New Jersey to Canada
July 5, 2024
Greetings from Canada!
We haven’t provided an update since New Jersey because we’ve been so busy working, moving and exploring.
We ended up riding the NJ ICW all the way to its end, which made for a stressful trip. This was the most difficult portion of the ICW for us because of the precise timing of tides needed to avoid ripping our mast off from all the bridges we barely cleared. Then near the end we had to navigate the inaptly named Point Pleasant Canal, where horrible currents can propel you toward two lift bridges. This canal is infamous on YouTube, where the curious can watch poorly prepared or behaved boaters dealing with the situation and each other’s tempers. Thankfully we timed our passage for a weekday to avoid pleasure boaters and we radioed Tow Boat US (the ones who would save us if we had trouble) to ask when slack current would occur.
Having successfully cleared the canal, we decided to stick our bow into the Atlantic via Manasquan Inlet to get a practice run for the next day. While we knew the conditions would not be placid, we thought we could see ahead and turn around early if needed. The gentle swell of the sea lifted Novella’s hull as we approached, lulling us into a false comfort. By the time we neared the end of the jetty, we noticed breaking waves in our path, but they looked manageable so we decided to go for it. At this point we were committed to exiting the inlet, because turning around between waves in a low powered boat is a foolish and dangerous endeavor. Just as things were looking good for our exit, the largest fishing boat we’ve ever seen, one that could carry upwards of 25 men on excursions, rounded the jetty inbound under full power. Its monstrous wake just so happened to merge with an incoming breaking wave, creating the largest and steepest wave Novella has probably ever seen in her 41 years. The bow pointed skyward and the captain leaned forward as the companionway doors and everything else in the cockpit crashed to the new center of gravity. We continued far enough out to escape the largest breakers and re-entered the inlet to anchor for the night knowing we’d have to exit the same way in the morning. Sweet dreams!
Thankfully we chose one of the best days of the year for our Atlantic hop up to NYC. The calm seas made for a magical day as we celebrated the milestones of entering the Atlantic and reaching the nation’s largest city in our very own boat. We began to see the skyline from 40 miles away, which only increased our excitement to arrive. It was unbelievable to think back to our splash day in Tennessee - two inexperienced “sailors” on a small day-sailing vessel. We actually made it.
We entered New York Harbor under relatively light commercial traffic and dropped our anchor in one of the few reasonable places to do so in the harbor - right behind the Statue of Liberty. It was truly a multimillion dollar view of Manhattan and Lady Liberty and we had it for free! The next day we moved to the most expensive marina we’ve ever stayed at and began our wild three day adventure in NYC.
Our mission was to see and eat all the things we missed on our first trip some years ago while revisiting our favorites. We ate the most incredible NYC pizza before going to our first ever Broadway show, “Illinoise.” We waited in line at the hottest new bagel shop. Chinatown was an eating extravaganza. Oysters. Thai food. Dominican breakfast. MOMA. Central Park. Strawberry Fields. A foreign film. The High Line. Impromptu concerts. We really crammed a lot into a few days and walked until we couldn’t move anymore - a classic city travel occurrence for us. Our first 2 days we averaged 24,000 steps each day. Our favorite NYC moment was when a thunderstorm popped up out of nowhere and torrential rain poured over Manhattan. We were under a construction scaffolding and there just so happened to be a diner there with outdoor seating. Instead of buying a cheap umbrella we opted to buy a beer and have a seat. Seeing tourists and locals of all walks of life screaming, laughing and running for cover while we relaxed was the most entertaining people watching ever.
With the city behind us and our bodies exhausted, we turned up the Hudson River and fought its incredible currents, at one point moving only 2.5 miles per hour. The Hudson is actually a tidal estuary for many miles, with the tides of the Atlantic flipping the current to run in either direction depending on the time of day, and it is a beast. Once we made friends with the current, we enjoyed a pleasurable cruise Upstate with unspeakably beautiful mountains rising from both sides of the river. This area is one of the best kept secrets of the entire US.
