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Hudson River Guide (2014) Lawrence Zeitlin
The relatively short Hudson River, reaching from tiny"Tear of
the Clouds" lake in the Adirondacks to New YorkCity, has a
disproportionate importance in US history.Many of the early battles
of the Revolutionary War werefought for domination of this critical
waterway. TheColonial forts at West Point, Garrison, Stony Point
and FortMontgomery were situated at narrow bends in the river
toallow cannons to bear on British warships trying tomaneuver in
tight quarters. It can be truly said that if theBritish had managed
to wrest control of the river from theColonials, we would all be
playing cricket and drinking teawith our scones.
In 1608 the Dutch East India Company hired Englishexplorer Henry
Hudson to find an all water route to Asiathrough North America.
They provided a ship, the HalfMoon, and a crew of 20 Dutch and
English sailors. Hudsonlanded on the coast of Maine in 1609 and
traveledsouthward along the Atlantic coastline. He explored
bothChesapeake and Delaware Bays. Eventually he concludedthat both
were dead ends. He thought he had found thedesired route when he
entered what is now New Yorkharbor and sailed upriver to Albany
only to realize that theRiver of Mountains was a dead end as well.
On a latervoyage his crew mutinied and set him adrift in what is
nowknown as Hudsons Bay, Canada. Hudsons voyage led tothe Hudson
Valley being settled by the Dutch as NewAmsterdam.
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The designation Hudson Valley is loosely applied tothe river and
shore side communities within ten miles ofeither side from the
Tappan Zee Bridge to Albany. Duringthe summer and fall the Hudson
Valley is full ofcelebrations, festivals and events. Experience the
HudsonValley (845-463-0051) publishes a seasonally updated
freepocket guide listing restaurants, lodging, and
plannedactivities. Copies are available at most locations catering
totourists. A complete listing of all activities is availablefrom:
www.experiencethehudsonvalley.com.
The lower portion of the Hudson is a tidal estuary thatbroadens
into Tappan Zee, a brackish inland sea startingabout 25 miles north
of New York City. From Peekskill,south to New York City, the Hudson
is a few inches belowsea level. Salt water from the ocean mixes
with river water,constantly refreshed by tides and upstate rain.
The Hudsonestuary is among the most biologically
productiveecosystems on Earth. The constant exchange of salt
andfresh water and the diversity of marine habitats make it aprime
breeding ground for marine life. Over 200 species offish and
shellfish use Haverstraw Bay as a nursery andfeeding ground. These
include the American short nosedsturgeon, the Atlantic sturgeon,
striped bass, white perch,eel, bluefish, herring, alewives,
largemouth bass, tom cod,and sunfish. Oysters, clams, and crabs are
among theshellfish in the bay.
Above Peekskill, the gateway to the HudsonHighlands, the Hudson
River narrows to conventional sizebut is tidal all the way to
Albany. The river is part of theNYS Canal System extending up the
Hudson Valley fromNew York City to Troy just above Albany. There
the canalsystem bifurcates, becoming a series of controlled
waterlevel rivers and man made cuts, one branch heading west
toBuffalo with side spurs to Syracuse, the Finger Lakes and
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Lake Ontario, the other north through Lake Champlain, tothe St.
Lawrence River. A trip up the river at trawler speedsusually takes
an easy three days. With stops to visit theHudson Valleys many
historic sites and scenic wonders, itcan, of course, take much
longer. Cell phone coverage isvery good along the river and most
marinas offer wi-fi.Free wi-fi is available at many locations in
the towns alongthe route. Public libraries, Starbucks, McDonalds,
andmalls and convenience stores offer this service.
For cruisers a good source of current information onthe Hudson
is a monthly free magazine called "Boating onthe Hudson" published
by Beacon Publishing Corp. inVerplanck, NY. Their web site
is:www.boatingonthehudson.com/. The magazine has annuallistings of
the best anchorages, fuel stops, and restaurantsalong the river. I
have included an edited and annotatedcollection of the listings in
Appendix 1, Dining Along theHudson, Appendix 2, Fuel Guide to the
Hudson andAppendix 3, Hudson River Anchorages. The editor,
JohnVargo, might be willing to send you future issuescontaining
updated information if you will contact him. Histelephone number is
845-401-2699.
The best book about the Hudson and its environs is theHudson
River Guidebook by Arthur G. Adams,published by Fordham University
Press. It coversgeographic and historic facts about the river on a
mile-by-mile basis. Another book, the "Cruising Guide to
LakeChamplain," describes the waterway from Montrealthrough Lake
Champlain to New York City. It is availablefrom the Lake Champlain
Publishing Co. in Burlington,VT. .
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Restaurants lodging, and tourism in the Hudson Valleyare listed
in www.experiencethehudsonvalley.com. Theorganization also
publishes a free pamphlet several times ayear describing each
activity and location.
If the Erie Canal will be part of your trip, call (800)
4-CANAL-4 for a free set of charts and canal informationfrom the
NYS Canal Corporation
Distances along the Hudson, like much of the ICW,are measured in
statute miles with New York Citys Batteryconsidered to be the mile
zero starting point. On the otherhand, tidal currents are usually
described in knots. This isdesigned to exercise your mathematical
skills. For thosequantitatively impaired, a pocket calculator
provides auseful support.
Years ago New York State published The NorthwestPassage cruising
guide to the Hudson and LakeChamplain, including a bound copy of
river charts. Thename refers to Henry Hudsons futile hunt for a
short cut toChina. The guide was useful but the charts
wereexceptional. They were enlarged portions of NOAA charts,each
page covering only about 10 miles of river. Theyshowed the details
of sections of the coastline that are oftenlost in charts of more
moderate scale. Local boatersreproduced the charts to use as gifts.
Although dated, thecharts are still useful for planning.
Fortunately the shorelineand town dock locations change little over
the years. A fileof these charts is available at: .
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New York State has released a new set of smallercharts as a
companion volume to the NYS CanalCorporation Cruising Guide to the
New York State CanalSystem. It is currently available at marine
supply stores inthe Hudson Valley or can be ordered from the NYS
CanalCorporation. The state also publishes a Hudson Riverwaterfront
map and travel guide listing marinas, dining,attractions, and
accommodations. A free copy is available ifyou call 1-800-232-4782
or log on to. Skipper BobPublications offers excellent guides to
New Yorkswaterways in Cruising the New York Canal System
andAnchorages Along the Intercoastal Waterway.
NOAA charts covering the river are #12343 NewYork to Wappinger
Creek, #12347 Wappinger Creek toHudson, and #12348 Coxsackie to
Troy. The MaptechChartbook Hudson River and New York Harbor has
allthe necessary charts. After Troy you enter either the ErieCanal
or the Champlain Canal. Charts are of little use ineither canal but
the NYS Canal Corporation guide presentsvaluable information on
distances between locks andavailable facilities.
North of New York harbor the Inland Navigation rulesapply. Of
these, the most important is Rule 9, the NarrowChannels rule.
Essentially this rule states that a vesselproceeding along the
course of a narrow channel shall keepas close as practicable to the
starboard side of the channel.While most recreational boats for
whom this guide isintended can travel freely around the waterway,
large craft,seagoing ships and tugs with heavy tows are constrained
tofollow the relatively narrow deep water channel.
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The Northern Edition of the Waterway Guide has a listing of
marinas andfacilities along the river and the Erie Canal. Local
harborcharts are included. It is very informative but
highlycommercial. A full set of Richardson bound charts of the
riverand adjoining waterways costs $69 more or less at WestMarine.
These charts cover the Hudson, the Erie andChamplain canals, Lake
Champlain and the Finger Lakes.Serious cruisers should certainly
have a set. All charts of theriver must be used with caution. They
are updated infrequently.Waterfront areas along small Hudson River
towns are notNOAA's top priority. Because the river bottom changes
littleby little, local knowledge is essential when leaving the big
shipchannel.
A tide and current chart is essential for sailing or
trawlercruising. The tidal range is only about 3 feet but the tidal
flowgenerally overwhelms the fresh water discharge from
upstate.Current flows in both directions following the ebb and
flood ofthe tide.
"Muhheakantuck", the Indian name for the river, can betranslated
as "the river that flows both ways." The tidal currentin the more
constricted portions of the river can reach almost 3knots. The
speed of the ebb and flow currents are so nearlymatched that it
would take a bottle dropped in the river atAlbany almost half a
year to reach New York harbor, 153miles downstream. If you time it
right, you can get a tidal liftfor several hours in either
direction. Indeed, 18th centurysailboats often used the tidal flow
to make progress againstunfavorable winds. They would ride the
current in the directionthey wished to travel, then anchor and wait
until the next tide.The tidal crest moves up river at nearly 15
miles an hour, hightide at Albany occurring 10 hours after high
tide at New York'sBattery.
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If you are a member of the AAA you can download adetailed
TripTik from the AAA web site. Just enter the towns and cities
nearyour route. The printout will contain lodgings,
restaurants,attractions and scheduled events. This listing is
useful forboaters in the New York and New England area and the
ErieCanal since highways parallel coastlines, rivers, and
canals.While not intended for pinpoint marine navigation,
anautomobile GPS is a surprisingly useful adjunct to
positionlocation. Most cities and towns in the northeast
wereestablished adjacent to navigable waterways. The bulk of
NewYork States population lives within a few miles of LongIsland
Sound, the Hudson River, or the Erie and ChamplainCanals. Google
Earth on a laptopcomputer will also give a graphic representation
of thewaterway as well as identify nearby points of interest.
