family drops civil lawsuits for the death of their son. So much for her big American Dream.

Her greed for the insurance money is one of the oldest motives for murder. Greed was also the motivation for another high crime during the Revolution War. However, the crime this time was treason.

West Point

Benedict Arnold had just been named commander of West Point on August 3, 1780. His wife was a British Loyalist, and pressured her husband to surrender West Point to the British. On August 15, 1780 the British offered Arnold 20,000 pounds for the fort. On August 30, 1780 Arnold sent a letter back to the British accepting the offer. Unfortunately for Arnold, the British contact was captured on the way back to New York City. The contact was eventually found guilty of crimes and hung in Tarrytown.

Arnold learned of the capture and managed to find his way to British troops before the Patriots could capture him.

Besides greed, these two stories have a second connection. Historian Wetherell says that the shortest explanation for Arnold’s treason is that he “married the wrong person.”

Tuesday, May 28th

Walkway Over the Hudson Trail Map, just under 4 miles

On Mid Hudson Bridge, looking north

On Walkway Over the Hudson Bridge, looking south

While the crew waits on the Champlain Canal to open, they will do a little land time, rent a car, drive 1,500 miles to Oklahoma City, and watch the Women’s College World Series with their softball family.

14 years ago eating BBQ between games

3 years ago at the stadium

Monday, June 4th

Three of the grandsons showed up in OKC on Sunday. The extended crew spent the afternoon at Riversports kayaking, zip lining, and climbing the obstacle course tower.

After playing hard all afternoon, it was time to get something to eat.

Wednesday, June 5th

The crew learned that the Champlain Canal is now partially opened. About half the Canal, the first five locks, have been made operational. Rumor has it that the canal will be fully open by Friday. This is good since the crew is about half way back to New York and itching to get headed north.

Thursday, June 6th

Good news, the Champlain Canal is now fully operational as of 1300.

Saturday, June 7th

After making it back to the boat on Thursday and resting on Friday, the crew headed north on the Hudson River. They did not leave the marina until 1330 so they could ride the current north. Strange that the river flows both ways this far north, 100 miles above New York City. Must be why the Indians called it ‘the river that flows both ways.’

Culinary Institute from the water

The crew monitored their progress as they passed lighthouses along the route.

Espous Meadows Lighthouse

Kingston Lighthouse

Saugerties Lighthouse

Hudson City Lighthouse

At the end of the day, the crew dropped anchor off Houghtailing Island.

View from anchorage

Boat name of the week

Miss My Money

Next Week –

The crew will transit the Champlain Canal and make way past Fort Ticonderoga to Vergennes on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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June 9, 2019
Friends, New and Old
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

I would like to welcome Gideon A. aboard as our newest virtual crew member. As a dear friend, Big Dave S., used to say, “It is an SOS (scoot over some) kind of day.” It might be a little crowded on this 43 foot boat, but there is always room for more.

Summary of week:

The crew met an interesting host of people during the past week. These folks have definitely enriched the crews lives.

The first half of the week was spent making way from Cape May to New York City, with the following stops:
1. Anchored across from Atlantic City in Rum Point Basin
2. Anchored in cove by Tilton Point about 10 miles south of Manasquan
3. Lady Liberty Marina in NYC
The second half of the week was spent running up the Hudson River with the following stops:
1. Anchored in Haverstraw Cove just south of the town of Haverstraw
2. Stayed at Hyde Park Marina which is walking distance to the Culinary Institute of America where the crew will grab an evening meal
3. Shady Harbor Marina just north of New Baltimore because it was too hot to anchor
Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, a summary of the day’s experience, and a few pics of the route.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:
1. Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?
2. Who made the above question famous?
3. Why isn’t General Grant buried at West Point or other military cemetery?
At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II leave Cape May and run up the New Jersey coast to Atlantic City. She then runs inside on the NJ ICW where she encounters a train at Manasquan. She then runs back outside in the Big Pond to NYC, and begins her voyage up the Hudson River. In Poughkeepsie, she listens to Bridge Music. She ends her week watching fireworks off her bow over the Hudson River. Happy Birthday America! Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Sunday, June 24th

The skipper noticed another Viking Motor Yacht had arrived at the Marina in the early afternoon. He also noticed that the Viking was flying a White Looper Flag, signaling that they are ‘In Progress” on the loop. The name of the boat, Gettin’ Looped. The crew of Gettin’ Looped , Mike and Jonell, invited our crew onboard for a tour. Then later, Mike and Jonell came down and toured Still Waters II.

The boats are still very similar, even after 30 plus years of additions and modifications to each boat.

Mike and Jonell aboard Still Waters II

Mike and Jonell stopped by the Viking Manufacturing Facility just north of Atlantic City. They sent a message that the tour was fabulous. Our crew will put this on the ever growing ‘Next Time’ list.

Monday, June 25th

The ever changing weather has opened a window to cruise three straight days to New York City. So this morning the crew set off on the first leg of the journey up the Jersey coast by heading towards Atlantic City.

Leaving Cape May Harbor

The crew ran about three miles off shore for much of the cruise and did not have much of a view of anything but miles and miles of water.

Atlantic City in the distance

The skipper out getting video for this week’s film

When the crew arrived at the anchor spot they had a bit of trouble. On the first try the anchor did not set. While pulling the anchor back in the chain got stuck in the windlass and tripped the breaker. After resetting the breaker, the skipper un-lodged the stuck chain and dropped the anchor a second time.

Again the anchor did not hold. This time when the anchor came up it had a big ball of grass stuck on it. The skipper cleaned the anchor off, then dropped the anchor a third time. This time the anchor held, but it seems the brake may have broke on the windlass because the chain was just free wheeling into the water. Just another thing to troubleshoot and fix.

The crew did make arrangements to stay at Liberty Landing Marina in NYC on Wednesday. They plan to meet Geof, the Captain that originally trained the crew three years ago.

Geof (far left) and the crew on the last day of training, three years ago

Then they made reservations at Hyde Park further up the Hudson River so the Admiral could make reservations at the Culinary Institute for Friday. The Dance Card is filling fast this week.