In Catskill the mast had to come down for the next leg of the journey due to low bridges on the Erie and Trent-Severn Canals. This is when the heat wave hit. It is no fun to work on the boat when it is 97 degrees.
The town of Kingston, NY was a highlight due to its thriving small business scene and we were able to stay for free at a restaurant dock if we ate there. In Troy, NY we tied to the free dock and met some colorful local characters and ended up hanging out with them for the night.
Next we entered the Erie Canal. What we envisioned would be an uninteresting ditch was actually a water staircase into the mountains. After countless locks we were in the charming town of Little Falls, NY. We stayed for a few days, working and riding our bikes on their gorgeous cliff-lined trails. The canal was ideal for budget travelers such as us- there are many free places to tie the boat for the night, which is especially welcome after the high marina prices in NYC.
Unfortunately the free walls set the stage for a cat-tastrophe. Many of them have grass lawns along the edge, which Tildy considers a delicacy. One such wall just above a dam must have had especially tasty grass, and she continually snuck over to feast despite our protests. In the morning we had untied from the wall and gave the boat a good shove when Tildy had an intense craving for one more nibble of the green goodness. She perched on the edge of the boat, did a super-charging butt wiggle and leapt for the concrete wall, now about 4 feet away. Her claws did little good to help her catch the edge and… splash!
We always wondered what would happen if she fell in. Would she instinctively know how to swim at this late age? Would she loudly mew to alert us she needs help? It turns out she is a good swimmer, yet frighteningly silent. Our fishing net was tied up out of the way but we worked fast to free it. When she realized she could not climb up concrete, she swam to the boat’s side and terrifyingly out of our sight. We frantically looked around the boat and eventually found her at the stern, right by the rudder. From the scruff of her neck she was pulled up and saved. She stayed inside the boat for the next few days, not even venturing on deck for her routine walks.
From the Erie we turned right on the Oswego Canal. In Oswego, NY we met up with some Looper friends who live in the area and received a grand tour and hospitality before casting off the next morning to cross the depths of Lake Ontario. Our goal was Canada but if the waves were too intense from the west we would turn to ride them to the Thousand Islands. Thankfully, after starting at 5:30am we were able to make a direct run. Once at a Canadian marina we called customs and checked in by phone before we were cleared to stay at least 60 days.
Today we are en route to the Trent-Severn waterway, which should be a gorgeous path to our most anticipated destination of the Loop - the crystal clear waters of the Georgian Bay! Bears, blueberries and a summer of swimming await us!
Daily Travel Log | The Great Loop
Day 192 • did some things we dreamt we would do all the time… worked and dined outdoors
Atlantic City to Barnegat Inlet anchorage, New Jersey
Day 193 • our last full day on the intracoastal waterway, tomorrow the ocean, and soon an end to all saltwater
Barnegat Inlet to The Glimmer Glass anchorage at Manasquan, New Jersey
Day 194 • after a gorgeous day on the Atlantic, we are now tucked away behind Lady Liberty and enjoying our view of the New York skyline
Manasquan, New Jersey to the Statue of Liberty anchorage in New York City, New York
Day 195 • 23,000 steps - worked, pulled anchor, Ellis Island, Coast Guard stop, Jersey City, marina, coffee, vintage shop, ferry, New York City, Financial District, Oculus World Trade Center, 9/11 Memorial, Chinatown, a bunch of buns, Columbus Park, a souvenir, beef noodle soup, boba sundae, the subway, Chelsea, The High Line, East Village, beers, Battleship, a t-shirt, oysters, tuna steak, squid ink pasta, bus, beer store, fast food, boardwalk, cockpit chill, sleep