The Hudson can be done without charts if you keep to thebuoyed
big ship channel. However if you do that, you willmiss many of the
best sights and shore excursions. Parts of theupper Hudson are
quite shallow outside of the channel but ifyou don't mind picking
your way with a depth finder, mosttown docks are approachable. In
the early spring, rapid runofffrom snow melt sweeps shore side
debris and fallen branchesinto the river. Keep a sharp lookout for
partly submergedbranches. Although the relatively infrequent
commercial shipsand barge tows travel the river 24/7, it is best
not to cruise atnight.
The Appalachian mountain range makes a formidablebarrier between
the northern cities on the East coast and thenations interior.
During Colonial times transport of people andgoods was possible
only by horse and wagon over dirt roads.By a quirk of nature, with
help from an ice age glacier, theHudson River carved a gap in the
mountain range and opened awater passage from New York City to
Albany. The originalErie Canal in 1825 provided a water route from
New York Citythrough to Buffalo and the Great Lakes and opened the
interior
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of the country to commerce. Many of the cities and townsalong
the Hudson and Erie Canal were settled to providevenues for canal
services and manufacturing.
Because of this access to water transportation, theHudson Valley
was the nation's industrial heartland until theend of the 19th
century. The river and the associated ErieCanal and Lake Champlain
waterways were the main avenuesfor commerce for the Northeast.
Passenger and freight carrierssailed the Hudson on a regular
schedule from New York Cityto Albany, first with large sailing
sloops then with sidewheelsteamships. The last steamship, the
Alexander Hamilton,ceased operations in 1971. These were huge river
boats. TheAlexander Hamilton was over 300 feet long with a beam of
77feet, capable of carrying 3000 passengers.
The Hudson Valley is an area rife with interesting andhistorical
sites. If you have bicycles on board you can roamseveral miles
inland from each stop. This puts you within easyreach of a
shoreline filled with an extraordinary concentrationof National
Historic Landmarks and romantic places. Mostriverside towns support
a well established, if aging, marineinfrastructure. Many have
public docks. Supermarkets, drugstores, welding shops, and marine
chandleries are usually nomore than a few minutes walk from town
docks.
Near this short stretch of waterway are Rockefeller'sKykuit
mansion, with its wonderful private art museumwww.hudsonvalley.org,
The Croton Dam, a 19th centuryengineering masterpiece in the same
league as the Pyramids orthe Great Wall of China, Xavier's
restaurants, near the top ofthe nation's top ten, George
Washington's headquarters, WestPoint, the Vanderbilt and Roosevelt
homesteads,www.nps.gov/hofr, numerous vineyards, the Culinary
Instituteof America, and the Rhinebeck antique aerodrome where
youcan take flights in a WW 1 Fokker or
Spadwww.oldrhinebeck.org.
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Locals are fond of joking that the area reached itseconomic
zenith during the Civil War and has been goingdownhill ever since.
As far as appearance goes, they are right.Once you get a few miles
north of New York City you have thefeeling that you have sailed a
century back in time. TheAmtrak passenger rail line runs close to
the water on the eastside of the river. Just about every town is a
stopping point. Bya happy coincidence the town docks and most
marinas arewithin walking distance of the stations. This makes
itconvenient for picking up and dropping off passengers thatmay
accompany you on part of the trip. Albany and New YorkCity are
major rail junctions connecting with the rest of thecountry. Any
point on the river is only a few hours distantfrom either location.
Commuter trains travel the line hourlyand much more frequently
during rush hours. For traininformation call 212-532-4900,
www.mta.info.
Airports serving the Hudson Valley are:Albany International
Airport, www.albanyairport.comWestchester Cty Airport,
http://airport.westchestergov.com.Stewart Int. Airport,JFK Int.
Airport, www.panynj.gov/airports/JFK.html/La Guardia Airport,
www.panynj.gov/airports.laguardia.html.
Adding to the feeling that you have sailed back in time isthe
possibility of seeing Henry Hudsons vessel, the HalfMoon or singer
Pete Seegers 90 Hudson River sloopClearwater ghosting by. These are
not hallucinations, butrather faithful replicas of historic craft.
Each has a sociallysignificant function. The Half Moon cruises the
river andserves as a key attraction for town and village
waterfrontcelebrations, the Clearwater serves as the centerpiece of
theannual Great Hudson River Revival. Other classic ships ply
theHudson as well. Local residents have a tendency to preserveany
old craft that floats.
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It's taken me a long time to wrap my head around the ideathat
the best way to see the sights along a waterway is notalways by
boat. Very often the thing to do is treat your boat asa floating
hotel room, cruise to a marina near some interestingspots, then
rent a car or use some form of public transportationto explore the
region. A trip of 50 miles, a day in a trawler, isonly an hour in a
car. The best way to visit many of the placesmentioned in this
guide is to rent a car for a day and explore.Dont restrict your
sightseeing to what can be seen from thewater.
On a trip up the Hudson, I suggest that a boater stop inCroton
or Haverstraw, rent a car and explore the lower HudsonValley. Take
the commuter train to New York City to partakeof the pleasures of
Gotham. Then cruise up the river toKingston, stay in one of the
marinas along the Rondout, andexplore the mid-Hudson sites. Finally
stop a day near Albanyand explore the Egg, the gigantic ovoid NYS
office buildingthat was constructed at the behest of Nelson
Rockefeller. If youare an intrepid biker you can do much the same
thing but yourrange will be limited.
Hudson River towns are located about 10 miles apartfrom New York
to Albany. This was a convenient half workingday's sail in the
Hudson River sloops, which carried both cargoand passengers.
Despite the beauty of the land around it, the Hudson wasone of
the nations first ecological horror stories. The river wasover
fished to provide cheap food for New York Citysimmigrants. Logging
from upstate and manufacturing activitiesfrom river towns polluted
the water. With the advent of therailroad, the riverfront was
allowed to deteriorate as docks andfacilities decayed. Rich folks
built their houses on the heightsaway from the shoreline. The river
turned into an open sewerby the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Fortunately a consortium of the wealthy saved it. Not outof
public spirit but to preserve the view from their hillsideestates.
Up river forests were purchased and the Adirondackregion was turned
into the Adirondack State Park, a foreverwild state park greater in
size than Yellowstone, Yosemite,Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon
and the Great SmokyMountain national parks combined. Thanks to the
Roosevelts,the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts, the Harrimans, etc.
the riverbegan its comeback. New state laws curbed pollution of
thewaterway. Many industries moved to the South or to the banksof
the Mississippi where a bit of environmental degradationwas
tolerated in the name of progress. My own region lostdistilleries,
chemical plants, smelting, brick making, and paintmanufacturing.
Even the Crayola crayon company moved toPennsylvania.
The consequence is that the river is much cleaner now thanit was
in the early 1900s. Despite the romantic recollection ofold timers,
it never was crystal clear. Even in colonial timesthe river
probably looked much as it does now. Sedimentwashes into the river.
Tidal flow currents stir up mud. Anabundance of algae and tiny
marine life colors and clouds thewater. In fact the abundance of
plants and organisms contributeto its fecundity as a biologically
productive estuary.
Unfortunately as the river began its comeback, theriverside
communities suffered economically. Towns likeNewburgh, Peekskill,
and Poughkeepsie saw their industrialbase vanish. The people stayed
but there was less work.Buildings and infrastructure deteriorated.
The riverfront isbordered by decaying factories that are slowly
being replacedby upscale housing. The industries that remained are
those thatneed water transport. The guidebooks don't tell you but
rockcrushing, cement making, gypsum processing, atomic energy,fuel
depots, and resource recovery (garbage burning) are themajor
industrial employers in the lower Hudson Valley. Thebig Haverstraw
Marina is adjacent to an offloading dock forone of the largest
makers of gypsum wallboard in the country.
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In unfavorable breezes a cloud of gypsum dust wafts from thedock
and the plant and gently envelops the marina. It dulls boatwindows,
but don't worry. The view across the river is of anatomic energy
plant and a garbage burning facility. Most of thetime it is clear
but I want to warn you. Expect a little hazesometimes.
However, the changes in the industrial base were not badfor
everybody. Technology and service based firms moved tothe Hudson
Valley to fill the vacuum left by manufacturingindustries. IBM, GE,
PepsiCo and others establishedadministrative and research centers.
The railroad lines alongthe Hudson offered rapid commuter access to
New York Cityand Albany. The process of transformation from blue
collar towhite collar is well underway. The visible evidence of
thechange is evidenced by the upscale housing developments
andmarinas that dot the shoreline from New York toPoughkeepsie.
So take guides to the Hudson, including mine, with agrain of
salt. The river is once again a marvel of beauty.The highlands of
the Hudson, where the river cuts throughthe mountains, are arguably
the most attractive cruisinggrounds in the US. But facilities are
generally old, towndocks, with few exceptions, have not been
upgraded sinceexcursion riverboat traffic ceased a couple of
decades ago.But all is not bleak. A number of marinas have
improvedtheir facilities and new ones have been
constructed.Riverside towns have come to realize the
economicimportance of an attractive waterfront. Particularly
notablein this regard is Kingston, a very boater
friendlycommunity.
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You are not likely to go hungry on a cruise in theHudson Valley.
A confluence of high quality agriculturalland, specialty farms,
culinary talent, and affluentdemanding customers has made the
region a gourmetsnirvana. If the truth must be told, you probably
will not geta Michelins four-fork meal at any of the
restaurantsassociated with marinas along the waterway. These
servegenerous portions of food that is popular with the
weekendboating crowd. Steaks, seafood, burgers, fries and beer
tendto dominate the menu. The food is filling and satisfying butnot
the best that the region has to offer. But within walkingdistance
of many of the marinas are some of the finestrestaurants in the
country. Ill mention those I found to beparticularly good, but your
best guide to this culinaryabundance is a copy of the current
Zagats Survey ofWestchester and Hudson River Valley Restaurants.