Tuesday, June 26th

The crew completed the second leg of the journey to NYC. They decided to run on the inside route via the NJ ICW. To get past the worst spots of shoaling, they needed to leave about 2 hours ahead of high tide. This just happened to be 0600 today.

New Jersey ICW

The skipper got up and completed his morning routine and had the engines started at 0545. The Admiral got up when the engines started and made her morning coffee. She then went to the helm and helped get the anchor up from the helm while the skipper was out on the bow pulpit. The windlass seemed to work fine and the anchor came up clean.

They made their way out the basin and headed north on the ICW at mile 66. The first two hours had several spots of shoaling and the water low level alarm went off frequently. The good news was that the skipper never saw less than two feet of water under the props. Other than a few tense moments in low water, all was well with the cruise.

As the crew approached Tilton Point to drop anchor, the tide was ebbing and they found themselves once again in some shallow water. They managed to keep five feet of water under the boat though. When they rounded Tilton Point, they pulled into the cove and dropped the anchor. The windlass performed as designed and the anchor was set on the first try. Strange after all the problems from yesterday.

View across the ICW from the anchor spot

The crew is set to make New York City tomorrow. Always a fun trip to take your own boat into New York Harbor past the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. Only issue is the weather, looks as though a storm may build in the early afternoon and carry some 20 plus mph winds. The skipper will evaluate the conditions in the morning.

Wednesday, June 27th

Got away at the crack of dawn this morning. The conditions in the morning were marginal, but the afternoon conditions would be a no go.

The crew uses the following matrix for deciding to travel or not:

Wind    Waves Go-No Go
0-10    <2 ft    Go
11-15    <2 ft    Go
15-20    >2 ft    No-Go

The winds were predicted to be 20 + in the afternoon with 3-5 foot swells only 4 seconds apart. That would not be much fun. However, the window to get around Sandy Hook looked good if the crew left early. When they reached the Atlantic Ocean, the wind was 11 mph with 2 foot swells at 6 second period. The wind slowly picked up energy as the crew headed north. Conditions were 13 mph winds with 2-3 foot swells as the crew rounded Sandy Hook and made way to the Verrazano Bridge.

Abandoned Lighthouse in Lower Hudson Bay

As the crew neared the Verrazano Bridge, conditions seemed to weaken and the waters calmed down. After passing under the bridge and thru ‘The Narrows’ into the Upper Hudson Bay, the skipper checked conditions out at Sandy Hook and the winds were up to 20 mph..

Looking towards Manhattan from below the Verrazano Bridge

The crew swung by the Statue of Liberty for a few pics, and were surprised to find they were the only boat there. As they pulled away from the Statue, a tour boat loaded with tourists arrived..

The crew made way over to Lady Liberty Landing and got docked. As the skipper was checking in at the dock office, a 32 foot sail boat arrived on the fuel dock to check into customs. The boat and 4 crew were landing after a four day cruise from Bermuda. The skipper asked how the sail went and the Captain of the sailboat launched into a story of 26 foot waves and a hail storm. The skipper assumed it was not that good of a trip.

After that story, the skipper checked the wind conditions out at Sandy Hook and found that the wind was well over 20 mph. Sure glad they left early and missed that mess.

The view of Manhattan from the boat

As mentioned earlier, the goal for today was to make NYC and meet up with Geof. It has been too long since the crew has seen Geof, and they are eager to learn what he is doing working in NYC. Geof had a business associate with him, Shawn, so they both arrived at the boat around 1730. After introductions and some good story telling the group set off to find some food to eat.

New and old friends aboard Still Waters II, Shawn, the skipper, Geof (left to right)

The food was ok, but the price included a charge for the view.

Thursday, June 28th

The skipper looked at the tide and current charts for the Hudson River and determined that the best time to leave was 0800, so that they would get a 1.5 mph push from the current.

Unfortunately, there was a steady downpour while the crew shoved off the dock. The crew donned their rain gear, unhooked the water and electric, then slipped the lines, and finally left the dock in the rain.

After motoring out into the Hudson River, the rain abruptly stopped. This would happen two or three times throughout the day. All at the most inconvenient of times.

Goodbye NYC

The crew caught site of Grant’s Tomb overlooking the Hudson River. This begged the question, Who is buried in Grant’s tomb?

Well, that is a trick question, or maybe even a riddle. How can that be you ask? Well, for starters, technically no one is buried in Grant’s Tomb. However, both General Grant and his wife, Julia, are ‘entombed’ there above ground in matching sarcophagi.

The skipper wondered why the General was not buried in West Point, or some other military installation. The answer turned out to be because the General’s only request upon death was to be laid to rest beside his wife. Back when he died, wives were not permitted to be buried in military cemeteries.

His wife choice New York because the site of the memorial was only blocks from where she lived and she could go visit her deceased husband. When Julia died in 1902, she was placed next to the General, granting Grant’s last wish.

Some give credit for the old question, Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb? to Groucho Marx. He hosted a quiz show, ‘You Bet Your Life,” in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Marx did not like participants to go home empty handed, so if a contestant had not won anything, he would ask this question which would lead to a winning answer. Maybe Marx is also the inventor of the modern day participation trophy.

The crew continued north on the Hudson River to the Haverstraw Marina where the skipper planned to top off the fuel tanks. The skipper noticed that fuel at the Haverstraw Marina was only $2.92/gal, fuel in the surrounding area was priced 3.50-4.00. Yes, just as they were docking the rain began again. And yes after they pulled away from the dock, the sun came back out. It has been one of those days.

After the fuel stop, the crew dropped anchor in the Haverstraw Cove. The cove is well protected from winds in any direction and is out of the river current. While in the cove, a couple of swans swam by. The skipper also spotted two deer feeding along the shore.

Views from the cove.

Friday, June 29th

Today the crew weighed anchor and headed towards Hyde Park where they have reservations to eat at the Culinary Institute of America.

Along the way, they passed some of the best sights on the Hudson River, which make this leg of the journey one of the better cruising days. The weather also decided to cooperate and bring out the sunshine.

Cruised by Bear Mountain. You can actually see NYC from the three story overlook on top of Bear Mountain, on a clear day.