Statue of Liberty anchorage to Jersey City, New Jersey
Day 196 • 22,000 steps - work, ferry, Irish Hunger Memorial, subway, East Village, bagels, coffee, Midtown, MoMA, Picasso, Pollock, Monet, Central Park, beer, Midtown, pizza and pasta, torrential rainstorm, people watching, accidental Times Square, Broadway, Illinoise the Musical, our final train ride, hobbled home, leftover pizza
Jersey City, New Jersey
Day 197 • said goodbye to NYC, crawled up the Hudson at a snail’s pace, increased winds dictated a mooring ball stop, dinghy ride, hello again NYC, Inwood, hot dogs and margaritas, subway, Midtown, children’s sunglasses, movie at Lincoln Center, outdoor music festival, Central Park, big rocks, Strawberry Fields, back to Inwood, beer bar, thai dinner, extra thai food to go, train, limped to the marina, deflated dinghy home, lights out (14,000 steps)
Jersey City, New Jersey to New York City, New York
Day 198 • Dominican breakfast and a fuel refill before heading up the Hudson River, marina with a pool, easy Thai dinner
New York City to Montrose, New York
Day 199 • the Hudson River Valley is absolutely beautiful, trying our best to sail before the mast comes down in a matter of days, also it’s hot outside
Montrose to Kingston, New York
Day 200 • morning exploration, afternoon sweatshop, evening outdoor shower
Kingston to the Duck Cove anchorage near Germantown, New York
Day 201 • our final sail for awhile, a sweaty day in the office, twin chicken sandwiches and a much desired slushy drink
Germantown to Catskill, New York
Day 202 • the mast is down, the boat is a mess, real feel 104 degrees
Catskill, New York
Day 203 • the days of boiling boat work are (hopefully) behind us, traveled a wee bit up river and found our magic once again
Catskill to Coxsackie, New York
Day 204 • motored in a rainstorm, a free dock, spent the evening with some lively locals
Coxsackie to Troy, New York
Day 205 • first day on the Erie Canal, went through seven locks, hid under a bridge while we waited out a thunderstorm
Troy to the Lock 7 Wall near Niskayuna, New York
Day 206 • made a bit of progress, docked early due to weather and some work projects, watched the ski show
Niskayuna to Scotia, New York
Day 207 • waited outside our final lock of the day as divers worked to fix a valve, the girls went for a walk and picked wildflowers
Scotia to the Lock 12 Wall near Fonda, New York
Day 208 • a surprise swim lesson, a spooky guillotine lock, now docked in the scenic valley town of Little Falls
Fonda to Little Falls, New York
Day 209 • finally groceries, the biggest hairball ever, all the laundry, a heavy workload, and a car show
Little Falls, New York
Day 210 • dug the bikes out, cruised the canal trail, and celebrated the completion of this week’s big work project
Little Falls, New York
Day 211 • a rainy, do nothing day
Little Falls, New York
Day 212 • we are on the move again, first we ran new cables to get the radio up and running, later we said hi as we passed our tour guide friend from Troy
Little Falls to Rome, New York
Day 213 • from free wall to free wall - we were the big boat in the lock for a change, sad the amusement park was closed, tomorrow we cross the lake
Rome to Sylvan Beach, New York
Day 214 • the weather for our crossing was nice - the bugs were not, walked with ice cream cones, tild’s first time on the deck since the incident
Sylvan Lake to Minetto, New York
Day 215 • finally met up with our fun looper friends from day 4, received a tour of the area including a visit to their retro cottage on the water, tomorrow we plan to cross our first Great Lake
Minetto to Oswego, New York
Day 216 • Happy 4th of July from Canada, we got a super early start and spent the day crossing Lake Ontario while eating up the remainder of our restricted foods
Oswego, New York, USA to Prinyer’s Cove, Ontario, Canada
Day 217 • a long day on the water, the nicest marina yet, stretched our legs, watched SkyHawk stunts, enjoyed some beer followed by pizza
Prinyer’s Cove to Trenton, Ontario