Everymajor bookstore can get you a copy for the price of acouple of
Big Macs. If you like to eat, never boat theHudson without it. For
real gourmets, a free monthlymagazine, The Valley Table, presents a
listing of culinaryevents in the Hudson Valley. The electronic
version isavailable at (http://www.valleytable.com/).
So much for eating. Now about the boatingexperience. I've
cruised both the East Coast and Caribbeanand find sailing in the
Hudson Valley both attractive andchallenging. Summer boating in the
Tappan Zee area of theHudson is much like boating in the British
Virgins, minusthe accents and cheap rum of course. Cruising
distances arecomparable to those in the Virgins too, just long
enough fora day trip with attractive destinations in most
directions.Sailing the river is never boring. The
surroundingmountains channel the predominantly westerly winds
intounusual patterns, sometimes punctuated by violent, shortsummer
storms. When combined with the tidal flow and theoccasional
whirlpool cruising becomes interesting.
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Diesel fuel prices are high along the Hudson and theErie Canal.
Many yacht clubs and smaller marinas on theHudson stopped selling
fuel when the government requiredseparate tanks for commercial and
recreational fuels. Thecoup d'grace was EPA rules requiring tank
certification toassure that there was no leakage. Fortunately there
is a lotof commercial traffic on the Hudson and a number of
fuelsuppliers remained on the waterfront since their suppliesare
generally delivered by barge. Places that sell fuelidentify
themselves by a large oil company sign (Texaco,Esso, Mobil, etc.)
easily visible from the water. Volumediscounts are available. Just
ask. Boat US and WaterwaysGuide members get a discount at many
marinas.
When you stop to buy fuel take the opportunity toempty your
holding tank. Five riverside communities stilldraw their municipal
water from the Hudson. Water fromthe fresh water region of the
river can be used to augmentthe New York City water supply in times
of severe drought.Indeed there is a pumping station near
Poughkeepsie whichchannels river waters into the NYC reservoir
system. Thisstation has not been activated in more than half a
century.
In 2004 the entire river from the Battery to Albanywas declared
a no discharge zone. By 2010, the nodischarge status was extended
to the entire New York StateCanal System. This is ironic since
dredging for PCBs in theupper Hudson and legally permitted
municipal sewagedischarge contaminate the river far beyond the
capabilitiesof marine heads.
There are a number of pump out stations in the
TappanZee/Haverstraw Bay area. Most are located in the
northernportion of the bay near the large concentration of
marinas.Here is an updated list of pump out stations on the
Hudsonand Erie Canal. Many of them at state and municipal
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facilities are free.
Holding tank pump out stations in the less inhabitedportions of
river are few and far between. The no-dischargerule is very
strictly enforced in the Finger Lakes and inLake Champlain. All
sewage discharge facilities must besealed or disabled. In Lake
Champlain the connectionbetween the head and the discharge valve
must be entirelyremoved. Both New York and Vermont local police
andsheriff's deputies can inspect on a whim and the fines
areconsiderable.
Until the PCB scares there was an economically viablefishing and
crabbing industry in Tappan Zee andHaverstraw Bay. Several of the
towns along the shore wereoriginally fishing villages.
In the 1800s the region was one of the world's primarysuppliers
of quality sturgeon caviar. The last caviarprocessing plant on the
river closed down in the late 1940sbut there is a going fish
smoking industry near Kingston. Afew of the old timers still
remember how to process thecaviar and every once in a while a
pregnant sturgeon iscaught in a snare. Hudson caviar was said to
rival the bestBeluga caviar. The few times I have had it, it was
excellent.
Since the river has gotten much purer as industriescleaned up
their act or moved to less sensitive areas, the bluecrabs have
returned and sturgeon are making a comeback.Unfortunately during
the 1800s and early 1900s both the riverand its associated canals
were treated as open sewers by theindustries that bordered their
banks. The discharged toxicwastes have not entirely dissipated.
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Dredging of the upper reaches of the river has releasedlarge
amounts of buried toxins. There are enough PCBs andheavy metal
residues in the water that the NYS Dept. of Healthhas placed
temporary restrictions on the consumption ofcertain Hudson River
fish. Striped bass, American eel andshellfish should not be eaten
at all. Consume no more than oneserving of other fish per month.
Eat no more than six bluecrabs per week but dont eat the green
tomally. Pregnantwomen and young children should avoid river fish
entirely.The bigger fish at the top of the food chain accumulate
themost toxins. If you are brave enough to eat river fish strip
awayas much fat as possible. Pan frying concentrates the
toxins.Additional information is available from the
FishingRegulations Guide issued by the New York State Dept.
ofEnvironmental Conservation (914-255-5453) or the NYS Dept.of
Health www.health.ny.gov/fish (1-800-485-1158 ext.27530). These
restrictions are not likely to be lifted for severalmore years.
The Federal government, under the Stevens-MagnusonAct, mandated
that, beginning in 2010, all anglers fishingcoastal waters must
register with Federal or State authorities.Aiming to keep license
fees local, New York lawmakersapproved a new state recreational
fishing license covering theCoastal District.
Persons 16 years of age and older need to acquire arecreational
marine fishing license if they are: 1) fishing in theMarine and
Coastal District or, 2) fishing any water such as theHudson River,
Delaware River, or Mohawk River and theirtributaries where the
angler is fishing for migratory fish fromthe sea (such as striped
bass, American shad, hickory shad,blueback herring, alewife).
The Marine and Coastal District includes all the waters ofthe
Atlantic Ocean within three nautical miles from the coastand all
other tidal waters within the state, including the HudsonRiver, up
to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Recreational marine
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fishing licenses are offered for sale as part of DEC's
automatedlicensing system (DECALS) and will be available at
alllocations where hunting and fishing licenses are offered
(mosttown clerks; many bait and tackle shops; sporting goods
stores;DEC regional offices in Albany, Allegheny, Buffalo,
RayBrook, Stony Brook, and Watertown). You can also purchaseyour
licenses via telephone 1-86-NY-DECALS (1-866-933-2257) or online by
visiting the DEC Internet Sporting LicenseSales page.
Because there is no longer an exemption to therequirement for a
license to take fish from the Hudson Riversouth of the Troy Barrier
Dam at Troy, anglers will need tohave a fishing license when
fishing the Hudson River. If youare fishing downstream from the
Tappan Zee Bridge, you areconsidered fishing in the marine and
coastal district and do notneed to have a NYS recreational marine
fishing license. If youare fishing upstream from the Tappan Zee
Bridge and arefishing for non-migratory fish (such as largemouth
bass,smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, walleye, and perch), you
willneed to have a freshwater fishing license. If you are
fishingupstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge and are fishing
formigratory fish from the sea, striped bass, American shad,hickory
shad, blueback herring, or alewife, you need to acquirea
recreational marine fishing license in addition to a
freshwaterfishing license.
Be aware that New York State has some strict regulationson the
use of PFDs while fishing. Anyone who fishes from aboat less than
21 ft. LOA (including rowboats, canoes, andkayaks) while underway
must wear a securely fastened PFD.Any outboard that has its
propeller in the water is consideredunderway. Even if the engine is
not going.
Unless you are a dedicated angler, it is advisable to
forgofishing on a Hudson River cruise and satisfy your craving for
afish dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants along
thewaterfront. Commercial fish are usually taken from saltwater
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and these tend to be less polluted than river fish. If you
mustfish, check with the NYS DEC for the
regs.http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife.pdf/wfregsguide12.pdf
Long time river town residents consider the waterway tobe a
functional rather than a recreational asset. As a result, theriver
is under utilized for recreational boating. Except on majorholidays
or midsummer weekends we find only a few boats outand facilities
are uncrowded. Moorings are relatively cheapand dock space for the
summer is less costly than in coastalareas. You can anchor for
extended periods along the shorelineas long as you dont interfere
with boat traffic. Most townsallow reasonable free use of the town
docks.
The Hudson Valley is a historians delight. Every townhas its
Revolutionary War battle, or hero, or place whereGeorge Washington
spent the night. A large group of historybuffs devote their summers
to reenacting the RevolutionaryWar events that took place along the
Hudson, Champlain andMohawk Valleys. The reenactments generally
take place on theoriginal sites where battles were fought.
The crucial campaign of the Revolutionary War was notWashington
crossing the Delaware but the failed plan ofBritish General
Burgoyne to move his army south from Canadato Albany and meet up
with General Clinton's army movingnorth from New York. If
successful, this plan would have cutoff the belligerent New England
colonies from the rest of thecountry. Burgoynes defeat at Saratoga
was the turning pointof the war and brought the French into the war
on theAmerican side. Almost all of the early battle sites, are
adjacentto either the Hudson, the Erie Canal, or Lake Champlain.
Yoursummer cruise may well take you into the middle of a
battlereenactment. So don't be alarmed if you see the flash and
hearthe boom of black powder cannons. They are not shooting atyou,
merely trying to reenact a moment in history. To get alisting of
battles, Google NY revolutionary warreenactments.
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Lighthouse buffs will get a full measure of enjoymentfrom a
Hudson River trip. Once there were 13 lighthousesalong the river,
strategically located to warn skippers of sloopsand steamboats of
shallows and sharp turns. Of these onlyeight remain but several are
masterpieces of nineteenth centuryarchitecture. A few now hold
museums. One offers overnightaccommodations and is a favorite for
maritime themedweddings. Although their function has been
supplanted bymodern aids to navigation, a couple still warn of
rocks andshoals ahead. Ill mention the lights from time to
time.