The Bear Mountain Overlook, from the water

Bear Mountain Bridge

Cruised by West Point

Cruised by Bannerman’s Castle

Cruised under Poughkeepsie Bridge while listening to Bridge Music. Only other place in the world you can get this experience is in France at the Eiffel Tower. A local resident, Joseph Bertolozzi, recorded sounds made from hitting the bridge with different objects, and then composed a dozen songs from the recordings.

Click here for the New York Times Video story.

The skipper also had several radio conversations with the crew from Almost There. They are on the Loop headed to the Erie Canal, and then into Canada.

After landing at the dock at Hyde Park, the dock master informed the crew that the CIA would conduct a fireworks show after dark. He pointed to some rocks and said the barge will be just past those rocks so you will have a front row seat.

Fireworks barge getting setup for the show.

Watch the video above for a little bit of the fireworks show.

Saturday, June 30th

The best time to leave the dock to catch the current north was around 1100 this morning. The crew shoved off and had a good day of lighthouse viewing.

The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, nicknamed ‘Maid of the Meadows’, was first lit in 1872.

The Roundout Lighthouse, first lit in 1917

The Saugerties Lighthouse, first lit in 1869

The Hudson City Lighthouse, first lit in 1874

Boat name of the week

Texas 2 Step, this boat was docked in front of Still Waters II at Shady Harbor Marina. The skipper talked with the Captain of the boat and learned that they are traveling with a couple of other Texas Looper boats.

Next Week –

The crew will arrive at Waterford on Sunday, and launch the beginning of the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal is made up of the Eastern, Western, and Finger Lakes sections. The crew has cruised the Eastern Erie to the Oswego Canal, so they will travel thru this area as quickly as possible and hope to arrive at the endo of the Eastern Erie Canal by the end of the week.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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July 1, 2018
Whale Watching Adventure
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

Monastery high above the Hudson River across from Hyde Park

Summary of week:

The adventure continued nearly 250 miles south this week. From Hyde Park on the Hudson River all the way to Cape May, New Jersey.

First stop on Monday was at a marina 25 miles north of New York City to get some heat due to a forecasted cold night.

Then a night on the anchor next to the Statue of Liberty and a great view of Lower Manhattan.

Then another night on the hook near mile zero on the New Jersey ICW.

The crew spent a third night at anchor next to Atlantic City before landing in Cape May on Friday.

This week’s journey of discovery did answer the following questions:
1. Who are the only civilians buried at the West Point Cemetery?
2. What was the name of Henry Hudson’s last ship?
3. What ever happened to Henry Hudson?
Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report of the day, sea conditions, log of the days travel, and a summary of the experience.

At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II and crew taking a break to eat at the Culinary Institute of America, at anchor beside the Statue of Liberty, and some whale watching in the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy!

To Cape May from Still Waters II on Vimeo.

Link to this week’s video to Cape May.

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library now contains 41 videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Prior to leaving the dock, the skipper noticed a strange contraption mounted to the side of the dock master office. The dock master came out and gave the skipper lessons on how to use the device. He was not sure if it still took coins, but did say it had a dial tone and you could dial 9-1-1.

The crew decided to do a dock-and-dine at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for lunch today. The skipper worked out the logistics of stopping at the Hyde Park Marina, even though they were already closed for the season. While the Admiral made the reservations at an Italian Restaurant.

Upon arrival, the crew docked and then walked the mile to the CIA. The crew tried an assortment of three pastas and some quail. The skipper also ordered a side of fries, just in case the food portions were skimpy, as can happen at these high end joints. As expected, the food was excellent. The hike back to the marina helped walk off the chocolate pudding, bread pudding, peanut butter cookie, and chocolate chip cookie.

When the crew passed West Point, they saw these guys out rowing their skulls.

The skipper was pretty sure he heard the cadets singing the following ditty to help keep the cadence:

Row, Row, Row your boat

Gently out to sea

Sure wish I had joined

The Na Veee!

Remembering this early childhood nursery rhyme also got the skipper thinking of another popular children’s song and its connection to the only civilians buried in the West Point Cemetery.

The crew would be cutting it close to get down river to their anchor spot before dark. As they continued south, the weather unexpectedly changed. Instead of sunny skies, clouds moved in and the wind picked up out of the north. The crew could feel the temperature dropping.

The skipper checked the overnight weather forecast. The updated forecast called for 9 mph winds out of the north, with temperatures falling into the mid-thirties.

The crew decided to skip the anchor and continue a few miles further down river to take a marina at Half Moon Bay for the night. The crew arrived just after sunset, but before dark set in.

With the wind direction hitting the marina docks at a bad angle, it will be a bumpy night. On the bright side though, it will be warm with the heater on.

Half Moon Bay is named after Henry Hudson’s second and third ships. The following is a replica of the ship which can be seen at the Maritime Museum in Kingston.

This was Henry’s third and final ship. While searching for the elusive Northwest Passage in 1611, his crew mutinied and placed him, his son, and seven others in a small boat and set them a drift. The nine drifters were never seen again.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Our crew decided to drift further down stream and headed towards NYC this morning and left the beautiful Hudson River valley in the rear-view mirror. The last of the fall color for a while:

With the mountains behind them, they had this view of Manhattan from a few miles above the George Washington Bridge.

The crew decided to anchor directly behind the Statue of Liberty so they would have a good view of Lower Manhattan at night. The area is not well protected from the numerous NY Water taxi’s and Staten Island Ferry, so it was a little rocky until the ferries stopped running around 2200. However, the view was worth the wakes.

Ellis Island

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Who would have known, those New Yorkers get up early to get to work? The ferries started running at 0600 and the boat started rocking due to the wakes. The crew ‘suffered’ thru the wakes until 0930 when they weighed anchor so they could ride the current to Sandy Hook.

The Admiral spotted a whale while the crew was in the Lower Hudson Bay, but it was too far to get any good pictures.

After rounding Sandy Hook, the crew saw two more whales. The whales were less than a mile to shore which was a big surprise.

The skipper brought the boat to idle so they could better watch the whales. The whales remained several hundred yards away for most of the time. Then the whales disappeared for a while, so the skipper was about to resume travel when the whales surfaced very close to Still Waters II. Pretty exciting, yes it was.

