We left Manasquan a day early because, yep the forecast completely changed. We had only one day to go outside not two. We surfed out of the inlet to the ocean and we’re greeted with beautiful flat and undulating waves. The dolphins were loving it and we even saw whales!
Approaching NY harbor was really an experience that’s difficult to describe. The sun was shining as we took our buddy boat photos with Lady Liberty. The remains of our flotilla from the Chesapeake split into even smaller groups. We anchored behind Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty for the night with Chipmonk, a Canadian boat that’s almost home. The current, wind, ferries made for a rolly afternoon but it did calm down.
We planned to wait until late morning for the East River currents to be more favorable but once our quiet anchorage started rolling again from ferry traffic so we left to take on the infamous East River and “Hells Gate”
We were sad to say goodbye to our buddy boats but we all have a different loop to travel.
The East river is not on your usual Looper track but it is an option and I would highly recommend it. Amazing to go past the bridges and landmarks that are usually seen from land. Since we weren’t maximizing the current we were going slow, that was fine. Going through Hells Gate was exciting as the winds, currents, and boat traffic was changing. Long Island sound was familiar with its white caps. We turned into Manhasset Bay and grabbed a free mooring ball and the sun came out.
