This was Statue of Liberty week!!! All loopers are excited to get an iconic boat picture in front of the lovely lady. The advice was to avoid New York Harbor on the weekend, so my first ride-along Lisa and I hung out at Great Kills Yacht Club. Twenty-three looper boats were there with us, so Lisa got to experience the magic of the looper community. It was great to reconnect with many of the loopers who I had already crossed paths with the previous 3 weeks. We went to dinner one night with my longest looper friends, Dan and NB, and we hung out at the Yacht Club bar where Bartender Deanna had our drinks ready when we walked through the door. It is a privilege to be experiencing this crazy adventure with such a fun and fabulous group of people!!
I also had the chance to see my baby cousin Tara who lives near Queens! We took the Staten Island ferry to meet her for lunch at Haven Rooftop and caught Six on Broadway.
Monday’s weather was crummy so a pack of loopers left Tuesday at 6:30am to head north. The harbor was BONKERS!!! The ferries are FAST and don’t give a feck if you are in their way. The Staten Island ferry, the local ferries, and the tourist boats cut right in front of you, so it is like playing Frogger across a busy interstate. The adrenaline was pumping! I was very happy to have Lisa and her extra set of eyes helping me keep track of all the traffic. It was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. Our friends on Toscana were kind enough to hang out in front of the Lady and take pics of the parade of loopers going by. What an amazing experience!
So many loopers and so much traffic in the New York Harbor! And I am one of them!
One of my looper friends compared the run from Cape May through Manhattan to passing a kidney stone. I now completely understand why. As we went further north, the Hudson River got calmer and calmer. We made our way to the anchorage by Half Moon Bay at Croton-on-Hudson. Lots of loopers were staying there that night, but we spent most of the night hanging on the flybridge on this gorgeous night. Kali was happy to be back on the dink!
We traveled north to Marlboro Yacht Club for Wednesday and Thursday nights. Docking perpendicular to very strong current and very strong wind SUCKED! I did not hit any other boats but holy cow, I came close. Thankfully, Frank and Frank from the Yacht Club were there to help wrangle my feisty filly and get her in the stable. They saved me thousands in insurance costs. I gave them both big hugs!
Marlboro Yacht Club was great! There were 4 other loopers who had landed there. It helped my ego a little to see seasoned loopers struggling to dock as well. Shew! We had drinks at the bar, played games, and compared stories. The pump out station was free so I took advantage of the opportunity.
My time with Lisa was coming to an end and the plan for Friday was to drop her off at a nearby marina to catch a train back to the airport and then continue northbound to an anchored in the Catskills. The Catskills are magical!! I started to let go of the stress of the past few weeks. I enjoyed it while I could because I knew what was coming…my first set of locks… The Hudson River got calmer and calmer as I traveled north except for a surprise pop-up storm that roared through while I was on anchor. It left behind a full rainbow for me. Below is the view of The ‘Nati Nomad from another looper as well as the view from my bow. Perfect timing for a Happy Pride Month!
Two weeks before, I sent out a plea for help with my first locks and Scuba Sue answered the call. She booked a one-way ticket to Albany and then planned to drive home with me from Brewerton for the 4th of July week. So… next stop, Albany Yacht Club to pick up Sue!
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. It is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
If you have questions about anything loop or looper-lifestyle related, feel free to leave it in the comments and I will respond in my next post.
To support the adventure or to track The ‘Nati Nomad’s progress, visit greatloop.thenatinomad.com.