The crew continued on to Manasquan and found the two Canadian boats that they had travelled with on the Champlain Canal anchored where the skipper had planned to drop anchor. Rather than crowd the Canadians, the skipper went a few miles further to his Plan B stop. The crew did wave at the Canadian’s as they passed by though.

Anchored in Applegate Cove.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

The crew weighed anchor and continued south today towards Atlantic City. They ran inside on the New Jersey ICW. The experience was much different from what they encountered on the way North when they travelled with every boater in New Jersey on a Saturday. Today, they were pretty much the only boat on the water for much of the journey.

They arrived near Atlantic City about an hour before low tide. There is some shallow skinny water that if they had been any later, they would have had to wait for the tide to come in to pass over.

For much of this last hour the low-level alarm was buzzing in the background. The alarm sounds when there is less than five feet of water below the keel. The boat needs 3 feet 9 inches to stay afloat and off the ground.

At one juncture the boat drifted over a 3.9-foot spot, which equates to 3 feet 11 inches under the keel. Sometimes every inch matters, and in this case, it was a difference in passing safely over the area or bumping the ground and having to wait several hours for more water.

The skipper was mentally tired from navigating all that skinny shallow water and was delighted when the anchor was down and the day was over.

Friday, October 20, 2017

The crew has run the inside ICW between Atlantic City and Cape May before and have first hand experience at bumping the bottom at least four times. Since the outside wind and weather would be favorable to an Atlantic Ocean run, they opted to run outside in the big pond.

The cruise started off rougher than expected, but things settled down fairly quickly. The swells were mostly 2-3 feet every 9 seconds moving south east to northwest. However, the wind was blowing out of the west and was causing 1-foot waves on top of the swells moving west to east. The skipper kept moving closer and closer to land until the wind-blown waves had no effect on the sea conditions and the crew enjoyed the ride to Cape May.

The view for much of the day:

The crew did overtake this one interesting little sailboat, notice she is even closer to shore than our crew.

While docking, the skipper noticed a White Burgee, Looper in Progress flag, flying on a boat. The boat was an Albin Gulf Harbor 45 named Rhapsody. Her crew is just getting started on their Great Loop Adventure. They have four days experience so far on the Loop and were extremely excited to meet their first Gold Loopers, the crew of Still Waters II.

Wishing Larry and Sue a great, Great Loop Adventure

Parked in the slip next to Still Waters II is a 42-foot Jefferson named Misty. The crew of the Jefferson came on board and talked about the Loop. They are on day two of their Loop adventure. Our crew got to share many ideas with Rob and Nancy. One recommendation was to buy a White Burgee and start flying the flag off the bow.

Rob and Nancy, Best of Luck on Your Loop!

It was fun to share experiences with them and reflect on how much our own crew’s skills have improved over the last few years. They have grown and learned much in the last few years. A Friday Flashback pic of our crew back when they were newbies and just getting started on the Loop.

Geof the Training Captain, Claudia, and Dave, third day on the Loop

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Rob and Nancy have spent many a day at Cape May. They recommended a bike ride out to the Cape May Lighthouse, so the crew took the suggestion and spent the afternoon exploring the area. The skipper said it was good to get ten miles in on the bike. Nancy also reported that they ordered their White Burgee.

Boat Name of the Week

Saw this boat at Norrie State Park:

Next Week –

Weather once again will become the overriding factor in the days ahead. Tuesday shows wind speeds in the mid-twenties with gust in the forties. This dictates that the crew get somewhere well protected and out of the wind. They have chosen a marina on the Sassafras River off the Chesapeake Bay.

It will take two travel days to get to the marina, so they will leave Cape May on Sunday and travel north on the Delaware Bay. The Bay has been a nemesis for them in the past, so they are hoping to catch a break and get a good day on this passage.

They plan to spend a week in the marina to regroup, rest, and re-provision before heading down the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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October 22, 2017
Strange Remains
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

Still Waters II on the dock at Waterford, New York

Summary of week:

The remnants of hurricane Nate kept the crew in Ft Edwards through Monday.

On Tuesday, the crew made a short run to Mechanicville.

On Wednesday, the crew made it out of the Champlain Canal and docked in Waterford.

Friday, the crew continued south down the Hudson River and anchored next to Houghtailing Island.

Saturday, the crew ran down to Norrie State Park, in Hyde Park, to enjoy the weekend.

Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report of the day, sea conditions, captain’s log of the days travel, and a summary of the experience.

This week’s journey of discovery did answer the following questions:
1. Who is Jane McCrae?
2. What do historians consider the ‘turning point’ of the American Revolution, and what is the connection to Jane McCrae?
3. Where is the hometown of Uncle Sam?
At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II cruising the Champlain Canal, Locking down C-4, and cruising under a 17 foot bridge. Enjoy!

Return on Champlain Canal from Still Waters II on Vimeo.

Cruising the Champlain Canal

To see past videos, click on the link to Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library now contains 40 videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Monday, October 9, 2017

The remnants of hurricane Nate rained down all day so the crew decided to stay put rather than make four locks in the downpour. The skipper did manage time to find a break in the rain and go buy two half gallons of ice cream though. This Stewarts ice cream is good, but does not hold a candle to Blue Bell or Braums from back home in Texas.

While walking to the store, he passed an historical marker sign that read: ‘Home of Jane McCrae.’ He wondered who she was, but really did not think much more about her.

Jane never lived in the house in the background

Later in the day, the Admiral found a window in the rain and decided to go take a walk. While she was out walking she came across an historical marker near a cemetery that read: ‘Second burial location of Jane McCrae.’ When she got back to the boat she googled up Jane to see what the deal was and found a very interesting story.

Seems Jane was killed in 1777 under less than honorable conditions. She was a Loyalist to the Crown of England. Jane was also engaged to a British Officer. Jane heard that her fiancée was marching south from Montreal towards Fort Ticonderoga, so she moved towards Ft Edwards where she stayed with another woman named Sara McNeil. Most of the Patriots evacuated the area when rumors spread that the British were on the move south.

