Kingston, NY

Thursday, July 13, 2023

We left this morning at 7:45, passing the restored / repositioned Colgate Clock just outside the Liberty Landing marina.  Colgate-Palmolive was my first job after Wharton, launching me on a wonderful career in product management / marketing / new product development / general management / consulting / startups.  The clock used to stand atop the old Colgate-Palmolive plant on Hudson Street in Jersey City.  It now stands in front of the Goldman-Sachs tower.

As we pulled out, a beautiful Viking cruise ship was pulling into Chelsea Piers.  We gave her the right-of-way and continued north up the Hudson.  The river is beautiful, and the Hudson Highlands are particularly striking. 

Each time I pass this way, I think about Henry Hudson traveling upriver in 1608/9: no GPS; no charts; no idea of where it was leading, and no idea of where they would find food or water.   The river is SO big, and it goes on for 150 miles until it’s no longer navigable.  Lynn and I will cover it in 2 comfortable days at 18 mph.  I can’t imagine how long it would take in a primitive sailing ship, beating against the tide.

Fortunately, we had ANOTHER day of smooth seas and blue skies. I decided it would be a good day to enjoy a REALLY BIG CIGAR.  Here’s a charming shot of me puffing on a Perdomo INMENSO.  

The only navigation hazard was debris from the recent torrential rains.  We kept a sharp lookout, and several times we had to slow down and alter course to avoid logs.

Interestingly, the train lines along the river were not wiped out by the storms.  Lynn counted one freight train with 230 cars!

We are now holed up in Kingston, NY, a charming little town about 90 miles up the Hudson.  They still have Soap Box Derbies here every August, and there is a boatbuilding school and learn-to-be-a-rower (racing skull) classes.  Lots of good restaurants, too.

Tomorrow, we’ll top off the engine oil, add a little fuel additive and take off.  We have to wait until the morning so that the engine cools off.  It stays hot for hours after a 6-hour run like today.

Then it’s off to Troy, NY, the gateway to the Erie Canal.  Lynn has been on the Internet this afternoon, searching for news about problems caused by the recent storms.  Several locks were closed, but they appear to be opening back up as we approach.  Also, some fixed bridges might no longer be passable if water levels are too high.  So far, however, it’s a Green Light.