New York harbor is an exciting experience for boatersused to
more tranquil waters. There is an enormous amount oftraffic but
there is also a lot of sailing room. An alert skippershould have
little difficulty. That is if he (or she) can keep eyeson the water
and not stare at the buildings, bridges, ferryboats,and Statue of
Liberty.
Marine historians are fond of reminding us that the Statueof
Liberty was once a lighthouse marking the southernentrance to the
Hudson River. In 1877 Congress acceptedFrances gift of the statue
both as a work of art and as anavigational beacon. The U.S.
Lighthouse Board was itsoriginal caretaker. The problem was that
even with newfangledelectric arcs, the best light sources of the
time were unable tocompete with New York Citys building and street
lights. TheStatue of Liberty was abandoned as a functioning
lighthouse in1902.
The illumination problem in NY harbor still remains. Atnight
there are so many lights that it is difficult to separate
thenavigation markers from the neon lights and taxicabs
ashore.Radar doesn't help much either unless you are a true
virtuoso atthe console. It would be a very good idea to transit the
harborduring the daytime especially if you are not intimately
familiarwith the waterway.
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Keep out of the way of the large, orange Staten
Islandferryboats. They travel much faster than you think. Be
awareof the many Safety and Security Zones in New York
Harbor.Vessels need to stay at least 25 yards away from facilities
thathave posted Security Zone signs on their waterfront, as well
asall bridge abutments and tunnel ventilators. Boaters may notcome
within 100 yards of any naval vessel. For up-to-dateinformation
check the United States Coast Guards homeportwebsite.
http://homeport.uscg.mil/newyork
If your Hudson River cruise will include a trip to NewYork City
for shopping, dining, or visits to the theatre ormuseums, it is my
personal opinion that you should not stay ata New York or Jersey
City marina. These tend to be expensiveand some are in high crime
neighborhoods. Stop at a marina inGreat Kills, Staten Island or
further up the Hudson inTarrytown, Ossining, or Verplanck. There is
convenient publictransportation into New York City. It is a short
bus ride from amarina in Great Kills to the Staten Island Ferry
Terminal.
The free 20 minute Staten Island Ferry ride intoManhattan is a
unique boating experience. The ferry debarks atthe Battery in the
center of New Yorks financial district. Ashort walk takes you to
the South Street Seaport, an attractionnot to be missed by
boaters.
The marinas on the east shore of the Hudson inTarrytown and
Ossining are adjacent to the Metro Northcommuter rail line. Trains
travel the 40 to 50 minute journeydirectly to Grand Central Station
several times an hour. Dontrent a car to drive into the city. Take
public transportation.Street parking places are hard to find and
parking lots arecostly.
Twelve bridges, two tunnels and several high speedferries cross
the Hudson between NYC and Albany. Thebridges make convenient
navigational reference points. Mostare spaced about half a day's
leisurely cruise apart at trawler
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speeds. The first bridge, and the generally accepted
entranceportal of the river, is the massive and beautiful
GeorgeWashington Bridge. This double deck bridge carries the bulkof
vehicle traffic from the rest of the continental U. S. to thelands
east of the river. Wave nicely to the 16 lanes of bumperto bumper
traffic as you cruise tranquilly below.
The Little Red Lighthouse of childrens book fame wasoriginally
the Jeffreys Hook Light. This cast iron light waslocated at Sandy
Hook, NJ but was moved to nestle at the baseof the George
Washington Bridge. It is now run as a historicalexhibit by the New
York City Park Commission.
Once through the harbor and past the George WashingtonBridge,
eleven miles north of the Battery, the Palisade Cliffsborder the
west shore and the commercial boat trafficdecreases. Yonkers, the
states fourth largest city, is anextension of New York. Yonkers is
known as the home of theOtis elevator, the device that makes high
rise buildingspossible. It is the also setting for "Hello Dolly but
most of theexterior scenes depicted in the movie were filmed
further upthe river. Yonkers has several boat clubs but most
travelersstay further north along the Hudson. Dockage may be
availableat the Yonkers Yacht Club (914) 969-9325, the Palisade
BoatClub (914) 737-9515, or the Yonkers Corinthian Yacht Club(914)
376-3183.
The Village of Hastings, a few miles north of Yonkers,has few
amenities for cruisers. Transient berths may beavailable at the
Hastings Pioneer Boat Club (914) 478-9702 orthe Tower Ridge Yacht
Club (914) 478-9729. If, by chance,you stay in Yonkers or in
Hastings, be sure to check outHudson River Museum (914)
963-4550(http://www.hrm.org). The museum is located in twoclassic
18th century mansions and features both modern artworks and the
works of Hudson River School artists.
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The Tappan Zee Bridge, at the 28 mile point, connectsTarrytown
and Nyack and marks the start of the realcruising area. A mile
south of the bridge, a spur of landsticks out from the western
shore. This is the Piermont Pier,the old terminus of the Erie
Railroad. The Tappan ZeeMarina (845-365-1985) is several hundred
yards north ofthe pier. Stay away from the south side of the pier.
It isshallow and there are hidden deadheads.
Piermont, at least the pier area, has become an upscaleart and
restaurant center. Xaviars at Piermont, Chef PeterKelly's
restaurant (845-359-7007) is the best place to eatin the Hudson
Valley if not one of the best in the entireNew York area. Zagats
rates it 29 out of a possible 30. Thetab will be high, but if you
want to treat yourself royally,this is the place. Xaviars companion
restaurant, TheFreelance Caf and Wine Bar (845-365-3250) is right
nextdoor. The Caf is much lessformal, the prices lower, and no
reservations are required. Thefood is just as good as Xaviars since
they share the samekitchen.
Above the Tappan Zee Bridge, connecting Nyack andTarrytown, the
Hudson widens out into a four mile wide, 18mile long, salt and
tidal inland sea. The average depth isrelatively shallow, 15 ft. or
so, but there is a broad clearlymarked channel for deep draft ships
and barges. WashingtonIrving said that Tarrytown was named by irate
Dutch farmwomen who complained that their husbands tarried too long
atthe village tavern after depositing their goods at the wharf.
Apocryphal as the story is, there is no doubt that theinfluence
of the early Dutch settlers still pervades the HudsonValley. Many
of the towns bordering the shore and the creeksflowing into the
river bear Dutch names. The Dutch word forcreek, incidentally, is
kill. This accounts for the frequent
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suffix to many local place names such as Catskill, Peekskill,and
Fishkill. The Dutch word for sea is zee. Tappan Zee isnamed after
the Tappans, a local Indian tribe.
The Tappan Zee Bridge itself is on the majortransportation route
crossing the Hudson above New YorkCity. The bridge and its
approaches are almost four miles longand eight lanes wide but
population growth in the area hasmade the bridge inadequate to
support the daily commute.Traffic jams stretch for miles. The
bridge is scheduled forreplacement in the near future. This
monumental constructionproject will disrupt river traffic for a
decade to come.
Nestled at the foot of the bridge on the east shore is thevery
pretty cast iron Kingsland Lighthouse. The lightfunctioned from
1883 through 1965. After the light wasextinguished, the building
was turned into a museum showingwhat family life was like in a
lighthouse more than 100 yearsago.
In the Hudson Valley and the Mohawk River area mostyacht clubs
belong to either the Hudson River Boat and YachtClub Association
(HRBYCA) or the Mohawk-Hudson Councilof Yacht Clubs (MHCYC). Clubs
in the two associations havea reciprocity agreement, usually
offering a guest slip for onenight. A few may require you to pay a
moderate fee. You arerequired to contact the destination club in
advance (a phonecall will do) to determine if they are a
participating club in theagreement and if space is available.
Usually there is noproblem getting a berth during the week but on
holidayweekends space may be tight.
In all, there are 55 yacht clubs from Keyport, NJ to Troy,NY and
along the Mohawk that are party to the agreement.Other yacht clubs
outside the area may extend reciprocityduring less crowded periods
but there is no guarantee. If youlike the social scene and can
afford it, yacht club membershipis fine. It is also convenient if
you regularly cruise an area like
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the Hudson Valley. But if you are just passing through it is
farcheaper to pay for a night at a marina, or, better yet,
anchorout.
Summer marina rates in the lower part of the HudsonValley have
gotten moderately expensive, especially nearattractive sites. The
cruising amenities attract many boatersfrom surrounding areas.
Since the high season is only sixmonths long. Dockage and fuel
sales during the summer mustpay for the entire year. Still the
rates are only a fraction ofthose charged on Long Island Sound and
the Jersey shore.
The Tappan Zee/Haverstraw Bay area has boat clubs andmarinas
along both shores capable of handling almost anyservice or repair.
Most have transient slips, usually with fullmarine hook ups. If you
need any boat work done, the largestfacility on the river is the
Julius Petersen Boatyard (845-358-2100) in Nyack on the western
shore of the river. The yard isjust north of the Tappan Zee
Bridge.< http://www.juliuspetersen.com/>
If you want to visit NYC on a Hudson River trip it is wiseto
choose a marina on the east shore of the river. The railroadline to
the city hugs the shoreline and you can board the train atalmost
every town from Yonkers to Albany. If you stay on thewest shore,
you have to find a way across the river. In theTappan
Zee/Haverstraw Bay area north of Tarrytown, theHudson is nearly 4
miles wide, probably too far to dinghyacross.
There are several marinas that cater to transients justnorth of
the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Tarrytown Marina(914-631-1300) is on
theeast shore of the river. The marina is protected by abreakwater,
sells diesel fuel, and has a good seafoodrestaurant, the Striped
Bass (914-366-4455) on thepremises. The marina is very close to the
Metro North
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commuter railroad to NYC. The station is just in back ofthe
marina parking area.
