5/10/16           Tuesday                        Port Washington, NY


Another early. Waited for enough light to see the buoys but were leading our buddies out of the Great Kills harbor before 5:30 AM. We needed to be across the Staten Island Sound, through the Verrazano Bridge,

Verrazano Bridge, NYC to the left

past Governor's Island with NYC in the background, and into the East River before 8:30 AM so as to catch the current and get swept up the river and through Hell Gate which is a convergence of tidal and river current energy that includes the Harlem and East Rivers coming together with water down Long Island Sound and in from the Atlantic Ocean. Lots of energy under THAT bridge.

Sunrise, another! Rockaway in the distance, I think

Smirk. We did it.

Gray (Dream Catcher) lead us into NYC having done the East River several times before. I had emailed/Facebooked my NYC buddies letting them know when we were going to be in the river and inviting them to come wave. Then I called and left message for Diana to come wave. She called but was walking across Central Park heading for the West Side to meet a client. We got to talk though.
I sat on the aft deck for all the time we were in the East River. Loved seeing NYC from the water and from the other direction. Obviously - me sitting on the aft deck - we were more relaxed about traveling in NYC on this return trip....and with Gary leading. I was bundled against chilled temperatures and wind but exhilarating to be outside, on our boat, David at the helm, traveling through NYC by water! Delicious and a total treat. Something about feeling confident? Returning to the City by a different mode? Some sense of returning conqueror? AND, it was so lively and beautiful and seemingly wasteful. Oh my, I can hold contradictory feelings ast.
Random NYC photos heading into and up the East River:

NYU ferry w/Ms Liberty to left

Carousel in white square

Add caption

Alignment sisters

Spiral bldg

59th St/Queensboro Bridge

East Side Highway complete with ivy of some kind

House on roof

Hard to see in the photo to the right but just about center, there is a pink/mauve house on the roof of a building. The decorations on the tops of so many buildings are stunning. This house on a building was pretty unique.

Tagging

Below is a very colorful example of local, I assume, art. Vibrant colors!









I totally missed Hell Gate excitement which was minimal since we (the Captains) timed it so well and I was talking with my friend.

We arrived in Port Washington, a pretty and pretty empty harbor this time of the year, contrasted to the busy harbor back in October. Only a few people on moorings so we got close to shore.

We'd made the entire passage in about 5 hours so we were in before lunchtime. Perfect time for a nap on the aft deck in the sun. Easy to sleep in the beach chairs we bought in Marathon. Afterward, some computer work (MAC TA application) and trip to town and grocery store w/friends.

David and I had a conversation about how the remainder of our trip was to evolve. He wanting to see Don and Dianne and visit Mystic Museum. Both outings I want to support but cannot see how to do both those things AND get me to a place I can get some transportation home before 5/21. That is the last and ONLY dance class I'll get to attend and I've a doctor appointment on 5/23. I don't trust David's sense of amount of time things take. It took at least a month for us to travel to Port Washington on the way south. I'm pretty sure it will take more than 10 days to travel home from here. I wonder if he is taking my need to get home seriously. He declares he does. He reminds me that days are longer now and we travel more than the 5 or 6 hours we were able to travel in the fall. I'd not considered that. Still, travel takes time and David's sense of time is not as acute as mine. So....I'm concerned. He assures me. We'll see. I don't want to leave the boat before it is home. I do want to finish this voyage with David, not before. And I want to continue the journey not just look for the destination. blah blah blah