Once the British arrived at Fort Ticonderoga, they sent a group of British soldiers and some native Indians down to Ft Edwards to escort the two women back up to Ft Ticonderoga.

The Indian scouts were leading the way south and killed a few settlers along the journey. By the time the Indians, the British, and the women got back to Fort Ticonderoga, Jane McCrae was dead.

From here the stories diverge drastically depending on who you listen to.

The two women got separated on their return to Fort Ticonderoga. Sara arrived first. When the Indians arrived, they had a scalp that Sara believed to be that of Jane. Sara reported this to some British officers who started an investigation. Most of the Indians claimed that they came across some militia and the rebels shot her. However, they could not explain why they scalped her.

One Indian claimed that they began arguing on who was going to get credit for saving Jane and get some kind of reward from the British for bringing her safely to her fiancée. When one Indian figured out he would get no reward, he killed her and scalped her for a trophy so the others could not collect the reward.

There are several other variations of these two tales but we do not have time to cover all the different forks in the road. One interesting side note though is that some report that Jane was in her wedding dress and that when she arrived at Fort Ticonderoga she would marry her fiancée.

The Americans latched onto the latter story and began putting additional spin on the tale. Many in New York were Loyalists, and the Americans were trying hard to convince them that the British could not protect them; therefore, they needed to come over to the Patriot side and help defeat the British. The result of Jane’s death did cause many who were sitting on the fence to side with the American’s.

Interestingly enough, the story does not end here though. Jane may have faced a horrible death at the age of 17 with a tomahawk to the skull, but her body has not rested in peace since her death, either.

She was originally buried in Ft Edwards in 1777. In 1822, she, with many others, were moved to allow expansion of the Champlain Canal. She was placed in the same plot, but above Sara McNeil.

In 1852, she was moved again. This time to the Union Cemetery in Ft Edwards.

In 2003, a team of forensic scientists exhumed Jane’s body to see if they could determine her cause of death. When they dug up the grave they found one coffin with two full sets of skeletons, well minus one skull. They took DNA samples of the bones and reburied them in the one coffin.

In 2005, the forensic team exhumed the casket once more. Based on DNA, they were able to separate the skeletal remains into two mostly complete skeletons and determine that the missing skull was Jane McCrae’s. The other skeleton was determined to be Sara McNeil. The remains were put in separate caskets and reburied.

Oh, the forensic team could not determine cause of death of Jane. The few ribs that remained however, did not show any gunshot damage. The mystery continues.

And how about the turning point of the Revolution you may be asking yourself. Well because of the news spin by the Americans, many joined forces with the Patriots. These new recruits were part of the forces that defeated the British in the Battles of Saratoga in September and October of 1777. The French decided to join the fight against the British based on the American wins in Saratoga. The Battle of Saratoga is also considered one of the top fifteen most significant battles in world history.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The crew woke to a beautiful sunshiny morning. When they shoved off the town wall they headed south seven miles to Lock C-6. When they arrived at the Lock, there were two boats already set in the Lock. The Lockmaster said: “come on in but do a port side tie.”

The Admiral scrambled to move the fenders from starboard to port as they entered the lock. In the rush, the Admiral forgot to grab her gloves. Once she had her line attached to the boat she walked back to the sundeck and grabbed her gloves.

In the 3-5 seconds that she was gone, the lockmaster had started draining the lock. The bitter end of the line caught on itself and tightened around the cleat as the boat began to lower with the water level. She tried to break the line free but was unsuccessful. The skipper noticed that the line was not sliding thru the cleat, so he went forward and tried to break the line free and also was unsuccessful.

By this time the line was beginning to stretch and get under tension due to holding the bow of the boat up. The skipper grabbed his pocket knife and barely touched the line and the strands of the line immediately cut thru. The boat fell about a foot back into the water once the line was cut.

All turned out well. No one got hurt, and there was no damage to the boat.

After this harrowing experience, the crew did just fine as they cleared three more locks. The Admiral also decided to deploy fenders on both sides of the boat so there would be no more last-minute surprises. They are now ready to lock thru on either side of the lock.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

One of the Canadian boat captain’s that went thru the locks with Still Waters II yesterday came down to help our crew shove off the town wall. He also commented on the near lock disaster yesterday. He said that he heard the line stretching and making strange noises. He also said that when the skipper cut the line, the end above the cut shot up above the boat. He also commented that he had gone and placed a knife on the deck in case he ever needs to cut a line. Well if nothing else, the crew helped train some Canadian boaters.

The crew only needed to make a 10 mile run and clear two locks before docking on the town wall in Waterford. With the locks closing for the season today, the crew was glad to find room on the wall for Still Waters II.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

The crew decided to take a day off and explore the town of Waterford. The Admiral wandered over to Troy and found this interesting sign that required a little research.

Turns out that two brothers started a meat packing business in Troy. One of the brothers name was Samuel Wilson and he had a local nickname of Uncle Sam.

Samuel Wilson

During the War of 1812, the brothers got a contract with the government to supply meat to the soldiers. The meat was packed in wooden barrels and shipped to the troops. Some soldiers familiar with Sam and his meat packing business began referring to the U.S. stamped on the barrels as Uncle Sam. By wars end, the troops were referring to all gear with a U.S. stamp on it as supplied by Uncle Sam, which lead to the acceptance as the nickname of the U.S. government.

In the 1860’s, a political cartoonist named Thomas Nast began using an image that eventually became what we now consider the image of Uncle Sam. Nast is also credited with developing the Donkey image for the Democrats, and the Elephant for the Republicans.

In September 1961, Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as ‘the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam. Can you see the resemblance?

Friday, October 13, 2017

The run from Waterford to Houghtailing Island was uneventful. Well except for another near miss in the Federal Lock. The skipper was manning the aft line when it got tangled in the swim ladder on the swim platform.

As he was feeding the line thru the cleat as the boat lowered, he noticed the bitter end was hung up on something. He tried to shake it free but that did not work. He had about three feet of slack line still, so he jumped down on the swim platform and found the end jammed in the swim ladder. He was able to pull the line free and climbed back up on the sundeck.