While convenient, the Tarrytown Marina has receivedmixed reviews
recently. Dockage is tight and requirescareful maneuvering to avoid
dings on your carefullypolished topsides. A resident flock of geese
leaves poop onthe dock and walkways. Low voltage electric services
havebeen reported. I suppose it existed in the past but since
myboat is a light electrical power user I was never concerned.The
Tarrytown Yacht Club makes the marina itsheadquarters.
Tarrytown is an affluent village with a variety of
goodrestaurants and shopping. It is a fairly long walk toshopping
in Tarrytown for resupply. The Tarrytown marinaarea used to be in
an industrial zone next to a large GM autoassembly plant and an
offloading area for sand and gravel. Inrecent years the area has
been gentrified. The assembly plantoperations were moved to Mexico
and the plant leveled. Itslocation is now occupied by a large
upscale housingdevelopment. The gravel and sand offloading area is
no longeractive. Probably the marina owners feel that their land
wouldbe better used for housing or some other profitable
commercialventure and are reluctant to refurbish an operation which
willbe transformed into another use in a few years. This is acommon
problem of marinas in desirable waterfront areasclose to big
cities. There are alternatives to Tarrytown Marinaa few miles
upriver which don't present the same problems. Attrawler speeds
they are only about an hour further north.
The Rockefeller estate at Pocantico Hills is a short cabride
from Tarrytown. It is a "must" stop for art lovers. Kykuit,the home
John D. Rockefeller built for his family, is festoonedwith the
modern paintings and sculptures that NelsonRockefeller spent a
lifetime collecting.file:///
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This is one of the great private art museums of the
world.Admission to the museum and grounds also entitles you to
visitthe Union Church of Pocantico Hills featuring stained
glasswindows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall. You can alsostroll
over the bridge at Sleepy Hollow following the footstepsof Ichabod
Crane, Brom Bones, and the Headless Horseman,all memorialized by
Washington Irving. Indeed, if you havethe time, you can visit well
preserved Sunnyside, WashingtonIrvings home on the shores of the
Hudson.
The Palisades Park Commission owns much of the landon the
western river shore north of Nyack. A paved footpathruns for
several miles along the river in a picturesque woodedarea. We often
see dinghy loads of boat weary children beingferried ashore to work
off their surplus energy by joggingalong the path. Their relieved
parents cruise their boats slowlyalongside.
There are several marinas in Ossining at the 33 mile pointin the
shadow of Sing Sing penitentiary. Westerly Marina (914941-2203),
has excellent enginemechanics. The marina sells fuel and has a
quite well suppliedmarine store. The marina is close to the Metro
North commutertrain station to New York and offers an alternative
to theTarrytown marina for those wishing to take a train to the
city.
The Up The River Sing Sing penitentiary is still usedbut it is
now an abode of less dangerous white collar criminals.Since NYS
abolished the death penalty the electric chair nolonger operates
but older residents of the area still rememberthe lights dimming
from time to time. Incidentally the originalname of the village of
Ossining was Sing Sing but the townfolk voted to change it to avoid
association with the prison.Incarcerated felons have a million
dollar view of the river outof their cell windows. Perhaps crime
does pay.
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Croton Point, 35 miles above Manhattan on the eastshore,
extending about a mile and a half into the river, dividesTappan Zee
from Haverstraw Bay. This spur of land is theterminal moraine
marking the southernmost reach of the lastice age glacier to cover
the area. The melting waters of theglacier carved out the Hudson
Canyon, a vast subsurfacetrench extending five hundred miles into
the Atlantic. Thenorth side of the sheltering arm of the point
provides the bestanchoring ground on the river. Eight feet of water
covers ahard sand bottom. A dinghy ride to the town dock gives
easyaccess to Croton-on-Hudson's stores, restaurants, and
thecommuter railroad to NYC.
If you anchor at Croton Point visit Croton Point Park fora
little exercise. This large county park has been called thejewel of
the Hudson. It has hiking trails, a nature museum,athletic fields
and basketball courts, a life guarded swimmingarea in season, and
rental cottages. Using the park is free.There is a charge for
parking if you come by car but no chargeif you dinghy in. There are
no waterfront marine services at theCroton Point county park. But
just about anything you requireis available at a nearby marina.
The Croton Point anchorage area is a favorite destinationfor
weekend boaters. For boating solitude, it is best to planyour
arrival on a weekday. The bay south of the point appearsinviting
but is too shallow to anchor in for boats drawing morethan 4'. On
the other hand, if you are a fisherman, this is thebest fishing
area in the entire river. Dont cut too close toCroton Point when
heading for either anchoring area sinceunderwater rock ledges
extend for about 100 yards at bothupstream and downstream ends. The
508 acre Croton Park isthe site of the annual Clearwater Festival,
named in honor ofsinger Pete Seegers 90 foot Hudson River Sloop
replica. Ifyou attended Woodstock (or wanted to) you should not
missthis festival. http://www.clearwaterfestival.org/
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The Half Moon Bay Marina (914-271-5400), just north ofCroton
Point, is a good place to stay. If you identify yourself asa Great
Looper, you get a special discount. The marina offerstransient
berths with full hookups and a pumpout but no fuel.However if you
plan to stay near Croton Point, you might aswell anchor in the bay,
dinghy in to the Croton town dock andavoid paying any marina
charges. The train ride to NYC takesabout an hour.
www.halfmoonbaymarina.com/.
Croton is a convenient place to resupply for a trip upthe
Hudson. A large supermarket is a few blocks south ofthe Croton
Dock. The town has some excellent restaurantswithin walking
distance. There is a gourmet deli, Zetina's,adjacent to a CVS, a
couple of nice taverns featuring craftbeers, a liquor store, a
Dunkin Donuts, several bankbranches, a hardware store that carries
a big stock ofmarine parts, a shop with decent NYC style bagels,
aChinese takeout, and several pizza parlors.
If you have hardy appetites, or have teen aged childrenaboard,
the Croton Colonial Restaurant features hugeportions, moderate
prices, and an extremely varied menu.But if you really want a
gourmet meal, the best seafoodrestaurant on the Hudson River, and
perhaps the entire NewYork area, is Chef Brian Galvin's Ocean House
Oyster Barand Grill (914-271-0702) on 49 N. Riverside Avenue,
alsoabout one block from the Croton town dock. This tinyrestaurant,
basically a converted diner, serves only dinnerfrom 5 to 9 p.m.
from Tuesday though Saturday withspecial meals on Sunday. The Ocean
House does not takereservations nor does it have a liquor license.
What it doeshave is a selection of the best oysters and seafood
fromNew Yorks Fulton Fish market prepared by a superb chef.Bring
your own wine. The specials change every day.Zagat rates it 28 out
of 30.
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Croton has several other fine restaurants catering to avariety
of tastes. Sushi and hibachi steak lovers will enjoyclashing
chopsticks at the newly redecorated SamuraiJapanese Sushi and
Hibachi Steak House on 352 S.Riverside Ave. (914-271-8988). The
prices are moderateand the sushi is probably the best north of New
York City.(www.samuraicroton.com) Just down the street the
UmamiRestaurant offers an imaginative New Age menu. In caseyou eat
too much, Croton also has branches of both theHudson Valley
Hospital and the Phelps Memorial Hospital.
Travel writers are fond of comparing the HudsonRiver to Germanys
Rhine. Like its European counterpartthe Hudson has vineyards on
either shore. The oldestcommercial vineyards in the US were
established in theHudson Valley during Colonial times. Old Norse
recordsshow that Viking explorers roamed as far south as what isnow
New York and the lower reaches of the Hudson. Thereis local myth
that the area might have been the Vinland ofthe Viking sagas. Wild
grapes grow plentifully on the riverbanks. Croton Point was the
site of the Underhill Winery,the first commercial winery in the
country. The ruins of thestone wine cellars are visible on the
south side of the point.
Van Cortlandt Manor is a 15 minute walk from theCroton town
dock. This was the family home of the VanCortlandt family, the
Dutch settlers that owned much of theland between Croton and
Connecticut. The home andgrounds have been totally restored and
serve as a livingmuseum of the life and times of the landed
aristocracyhttp://www.hudsonvalley.org/content/view/15/45/.
Severalseasonal festivals are held at Van Cortlandt Manor
showinghow major holidays were celebrated during Colonial
times.They are well worth attending.
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A three mile hike or a short cab ride up the CrotonGorge will
take you to the Croton Dam. This dam is thethird largest cut stone
structure in the world, exceeded onlyby the Great Wall of China and
the Great Pyramid of Giza.It was built during the late 1800s to
impound the waters ofthe Croton River and provide fresh water for
the growingcity of New York. A gravity aqueduct carries the water
40miles from Croton to the city.
http://village.croton-on-hudson.ny.us/Public_Documents/CrotonHudsonNY_WebDocs/HistoricalSociety/crotondam
Italian, Irish, and Eastern European stone cutters werehired
enmasse to build the dam. Many brought theirfamilies with them or
married local girls and remained inthe area after the work was
completed. Quite a few of thestone cutters were closet sculptors
and painters. Soon thevillage of Croton-on-Hudson acquired a
reputation as an artcenter. Artists tend to be free thinkers so
Croton became ahotbed of pre-WWI radicalism. Many of our native
bornsocialists and Communists, including Max Eastman, DailyWorker
editor Robert Minor, and John Reed, author of"Ten Days that Shook
the World," lived in Croton. Today,however, it tends to be more
conservative.
A new recreational feature of the Croton area is theHudson
Waterfront Park, a mile long beautifullylandscaped park extending
north from the Croton towndock. The park has a paved walking and
bicycle trail thathugs the shore of the river and offers attractive
views of thewaterway. It makes a great spot to stretch your legs
after afew days on the water. The park is one of a series fundedby
the NYS Clean Waters Act. Similar parks will be builtextending the
entire length of the river, eventually tobecome the Hudson River
Trail National Park.
