If it's Saturday, This Must be Denver

It was really something to arrive in New York City by boat.  In fact, I think it just has to be the best way to arrive, as you see the skyscrapers from miles away and watch them grow until you find you're gliding past the United Nations, the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty.  Like Boston, we found ourselves stepping off of Moonshadow right into the middle of New York City.  

After first anchoring at Liberty Park near the Statue of Liberty, where we walked to a ferry to get into New York City, we moved Moonshadow to the 79th Street Marina on the Hudson River.  From here we could attend a Broadway show that let out at 9:45 PM without worrying about missing the last  ferry at 10:00 PM back across the harbor.  The marina was a very rocky marina, but right in the heart of town.

The Marina is three blocks from Central Park where we did some walking, and visited Strawberry Fields with the memorial for John Lennon, then toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We managed to find out-of-the-way neighborhood restaurants and tried to look like New Yorkers (in Topsiders).

A weather front was forecast to pass through bringing cold northerly winds, but more importantly bringing northerly winds. We planned to depart New York upon the passage of the front and use the forecast northerly to make tracks south to Norfolk, Virginia where we had a place to leave Moonshadow during our trip out west.  

As the late afternoon sky darkened, we motored down the Hudson River past Manhattan and watched the city slip by and into our wake...

 New York City was just as majestic departing as it was arriving

The weather front and the frigid temperatures reminded us that it was time we got to southern latitudes!

The weather forecasters accurately predicted northerly winds but left out the part about 25-30 knots and rain!  At least the passage was fast.  After sailing 285 windy and rainy miles south from New York City, in 33.5 hours (an average of 8.5 knots), we made a night time arrival in Norfolk and dropped the anchor in a quiet cove at 02:00.  After a few hours sleep, we moved Moonshadow to her current berth in a marina in Portsmouth, Virginia, just across the river from Norfolk.  

This brings to a close six and a half months of cruising the East Coast from Key Biscayne to Maine (and half the way back) with the following highlights:

• 3,439 nautical miles sailed.
• 27°40' southern most latitude - Key Biscane, Florida
• 44°21' northern most latitude - Somes Harbor, Maine

• 64 ports of call:
•      46 anchorages for 99 nights
•      16 marinas for 77 nights (includes 5 weeks in a boatyard)
•        2 mooring balls for 6 nights   

• 461 hours under way (11% of our time aboard)    
•   7.5 knots average
• 15.3 knots maximum under sail

• 32 knots maximum true wind while underway
• 46 knots maximum true wind while moored

Next it was time to dress up and head to Estes Park near Boulder Colorado for the wedding of John's nephew Neal Rogers and Whitney Fisher.

Congratulations Neal and Whitney!

We learned we aren't the only people who sweat the weather.  It rained up until two hours before the (outdoor) wedding, but then the skys parted and presented a stunning setting for the ceremony.

Then it was time for some more sailing, this time aboard Legacy in San Diego.  This was the week for the sea trial and survey by Legacy's buyer  from Sydney Australia.  We will miss Legacy and all the many great times aboard.


While in San Diego, we will visit friends and family, get doctor checkups, drive in traffic, play some golf and generally enjoy the best city on earth.  Did I mention a Chargers game?  Ugh!

Then, too soon, it'll be time to say goodbye again and take flight back to Moonshadow, where we have about five weeks in Portsmouth Virginia to prepare for the next leg of our adventure.