The Admiral noticed him coming back onboard and asked what he was doing. He explained about the jam and commented that he sure was glad this would be the last lock to deal with for a while. You must be ever diligent with these locks because bad things can happen in the blink of an eye.

After safely exiting the Federal Lock, the crew passed thru Troy and Albany. This interesting building is part of the NY University system in Albany.

The crew then saw these trees standing along the shore as they pulled into their anchor spot to bring the day to an end.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

The crew weighed anchor and headed back to the main channel in the Hudson River. They were greeted by this big ship as they reached the Hudson.

After the ship got past, the skipper noticed a couple of Bald Eagles near a nest. One of the Eagles was perched directly above the nest. Can you see it?

I’m not sure how the skipper spots this stuff, but he does have eye for the wildlife.

For example, he spotted this Bald Eagle in a tree while docked at Waterford. The Eagle was a little over a mile away.

The color along the banks was breath taking today.

There were many boaters out enjoying the day and good weather. While taking in the sights these fast speed boats all zoomed by and gave the crew a little wake action.

This is why many Loopers do not cruise on the weekend.

After some more good scenery, the crew finally pulled into the Norrie State Park marina where they will sit for the remainder of the weekend.

Boat Name of the Week



Replica of 1800’s canal boat

Next Week –

The crew will continue south down the Hudson River towards NYC. It is only two travel days to NYC, but they will keep an eye on the wind and waves between NYC and Cape May.

They need three good weather days in a row to run out in the Atlantic Ocean to Cape May. So movement further south will depend on how the weather is predicted to be Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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October 15, 2017
Just Add Water
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Welcome aboard to Sharon P. as our newest virtual crew member! Too bad those Michigan Wolverines did not live up to their billing. But like the skipper, I am a Big 12 fan so I was glad to see the Sooners win the Softball Championship.

Henry Hudson here with a few parting words as I and the crew have parted ways. The skipper took time on Monday to re-measure the air clearance of Still Waters II. He was hoping that he could take down the track-vision satellite and anchor light to get enough clearance to pass under a few 15 foot bridges on the Champlain Route. When these measurements and tactics came up empty, he finally decided that they would scrap the Champlain Route and take the Erie Canal.

Since I have never seen the head waters of the Hudson, or travelled to Lake Champlain, I have decided to go north while the crew turned West. Eric has returned to continue the adventure. It was fun cruising my namesake river with you. Be safe on the canal.

Henry Hudson

The crew spent most of Monday working around the boat and studying up on the Erie Canal. Back in the day, many stated that the canal was an impossible engineering feat and a colossal waste of money. The canal finally opened in 1825 as the largest public works project ever undertaken by a state. The canal opened the great lakes and mid-America to the consumers of the east coast.

But everything has a season, and so it was with the canal. With the advent of trains to carry cargo, the canal fell out of favor. However, the canal re-invented itself as a passageway for recreational boaters such as you and I.

Waterford

The Waterford Town dock was the first stop along the Erie Canal. There is a mule statue along the waterfront paying homage to the past. When the canal first opened, mules would pull the ships loaded with cargo along the canal.

The skipper went up to Lock 2 and purchased a 10 day permit to transient the Erie Canal and Oswego Canal.

Day 1 Erie Canal: Lock Training

The next morning, Tuesday, 4 boats agreed to leave about 0900 and transient the locks together. The first lock was a first rate goat rope. One boat got pushed off the starboard wall and their crew lost control of the ropes. Their boat began to drift towards Still Waters II on the port wall. The Lock Master noticed and changed the water flow. This resulted in the boat getting pushed back against the wall but caused Still Waters II to then drift off the wall. The crew was able to pull Still Waters II back against the wall but not before much grinding and gnashing of teeth.

Floating at the top of Lock 2

After the Lock was full of water and had lifted the boats 34 feet, the Lock Master kept the gates shut and went around the different boats and gave them all some on-the -job training. He had some good pointers to help everyone develop better skills locking through the system.

There would be plenty of practice because in this first 1.5 miles there are 5 locks which lifted the boats 34 feet per lock. These 5 locks are referred to as ‘The Flight of Five.’ By the end of the day the crew completed a total of 7 locks for a total lift of 211 feet.

Entering Lock 3

Leaving Lock 4 enter Lock 5

Waiting for Lock 7 to open

Waiting for Lock 8 to open

Day 2 Erie Canal: Gaining Proficiency

The crew shoved off the Lock 8 wall at 0915 and fell in behind another boat to Lock E9. The temperature was a cool 52 degrees, and with the 12 mph winds it felt much worse. In the first Lock, the boat the crew was traveling with lost hold of the ropes and had to restart their engines as the water was filling the lock chamber. Because of the swirling current as the lock fills, the boat drifted across and hit the lock wall on the opposite side as they started. The captain regained control and got back over on the starboard wall. But then they lost their hold on the ropes a second time. The wind was really causing them problems. Reminded the crew how the first lock yesterday started.

The skipper could tell the Admiral was struggling to keep control of the bow lines she was holding. He cleated his line and went to take the bow line from her. She then moved aft and took the stern line. They managed to clear the lock with no issues.

On the second lock, the wind had gained strength so the crew decided to follow the same game plan of the skipper taking the bow line. As the skipper maneuvered the boat into the lock, The Admiral secured a bow line. The skipper then went and secured a stern line. He went back to the helm, secured the engines, and then took the bow line. The Admiral handled the stern line and all went well.

The crew needed to get their holding tanks pumped out so they made a stop in Amsterdam, at the River Link Park. The wind just kept building so they decided to call it a day and wait till the morning to push further west.

After the two locks the crew had only risen 30 feet. Avocet cruised by after our crew stopped for the day.

Day 3 Erie Canal: Going Solo

Today found Still Waters II going through 5 locks by themselves. This was certainly much easier and stress free. The total lift for the day was up 47 feet. Traffic on the Canal is picking up and causing some places to be full. With that said the crew did find a good spot to stop because others had cancelled due to the high winds. The winds started at 12 mph and built to 20 mph. This caused most people to sit tight. However, our crew pushed westward because the locks were not going to be that difficult.

Crew did see one bald eagle while cruising today. He flew in and landed on the North shore just upstream of the boat.