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The towns of Haverstraw and Stony Point, on theother side of the
river, have several very large marinas,including the Haverstraw
Marina (845-429-2001), thelargest on the Hudson. The Haverstraw
Marina site was originally an abandonedrock quarry in which much of
the structure of the TappanZee Bridge was constructed. When the
work wascompleted, a channel was blasted to the river and the
bridgesections were barged to their final location. The
formerquarry became a perfect protected marina location.
The Haverstraw Marina has full marine services, aswimming pool,
a large marine store, an on site restaurant,and a fuel dock
offering Valvtect gasoline and diesel. A wi-fi is available. The
disadvantage of the Haverstraw locationis lack of ready access to
stores and supermarkets andpublic transportation to New York City.
A catamaran ferryruns from Haverstraw to Ossining where it connects
to thecommuter railroad to New York City but a cab ride fromthe
marina is necessary to get to the ferry terminal.
The Stony Point Marina (845-429-0100), in thehistoric town of
Stony Point just north of Haverstraw, has400 slips and dry land
storage. It offers a pool, tennis andvolley ball courts and a
waterside restaurant. Certifiedmechanics are also available.
Although Haverstraw andStony Point marinas have well marked
entrances, there aresome shallow areas along this portion of the
Hudsons westbank so check your depth finder when heading toward
oneof these marinas. The Stony Point lighthouse, the oldest onthe
river, still functions but is no longer considered aprimary aid to
navigation.
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The Tappan Zee/Haverstraw Bay portion of the rivergets choppy in
certain winds. It is relatively shallow andhas a long north/south
fetch. The river warms and coolsmore slowly than the surrounding
shore so an offshorewind develops every evening, starting at about
5 p.m. andending several hours later. The wind can be strong
butusually stops just about the time to drop anchor. Phantomwaves
seem to come out of nowhere. These are wavesreflected from the
riverbank by boat traffic miles away.
At the top of Haverstraw Bay, Verplanck, one of theold fishing
villages, has several marinas that have berths fortransients. They
are located in Greens Cove, on the eastshore just south of the
village. The biggest of these isViking Boat Yard. (914-739-5090).
It has transient berths,a large capacity lift, and a well-stocked
marine store butdoesnt sell fuel. It has an attached restaurant,
the HudsonBistro (914-737-9092). The cove shallows to 4 in low
tideso follow the buoyed dredged channel.
Peekskill, a former industrial town, lies north ofVerplanck,
just past the Indian Point Atomic Energy plantand the resource
recovery (garbage burning) plant. Be sureto give these locations a
wide berth. The Indian PointAtomic energy plant is one of the
oldest and largest in thecountry. There are no giant cooling
towers. Unlike mostatomic energy plants, this one is cooled by
river water. Tothe chagrin of iceboaters, river water downstream of
theplant is a degree or two warmer than upstream, inhibitingthe
formation of smooth black ice in the bays along theriver. Indian
Point can be easily recognized by its threebeehive shaped
containment domes.
Through a monumental oversight by the site'splanners, the
facility was constructed adjacent to theRamapo fault, an earthquake
prone crack in the earth that
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has been the source of several tremors. To compensate, theatomic
reactors are mounted atop huge springs designed toattenuate the
shock.
The west bank of the river, just opposite IndianPoint, was once
the site of the U.S. Reserve Fleet, amothballed collection of
several hundred surplus WW2Liberty ships. The ships were preserved
by anointing allsurfaces with cosmolene and anchored side by side
in neatrows adjacent to the shore. To prevent internal rust,
thetanks were filled with cheap fuel oil. During the Koreanand
Vietnam wars many were returned to service. A total of130 ships
were used from the Hudson River fleet during theKorean War.
Thirty-five ships were brought back intoservice when British and
French ships were diverted fromtrade routes during the Suez crises
in 1956. More than 40ships were used during the Vietnam War. In
1965 189 shipsstill remained. The ships were anchored in 10 rows
andextended south from the fleet office at the Jones Point dockto
the Lovett Orange and Rockland Power Plant. By thelate 60s the oil
in the tanks was worth more than the valueof the old Liberty ships.
Those remaining had their tanksdrained, and were then scrapped. The
last ships were towedaway on July 8, 1971. Just a monument
remains.
Peekskill has a varied history. A former industrialtown framed
by some of the Hudson Valleys mostdramatic views, it was visited by
President Lincoln, servedas the location of the Fleischmann
distillery, hosted theinfamous Peekskill riots, and was the
birthplace of Crayolacrayons. Teens of a couple of decades ago will
remember itas location of the mythical girls school in the Facts
ofLife TV sitcom. Now Peekskill is trying to make acomeback as an
art center. Art studios abound along theshort main street.
Peekskills riverfront park is beingrevitalized with launching
ramps, picnic areas, and a
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bandstands for frequent summer concerts. Anchoring ispossible in
the bay just south of town. The anchoring areais north of the Resco
Resource Recovery plant. It ispossible to dinghy in to the
Peekskill Yacht Club or thePeekskill Town dock.
Peekskill has several very good restaurants, notablySusans
(914-737-6624), the Division Street Grill (914-739-6380) and
Zephs(914-736-2159). The latter can be hard to find. Ask
fordirections when you call. Zagats rates the food as 27 out
of30.
Just north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, at the 50 milepoint, is
Dunderberg Mountain, home of the legendary DutchGoblin responsible
for the infamous summer thunderstorms ofthe Hudson River valley.
This is also the place whereWashington Irvings Rip Van Winkle was
alleged to haveslept for 20 years. Sudden thunderstorms and
occasional butshort lived squalls may produce very localized winds
up to 60knots. The dark clouds usually give all but the most
imprudentample opportunity to batten down the hatches. When
combinedwith the current, storms in Tappan Zee/Haverstraw Bay can
beas violent as any place in the continental US. The secret is
toanchor your boat in extremely bad weather and wait it out.Holding
near the shore is very good over the entire area.Fortunately the
worst conditions are rare and don't last morethan a day. It's no
accident that the tallest peak in the area isnamed "Storm
King".
The Hudson Highlands are incomparably beautiful. Theriver cuts
through the Appalachian range and mountainfoothills border portions
of both shores. Many have called itthe most picturesque stretch of
navigable waterway in theUSA, rivaling the Norwegian fjords. The
Highlandsthemselves are the base rocks of the largest mountain
rangeever to exist on the Earth. Half a billion years ago they
reached
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up over 40,000 feet, exceeding the height of Mt. Everest by
acomfortable margin. Erosion and weathering reduced them totheir
present size. The residual benefit of this hard rock layer isthat
it forms the underpinning of Manhattan and offers aperfect
foundation for erecting skyscrapers.
Cruising the river in the autumn is particularly rewardingsince
the shoreline is ablaze with trees in their finest color. Thebest
cruising area and the most magnificent scenery in theHudson Valley
extends from the Tappan Zee Bridge toKingston, 90 miles upriver. It
includes West Point, BearMountain, and the picturesque towns of
Garrison and ColdSpring. The Appalachian Trail, a hiking route from
Maine toGeorgia, crosses the river on the Bear Mountain Bridge. A
bitfurther upriver are the Vanderbilt Mansion, the FDR home atHyde
Park, and the Culinary Institute of America. Furthernorth are
Rhinebeck with its antique aerodrome, and historicKingston with its
restored waterfront. All have a veryhospitable attitude toward
boaters and are certainly worth avisit.
The beauty of the Hudson was the inspiration for
countlessartists. Landscape painting occupied a relatively minor
place inthe roster of European arts during the 18th century. This
waschanged, at least in the United States, by the emergence of
theHudson River School, America's first homegrown, coherentand
sizable group of landscape artists. The new country hadfew
historical scenes or famous personages to depict but it hadan
abundance of beautiful, dramatic and untamed scenery. Thepainters
of the Hudson River School, worked in and aroundNew York from the
1820s to the 1880s. They depicted thelandscape in an almost
idealistic fashion. The paintings becameso popular that the average
art viewer thinks that Hudson Rivertype landscapes were typical of
American art for the entireperiod of the 1800s. Enthusiasts can
visit the home andgrounds of the founder of the Hudson River School
at theThomas Cole Historical Site in Catskill,
NY.www.thomascole.org.
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But eventually tastes change. Photography could do theprimary
job of documentation, and the style itself becameviewed as overly
romantic and "old fashioned." TheImpressionists were on the rise. A
file of Hudson River Schoolart can be found at:
Still, the inspiration of the Hudson remains. In recent yearsthe
school has seen a revival as contemporary artists revisit theold
sites and paint their Hudson landscapes with a freer handand more
colorful palette. Judged by national standards, theHudson Valley
has a disproportionate share of artists, artstudios, and museums.
Every riverside town has several artgalleries and sponsors an art
festival.
Abandoned factory buildings in riverside towns have beenrecycled
as art museums. One, the Dia Museum in Beacon, isone of the worlds
largest, capable of displaying the biggestsculptures. Indeed, if
one so wishes, a Hudson River cruisecould become an art gallery
hopping adventure.http://www.artalongthehudson.com/.
The nominal entrance to the Hudson highlands is the BearMountain
Bridge, 20 miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.The hills actually
start about a mile downstream at Stony Pointon the western shore
and Verplanck on the east. Here the rivernarrows to 1500 feet. For
years there was a ferry service but itwas abandoned after the Bear
Mountain Bridge opened. Thebridge itself was constructed by private
funds during the '20sand for a brief period was the longest
suspension bridge in theworld. The original investors chose the
location well. Eventhough the tolls are moderate it has never
operated at a loss.Eventually the state acquired the bridge and
incorporated itinto the highway system.
