Oct 4-9: Hop-O-Nose Here We Come
We left Waterford for the final lock before the Hudson River with a fleet of sailboats along with us, 6 in total, and 3 of them from Quebec all travelling together. Once out of the locks we drifted further away as we took in the sights and sounds of the hectic Hudson River.
Tug boats were busy pushing large barges and other bulky loads along. We passed ornate bridges, resorts, stunning homes, river cruise boats, and cities steeped in history. A navy battleship sat silently ominous by the port just outside of one town. All the while cargo ships continued to slip by.
The most bizzarely common sight are the large lighthouses standing firm in the middle of busy water channels. I cannot imagine working in one, going back and forth on a boat each day, and watching as monster ships seemingly near miss you on one side or the other.
On the Hudson we are no longer height hampered as we were by the bridges on the Erie, each with only 20’ of clearance. From here to the ocean bridges will be above our 64’ mast so it is time to put the mast back up again . . . and Andrew couldn’t be happier!
Hop-O-Nose marina in Catskills has a great reputation with Canadian sailors. Their crane and other gear looks ancient and their team of 3 guys laugh and goof around like they are at the bar, not at work so when we arrived I had my doubts. After watching them make quick work of re-stepping the mast on the sailboat ahead of us, I was convinced. They were as good as their reputation.
The marina staff welcomed us like we were part of the family and their family run restaurant was fabulous, yet homey. With hurricane Nate potentially becoming an issue we decided to stay for a few days, restock food, find needed supplies and fix a few things . . . like our Zodiac that had ripped somehow.
Town was a 15 min walk at our usual fast pace. A trip to the Lowes the first day yielded a folding wagon which worked perfectly to carry our many supplies and food. We didn't expect to be shopping so long. Before we knew it a bright orange moon filled the horizon and it was dark. Thank goodness for the wagon!
The best treat was hosting my sister Bethany and her husband Ronnie, our first official guests of the Bahamas adventure. We relaxed together enjoying a feeling of home in this far away marina. A small birthday party for her wrapped up our visit and we reluctantly said goodbye. What a great time!
Tomorrow we head towards New York and our first few anchorages!