The crew stopped in St Johnsville marina and met another looper boat from Canada, ‘On Business.’ The crew met Andy and Twylla McKendry and enjoyed speaking to them about the Canadian waters that lay ahead.

Day 4 Erie Canal: High Point

The weather is once again dictating the moves of Still Waters II. Forecasts show 20 plus mph winds for Sunday and Monday that would make crossing Lake Oneida foolish. Rather than wait for good weather next week, the crew has decided to put in a couple of longer than planned for days to get across on Saturday, while the wind is relatively calm. Calm being a relative term because the wind is blowing 12-15 mph.

The crew put in 38 miles with 5 locks. One lock was 16 feet, three locks were 21 feet, and one lock was 40 feet. Wrestling the lines in the locks makes for a tired crew. After clearing Lock 20, the crew was at the highest point on the Erie Canal. The Locks tomorrow will start dropping the crew back towards sea level.

Day 5 Erie Canal: Dreary Erie

With the weather about to turn even worse, the crew got an early start with a goal to get across Lake Oneida by mid-afternoon. They left in the rain as the skipper monitored the weather radar. He was adjusting speed as they travelled west and managed to arrive while the rain began to slacken.

With about a 20 minute rain delay the crew entered and negotiated their first down lock on the Erie Canal. The lock lowered the boat 25 feet. The crew commented that these down locks are much easier than the up locks. Another mile and the crew went down another 25 feet in Lock 22. The crew then headed out across Lake Oneida.

Sailboat on Lake Oneida

With the wind out of the Southwest the swells were on the boats starboard quarter and made for an uneventful crossing. The crew then pulled into Winter Harbor Marina to wait out the high winds that are predicted for the next couple of days before heading North to Oswego.

The skipper noticed that the crew of ‘Tasteful Traveler’ was in a nearby marina. He checked their blog and found that they were on a sabbatical back home in Minneapolis. Our crew will leave Brewerton before the ‘Tasteful Travel’ crew returns next week so we will give them a shout out and say “hope to see you on the water soon.”

The plan next week is to exit the Erie Canal and take the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. Cross Lake Ontario and head up the St Lawrence River to Montreal.

Come back next week and see how the crew has progressed. The skipper likes the Highwaymen and so I am altering a line from their signature song as my closing from now on.

The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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June 12, 2016
On the Hudson with Henry
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Henry Hudson here helping the skipper pilot up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal. The crew passed some memorable scenery as they left Haverstraw Bay and headed to Hyde Park. The Bay is the widest point on the river, about 3 miles across from the east to west bank. After a short stay in Hyde Park to explore the area, the crew then made their way to Waterford where they will enter the NY Canal System.

But first I had to give the skipper a little sun dial training. Seems the modern skipper relies on gadgets and GPS to navigate and they have lost the skills we old salts used to have to safely travel these waters.

The skipper came across a sundial – 9/11 Memorial while he was out riding his bicycle in Croton on Hudson Village. The gnomon, the piece that sticks up and casts the shadow, was actually a steal beam from the twin towers. Red bricks were then laid to create the hour-lines. At the end of the hour-lines were medallions to represent the time as the shadow passed by.

Bear Mountain Bridge

The crew shoved off from the dock on Tuesday and headed north. One of the first features passed was Bear Mountain which rose to a height of 1305 feet above the River. The Appalachian Trail crosses the Hudson River at the Bear Mountain Bridge. The crew saw hikers on the bridge 155 feet overhead and wondered if any were section hikers, since it would be too early for through hikers at this point.

Appalachian Trail (AT) Factoid – The trail from Bear Mountain to Delaware Water Gap opened October 7, 1923, and was the first section opened of the famed AT.

The Skipper and Admiral dream of through hiking the AT after completing this season of boating America’s waterways.

West Point at a distance

West Point was the next landmark along this section of River. As the crew came around the next bend in the River at Con Hook, they could see West Point on the western shore about 5.5 nautical miles up-river.

In the revolutionary war the American’s stretched a chain from the west bank to the east bank to prevent the British from getting north of West Point. Each chain link was 2 feet long.

Another 5 nautical miles up-river the crew passed Pollepel Island. The Island is better known as Bannerman Island to the locals. There is a deteriorating castle on the Island that has quite the story to tell.

Bannerman Castle

Buried on an island in the Hudson, beneath the brittle body of century old castle walls and thin hair of tangled vines, lie Civil War bayonet scabbards and the ashes of Irish linen bed sheets.

This is the remnant of a Scotsman’s fortress called Bannerman Castle — built not as a home, but as an arsenal for his immense collection of weapons. To read the whole story, click on the title: Bannerman Island: A Mystery Island on the Hudson

Engraving of Washington’s Headquarters, 1777

Four nautical miles further up-river and the crew passed George Washington’s 1782-1783 Headquarters in Newburgh. The Hasbrouck House is where George issued the Proclamation For Peace that ended the Revolutionary War. The house is the oldest house in Newburgh, and also is the first property acquired and preserved by any state in the US for historic reasons.

Another 4 nautical miles and the crew passed under the Mid-Hudson Suspension Bridge. The crew is about half way to the Erie Canal. The crew pulled into the Hyde Park Marina to spend several days exploring the sights of the mid-hudson.

Shore Excursions in Dutchess County

The Hudson River Valley is rich in history going all the way back to 1609 when I first sailed these waters. The heavy Dutch influence is still seen today, mostly in the naming conventions that is still in use. For example, a ‘kill’ in Dutch is a creek. Eleanor Roosevelt’s home is named Val Kill Cottage, or Cottage on the Creek.

With so much history in the area, the challenge is to narrow down the list of must see things to do, to a manageable number. On this trip, the crew decided to walk the Val Kill Cottage property, visit the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Vanderbilt Mansion, FDR Library and Museum, the Culinary Institute of America, and West Point. To see and do these things the crew rented a car for three days.

Still Waters II at Hyde Park Marina, viewed from Walkway Over the Hudson

But before setting off on Wednesday morning, the skipper noticed that one of the bridges in Poughkeepsie had been converted from a rail to trail bike ride. It was about two miles from the marina to the trail, and then a 4.5 mile loop over the Walkway Over the Hudson Bridge to the Mid-Hudson Bridge, and then two miles back to the marina.