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There is an anchorage just south of the Bear MountainBridge on
the western shore near the Bear Mountain StatePark. The water
shallows rapidly from its 120 foot depth in themiddle of the river.
Bear Mountain Inn (845-786-2731), a halfmile walk uphill from the
anchorage area, is one of the largestlog buildings south of Canada.
The luxury inn was built whenthe park was opened in 1915. The Inns
lobby and guest roomshave been totally restored and the large
banquet and diningroom will reopen during 2013. A gift shop and a
nice casualrestaurant opened in 2012. The Overlook Lodge (845)
786-2731, is a smaller and more intimate version of the Inn.
Thedining area of the Lodge offers an unimpeded view of
beautifulHessian Lake. A local favorite festival is the
Oktoberfestcelebration usually staged on weekends in September
andOctober. Beer, knackwurst, lederhosen and German bandsgalore.
http://www.visitbearmountain.com/
Take the opportunity to get rid of those excess calories
byhiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail to Perkins Peak.
Theview from the top of the peak is spectacular. On a clear dayyou
can catch a glimpse of New York City 50 miles to thesouth and see
almost as far up the Hudson to the north. If youplan to be in this
area the weekend before the Fourth of July,the anchorage provides
an unexcelled viewing location for theannual Palisades Park
Commission fireworks show.
The Bear Mountain Inn plans to bring back some turn oflast
century weekend festivals including gingerbread housemaking
contests, chili cook-offs, Yule log burning, andWinterfests.
Regrettably it has not been cold enough in recentyears for ski
jumping or ice carving.
Iona Island, a large marshy area just south of the BearMountain
Bridge, is a dedicated bird sanctuary. The island isone of the few
nesting areas of Bald Eagles on the East Coast.If you are lucky,
you can see one of these majestic birdsswooping down to the river
to catch an unfortunate fish in itsclaws. Swans, geese and ducks
are the other avian residents of
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the marshland and regularly patrol the anchorage area in
searchof handouts from moored boats. Landing on the island
isprohibited.
Garrison's Landing is six miles north of the bridge on
theeastern shore. Old maps show a net of roads leading to
thewater's edge where a ferry crossed the river to West Point.
Theruins of the ferry landing still exist. Garrison was the
sitewhere Hello Dolly was actually filmed. Several
nineteenthcentury buildings still exist and the town has
remainedvirtually unchanged in looks since 1890. The small park
nearthe water offers a good view of West Point and Storm
KingMountain. At the end of the towns two block long main streetis
a small marina and fuel dock next to a building that thelocals
remember as Guinans Country Store. GwendolynBounds lovingly
described this miniscule convenience storeand Irish watering hole
in her evocative book A Little Chapelon the River. It is now closed
because of the death of JohnGuinan, the owner.
If your boat is relatively small, say in the 30 to 40' range,you
can stay for a time at the Garrison Marina fuel dock. If
not,anchoring close to shore is
possible.http://www.hvgateway.com/garrison.HTM The Garrison
ArtCenter, about half a block from the marina, hosts art
showsthroughout the year. garrisonartcenter.org.
The Boscobel Mansion can be seen on the east shore justnorth of
Garrison. Boscobel exhibits the best in housing designand interior
decoration of the Revolutionary War period. It ishow the ultra rich
lived. Boscobel is built in the neoclassicalstyle (1804-1808) on a
bluff overlooking the Hudson Riverabout fifty miles north of New
York City. The mansion wasoriginally located in Montrose, New York,
about fifteen milessouth of the present site, with views of the
Hudson River atHaverstraw Bay. It was built by States Morris
Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch
families of NewAmsterdam. Dyckman profited greatly from the
America
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Revolution. He was determined to build his dream mansion onhis
250-acre farm. Dyckman expected to live as a"conspicuously
well-fixed farmer, surrounded by objects oftaste...who did not farm
too seriously." The house would serveas a tangible symbol of his
prosperity and status and as anexpression of his refined
sensibility. It was the finest house thatcould be built in the 18th
century, furnished with the "best ofthe best."
http://www.boscobel.org/
In the 1950's, the Federal Government took over the land
inMontrose to build the large FDR Veteran's Hospital (theKorean
War, remember?). The house was dismantled andmoved to its present
location north of Garrison. Even if you arenot a fan of period
architecture or furniture, Boscobel hosts theHudson River
Shakespeare Festival every summer, attractingthe best of New York
and London actors.http://hvshakespeare.org/content/home
The West Point military academy is a bit further north onthe
west shore. West Point has been called the Gibraltar ofAmerica. A
brief glance at the geography of the area explainswhy. The river
makes a sharp dogleg turn to the west and isoverlooked by rocky
hills. During the Revolution, cannonmounted on these hills could
sweep the river and preventBritish ships from sailing upstream. To
further impede theirpassage, an iron chain was stretched across the
river toConstitution Island on the east shore. This barrier proved
soformidable that the British subverted the forts
commandant,General Benedict Arnold, to get him to hand over the
fort.After Arnolds plan failed, the fort was never again
threatened.
The huge West Point complex stretches several milesalong the
river. There is an inviting looking boat dock in frontof West Point
but since 9/11 it has been closed to all visitingboats during high
security alert periods unless you can assurethe dockmaster that you
are a retired general. It is best to callthe dockmaster
(845-938-4011) to determine if docking ispermitted. Visiting West
Point by boat is difficult but not
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impossible. Self tours are not permitted but there are
manyscheduled events, concerts, parades, and games that
welcomevisitors. Organized West Point tours can be taken
atwww.westpointtours.com. If you want to visit the Point orattend
an Army sporting event, you can anchor at a nearbymarina and take a
cab. West Point museums are a must forthose interested in weaponry
or military matters. The ThayerHotel (845-466-4731), at the
entrance to West Point, isnotorious for its fabulous Sunday
brunch.http://www.usma.edu/visiting.asp
If you intend to watch an Army football game in the fallbe sure
to make marina reservations early. The transient berthsin local
marinas tend to fill up quickly. The rest of the yearthere is no
problem. The football season at West Point runsfrom early September
through the end of November. For theactual dates of the games,
check with the academy athttp://www.goarmysports.com/.
In 2010 the Newburgh Riverfront Marina (845-661-4914)instituted
a special commuter service for boaters attendingWest Point football
games. Dock your boat at the marina and awater taxi will take you
to the South Dock at West Point. Fromthere a free shuttle service
takes you up the hill to MichieStadium. At the end of the game you
are returned to themarina.
During warm summer months the professional MilitaryAcademy Band
plays outdoor concerts at the Trophy Pointamphitheater. There is no
charge. Guests bring blankets andlawn chairs and listen to music
while facing the majesticHudson. The price is right too. For an up
to date schedule ofconcert dates and programs call 845-938-2617 or
visit thewebsite at http://www.usma.army.mil/band/.
Cold Spring, at the 55 mile point and slightly to the northof
West Point on the east shore, is, in my opinion, the
mostinteresting river town to visit on a Hudson River trip. It is
a
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magnet for artists, writers, and craftsmen. Local inhabitants
saythat town was given its name because George Washingtonfound the
cold water from the town's spring to his
liking.http://www.coldspring.com/historical-attractions.asp
Today it is a well preserved 19th century village with
anabundance of historic landmarks. The mile long main street
islined with antique shops, bookstores, and all manner of
storesselling odds and ends to fill the empty nooks and crannies
ofyour boat. The town has several fine restaurants, most with aview
of Storm King Mountain on the opposite shore. Threerecommended ones
are The Hudson House
(845-265-9355)http://www.hudsonhouseinn.com/dininghome.htm, the
ColdSpring Depot (845-265-5000),http://www.coldspringdepot.com/ and
Cathryn's Tuscan Grill(845-265-5582).
http://www.tuscangrill.com/
Three blocks north, the Riverview (845-265-4778), aboutique
restaurant and bar seating about 40 patrons, hasItalian, American
and Continental specialties and the best brickoven pizza on the
river. Locals call it the best restaurant inCold Spring. My
favorite dish is the Mexican pizza. It is sogood that the memory of
the taste makes my mouth water as Itype these words. The only catch
is that the restaurant doesnttake credit cards.
http://www.riverdining.com/
There is temporary dockage for smaller boats, maximumsize 30, at
the Cold Spring Boat Club (845-265-2465). If youare tempted to
anchor in Foundry Cove, the attractive bay justsouth of town, be
aware that there are a number of hiddendeadheads below the surface.
This is definitely a spot for localknowledge. The southern part of
the cove has the deepest waterbut check your depth finder carefully
before dropping thehook. The bay north of town is fine for
anchoring, althoughexposed to wakes from river traffic. You can
dinghy in andeither leave your dinghy at the park adjacent to the
bay or atthe Cold Spring Boat
Club.http://www.coldspringboatclub.com/
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Overlooking Foundry Cove is a small Greek Revivalchapel that
appears to be transported from the Acropolis.Designed in 1833 by a
16 year old architect, it was consecratedas the first Catholic
church north of Manhattan. It wasabandoned in 1907 but has been
fully restored as a chapel forpeople of all faiths and today hosts
numerous musical events.http://www.chapelofourlady.com/
The Foundry Museum in Cold Spring memorializes thenow vanished
West Point Foundry arsenal that made both thefirst iron ship in the
U.S. and the Civil Wars Parrott cannons.The rifled Parrott cannon,
invented by Robert Parrott,superintendent of the foundry, had a
longer range and wasmore accurate than the comparable guns used by
theConfederacy and was credited with winning the great
artilleryduel at the battle of Gettysburg. A small one is displayed
in thewaterfront park in Cold Spring, ostensibly to repel attacks
fromthe river. http://www.castbullet.com/misc/parrott.htm
During WW2 Cold Spring was the site of the MarathonBattery
plant, a large producer of nicad batteries. Efflux fromthe plant
was dumped into the river. The bottom under the baysouth of Cold
Spring contains so much cadmium waste that theEPA deems it illegal
to put back a spoonful of mud taken fromthe bottom into the
water.
