Monday, 1st June.  Up at 05.15 for an early start to catch the tide at Hell’s Gate in the Hudson River, where it can flow at 6 knots plus. Cloudy and clearly going to rain and very cold, so wet weather gear and thermals.  We are lucky in that the trip up the river was not in rain and not much wind, but it is a pretty grim day and the river is industrial and gloomy in parts.

 

 

Motoring up the Hudson River in winter gear.                                                                                Hell’s Gate in the gloom with nothing but bridges and sky scrapers.

 

Once out of the river, it started to pour with rain and blow up to 25 knots on the nose, very unpleasant, so we decided to stop earlier than planned and take shelter in Manhasset Bay, a very good move.

 

 

City Island, the New York end of Long Island Sound in the drizzle.                                                 Things are getting worse, the gloves and woolly hat now needed.

 

After a very relaxed afternoon down below, reading, blogging and plotting tomorrow’s course for Oyster Bay, we abandon all ideas of going ashore as it continues bitterly cold and raining and Anthony cooked an excellent paella and we all indulged in a little comforting alcoholic beverage.

 

Tuesday 2nd June.  Still bitterly cold but not so wet, after a morning of cleaning (Anthony), mending (Skipper and Ship’s Boy) and sorting out photographs for the blog (Skipper’s wife) we carry on to Oyster Bay which has been recommended as a nice place to anchor.  With blue sky and clouds, we enjoy a pleasant evening walk in the sunshine on Cove Neck around President Roosevelt’s house, now a museum, in lovely grounds with a great walk to the beach on the Cold Spring Harbour side before it rains again in the evening.

 

 

 

Centre Island, Oyster Bay with one of the many smart and attractive properties around the Bay.

 

 

Balmy but cold, late afternoon in Oyster Bay from our anchorage, looking at Cove Neck. n

 

Tomorrow we plan to go to Norwalk where a mooring has been very kindly arranged for us at the Norwalk Yacht Club by Scott and Kitty Kuhner.

 

Alcedo

 

PS.  We did try to anchor off the Seawanhaka Yacht Club, but although the launch boys were very charming and good looking, it was clear that visitors are not very welcome and it costs $100 per night to stay on one of their buoys, so not recommended, but it is very smart!