As often happens on the explorations, the skipper stumbled over an exciting exhibit. On the Mid-Hudson Bridge, someone had actually created 12 tracks of music that one can listen to. All the music was made by beating on the bridge. Very entertaining.

The Mid-Hudson Bridge was done as a proof of concept to attempt the same thing on the Eifel Tower. The Bridge Music turned out to be a success and he went on to also produce Tower Music.

For a mobile web tour of the bridge and area, visit walkway

Kingston, New York

The first settlers arrived in Kingston in 1652, which makes the village the third oldest in New York State. Kingston was also the first capital of New York.

Historic Old Dutch Church

Founded in 1659, the church is often referred to as ‘Kingston’s Cathedral.’ The church is built with native stone, showing Greek, Italian, and Egyptian influences. The architect used symbolism of the Christian Church in using 3’s, 5’s and 7’s in the interior design.

Three stands for the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There are three entrances, three aisles, and three pulpit chairs.

Five stands for the 5 senses. There are five windows on each side, five balcony arches with five columns.

Seven stands for the days of creation. There are two pairs of seven branch candle holders.

The stained glass memorial window behind the pulpit was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The Praying Angel, designed by German sculptor, Carl Burbel, took first prize for bronze work at the 1893 Worlds Fair. (The angel on the right side of pic.)

While walking the grounds of the old church, the skipper tried to enter the church but found the door locked. As the crew was walking away, a young man came up to the crew and asked if they would like to go inside. Of course the answer was yes. The young man unlocked the door, turned the church lights on, and basically gave the crew the run of the place to look around.

Hudson River Maritime Museum

Model of my ship – Half Moon

The museum did a fantastic job of explaining the history of and uses of the Hudson River.

Two of the more interesting things were the ice sailing and ice harvesting exhibits.

Ice sailboat

The museum actually had FDR’s ice sailboat on exhibit. Films showing ice sailing captured these contraptions sailing in excess of 100 mph over the ice.

The ice harvesting reached a peak in the early 1900’s but was put out of business with the invention of electricity and refrigeration. However, in its hey-day, there were over a hundred business cutting large chunks of ice and storing the blocks till summer. Then selling the blocks of ice to customers in NYC.

Hyde Park

Vanderbilt Mansion – Hyde Park – this mansion was purchased by Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt as a spring and fall cottage in 1895. The couple spent $2.25 million furnishing and updating the estate. The couple had no children, so when Frederick died in 1938, he left the Hyde Park estate to a niece. She did not want the head ache so she tried selling the estate. Eventually dropping the price all the way to $250,000. After no takers, she donated the estate to the government in 1940.

FDR Library and Museum – FDR actually designed his library in the Dutch colonial style. Unlike the presidential libraries that followed, FDR actually used this facility while sitting as the president. The crew spent four hours wandering the exhibits and could easily spend another full day.

The skipper was humored though by Eleanor. The library had an exhibit of items found in her purse when she died. Amongst the credit cards, and ID’s were about 10 different prayers she carried with her and a New York gun permit. Can you believe it, a praying, gun toting, New York progressive. My, how times have changed.

Culinary Institute of America

The crew stopped in here for lunch and also took the tour. The Institute was actually started by two women following WWII to help returning veterans learn new skills and find work.

The sturgeon statue is made of knives, forks, and spoons. The fish was selected because it makes its home in the Hudson River and brings us caviar.

Gastrotypographicalassemblage at the Culinary Institute

West Point

The crew visited the Army Museum. An interesting thread that first appeared on a plaque outside West Point, reappeared in the museum, and ended at the cemetery is the story of Susan and Anna Warner.

The two sisters are the only female civilians buried in the cemetery. For decades the two women taught Sunday School lessons to the Cadets who would row across the Hudson River to their home on Constitution Island. Susan died in 1885, but Anna continued teaching the cadets until her death in 1915. Dwight D, Eisenhower was a student of Anna’s. Anna is also known as the author of the song, ‘Jesus Loves Me.’

On Saturday morning the crew decided to push further north up the Hudson and left the dock at 0915. While throwing the lines off the boat, an old man approached the skipper and asked if Henry Hudson was aboard. When I heard my name, I looked down from the helm and saw my old friend, Rip. You might recall that when Rip wandered into the woods he met my crew before falling into a deep sleep.

Since Rip knows these woods we gave him a ride north to New Brunswick. Along the way he pointed out landmarks and told stories of long ago.

When we passed the Esopus Island, Rip informed us that we were now out of the brackish water, and would be in fresh water the rest of the way north. He mentioned that we will still feel the effects of the tides until we get to the Troy Lock north of Albany.

Rip pointed out the Esopus Lighthouse. The light was placed in service back in 1839.

Further up the river we passed the Kingston Lighthouse. Rip informed us that it was originally built in 1838.

Just south of Albany, the crew passed under the Rip van Winkle fixed Bridge, and Rip decided it was time for a nap. We let him disembark under the bridge and I waved goodbye to my old friend. Soon after dropping Rip off, the crew motored up the side of Houghtailing Island and anchored for the night.

On Sunday the crew weighed anchor in the rain and made their way north of Albany and then on to the Troy Lock. This is actually the furthest north I made it during my 1609 explorations of the region.

Waiting for lock doors to open and a green light to enter

The lock raised Still Waters II 14 feet. Now that the crew has passed the lock, the crew will not have to deal with any tidal effects for a while.

Also, after passing the lock, the crew passed green ‘1’ which is the furthest east on the basic route of the Great Loop. The boat in the pic below is to the starboard of the green 1 can floating in the water.

Left turn at the green 1 marker and you go to Erie Canal. Head right under the bridge and you go to the Champlain Canal.

The crew docked at the Waterford Town Dock. The skipper went and bought their pass to transient the NY Canal System. The crew will make final preps on Monday to make the canal passage. The big question right now is whether to take the Erie Canal west or the Champlain Canal to the north.

Tune in next week to see which way the crew decides to go.

Henry Hudson
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June 6, 2016