Pollepel Island, about four miles north of Cold Spring,holds the
picturesque ruins of Bannerman's Castle. Bannermanwas an arms
dealer who bought up much of the Unionsmilitary supplies left after
the Civil War and all the militarysurplus of the Spanish American
War. He stored them in awarehouse in New York City and sold them
out of a New Yorkstorefront. Bannerman published a mail order
catalog of thearms holdings and became the Sears Roebuck of
munitions.Most of the world's rebellions from 1880 through 1910
werefought with Bannerman supplied weapons. Eventually NewYork's
city fathers became uneasy about having a munitionsstore in
mid-town and convinced Bannerman to move. He
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relocated his warehouse to Pollepel Island. The warehouse
wasconstructed to look like a medieval castle, although it wasmade
of conventional brick and concrete. Bannerman and hisfamily moved
there. Unfortunately the area is no stranger tolightning and the
warehouse was destroyed by a series of firesand explosions by the
late
60s.http://www.opacity.us/site54_bannermans_arsenal.htmBannerman's
Castle is now a just a skeleton. Every majorstorm collapses a
portion of its structure. See it before it is toolate. If you want
to see what Bannerman's Castle looked like inits glory days
see:http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/bannerman/bannerman.html
In the mid 70s my kids and I used to canoe the shortdistance to
the island and hunt for Civil War memorabilia inthe ruins. All we
found was a few belt buckles and minnieballs, but a more fortunate
neighbor got a couple of single shotbreech loading rifles and a
small field cannon. There is a fairlygood anchoring ground to the
south side of the island but youneed a chart to avoid a submerged
stone causeway to the shoreon the north side. The whole place is
now being developed as astate park. For more information about the
castle and tours ofthe site see:
http://www.bannermancastle.org/
The Newburgh/Beacon Highway Bridge, 60 miles northof the
Battery, marks the end of the Hudson Highlands area.The riverbanks,
while still hilly, are no longer bordered by thestony peaks of the
Appalachian range. The Newburghwaterfront has been developed over
the last few years andthere are marinas with transient berths on
both sides of theriver. The Newburgh Yacht Club
(845-561-5255)http://www.newburghyc.com/ and associated
NikolasRestaurant are on the west shore near the bridge. Call
foravailable space.http://www.ohwy.com/ny/e/e0191629.htm
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About a mile north of the highway bridge is thePoughkeepsie
Railroad Bridge, now converted to a walkway.Located between the two
bridges is the Mariners-on-the-Hudson Restaurant (845-691-6011), a
long time boatersfavorite. Transient docking is
available.http://www.marinersonhudson.com/
Hyde Park, at the 80 mile point and six miles north of
thePoughkeepsie Mid-Hudson Bridge, is the site of both
theVanderbilt Mansion http://www.nps.gov/vama/index.htm andthe
Franklin Roosevelt homestead.http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/ You
can visit the one mostcongenial to your politics although one
ticket gains youadmission to both. Anchoring is not easy in this
location. It isbest to get a transient berth in a local marina. Two
favorites arethe Hyde Park Marina
(845-452-3232)http://www.hydeparkmarina.com/ and the Rogers
PointBoating Association. Both sell
diesel.http://www.rogerspoint.org/
American iceboating began in this stretch of the Hudson.In the
cold 1800s the river would start to freeze atThanksgiving and not
thaw until Easter, creating a 100 milelong avenue of ice from
Peekskill to Albany. John Roosevelt,FDRs uncle, founded the Hudson
River Ice Yacht Club in1869. Iceboats were up to 70 feet long, some
weighing asmuch as 3000 pounds. Commodore Roosevelts personal
boat,the Icicle, was 69 feet long and carried 1,070 square feet
ofsail. It had a top speed of nearly 100 mph in the proper windsand
would race, and often beat, the Hudson River trains to thenext
town. To the regret of many iceboating diehards, theHudson does not
freeze like it did in the 19th century and goodiceboating days are
few and far apart.
When in Hyde Park, take the opportunity to have agourmet meal at
the CIA, not the one with spies but theCulinary Institute of
America. The CIA is a residential collegedevoted to culinary
education. The beautiful campus outdates
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the school. Before it was home to the CIA it was a
Jesuitseminary, St. Andrew-on-Hudson, built at the turn of the
lastcentury. The CIA is like any other college, bustling
withstudents, except they all dress in chefs white coats andchecked
pants.
The campus houses five restaurants: the AmericanBounty, serving
American and Hudson Valley regional meals;the Escoffier Restaurant,
specializing in various Frenchregional cuisines; Ristorante
Caterina de Medici, servingtraditional Italian dishes; the new
Bocuse Restaurant, offeringmodern French cuisine, and St. Andrews
Caf emphasizingfresh seasonal ingredients wrapped with Asian
inspiration.Meals at the CIA are prepared and served by third
yearstudents under the close supervision of their mentors. You
canbe sure that the cooking and presentation are done right.
Thestudents careers depend upon it.
Because of the CIAs popularity, advance reservations arestrongly
advised (845-471-6608). St. Andrews Caf is themost casual of the
CIAs restaurants and takes walk-ins forlunch. The CIA is partly
responsible for the plethora ofoutstanding gourmet restaurants in
the Hudson Valley. Manygraduates stay in the area, honing their
craft before moving toone of the big
cities.http://www.ciachef.edu/restaurants/default.asp
Three miles north of Hyde Park you will travel through awide
portion of the Hudson known as the Esopus Meadows.The attractive
Esopus Lighthouse, improbably situated in themiddle of the river,
marks this location. It is there for goodreason. Stay to the east
of the lighthouse. The river shallows along way from the shore and
it is best to follow the markedchannel. If you draw 5 feet or less
you can find a safeanchoring site on the east
shore.http://www.esopuslighthouse.org/
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The town of Kingston, on the Rondout Creek, anotherdozen miles
north at the 90 mile point, was for a short time, thecapitol of New
York State. It contains the mid-Hudson's largestconcentration of
marine services and marinas. The Rondoutstone lighthouse on the
north side of the breakwater marks theentrance to the Rondout
Creek. This lighthouse is the last andlargest constructed on the
river. Built in 1913 it was turnedover to the City of Kingston in
2002. Kingston partners withthe Hudson River Museum to run the
lighthouse as an exhibitof 19th century river life. The light and
machinery still function.
Turn left just before the lighthouse and follow the creekunder
the highway bridge to find the town dock. RondoutCreek has been a
center of boating activity since colonialtimes. The term creek is
misleading since the first miles ofthe creek are surprisingly deep
and should pose no peril toboats with less than 8
draft.http://www.kingstonlighthouse.com/
Boaters view Kingston as the primary stopping pointbetween NYC
and Albany. The waterfront has beenrehabilitated and gentrified.
Kingston offers a variety of finedining places just a stone's throw
from the riverside park.Overnight berths, including electric power,
are available at theKingston City Marina (845-331-6940) for a
moderate fee.http://www.kingstoncitymarina.com/ The marina has
waterconnection spigots on the shore but you need a fairly long
hoseto reach your boat. The water is supplied at full town
pressureso a pressure reducer is advisable. Either that or just
fill yourtank and use the boat's own water for the duration of your
stay.If you need other services, there are a half a dozen full
servicemarinas on Rondout Creek.
The Kingston Town Dock is still the least expensive in thearea
but prices have increased along with the amenities. In pastyears
there was no electric service and no showers orrestrooms. The major
advantage is that you can just step ashoreand be right in the
middle of town. If money is tight, it is
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possible to anchor in the Rondout Creek and dinghy to whereyou
want to go. For a longer stay you might try calling thelocal
marinas listed in Appendix 2.
Kingston is exceptionally hospitable to boaters. Becauseof its
halfway house location, local boaters from up and downriver often
choose Kingston as their weekend destination.Three favorite
restaurants in Kingston are Mariners Harbor(845-340-8051 offering
steaks and seafoodhttp://www.marinersharborny.com/, Rositas
MexicanRestaurant (845-339-5372) http://www.rositasonline.com/,
andthe Ship to Shore Restaurant (845-334-8887). The latterprovides
diners a free shuttle service to any of the marinas onRondout
Creek. http://www.shiptoshorehudsonvalley.com/
Summer weekends feature musical groups giving freeconcerts in
the park next to the town dock. The Hudson RiverMaritime Museum
http://www.hrmm.org/ is just down thestreet and is well worth a
visit. Incidentally, Kingston has oneof the best old fashioned
military and industrial surplus stores Ihave seen. If you need
lengths of stainless steel plate, oldelectronics, nuts, bolts, and
screws, pumps, fans, and electricmotors you will probably find them
here. The store, P&TSurplus (845 338-6191), is located at 198
Abeel Street about amile from the center of town .
This part of the Hudson Valley has a number of boutiquewineries
located along both shores. The wines are good and area fitting
match for the locally produced farm products. Onegood one is
Benmarl Winery (845-236-4265,http://www.benmarl.com/ at Slate Hill
Vinyards. If you stay atthe Marlboro Yacht Club, you can reach
Benmarl by a shorthike or a cab ride. Benmarl has tastings daily
and featuresspecial events. Check the website for information.
New York's wine region is on the same latitude asEurope's most
cherished vineyards. Climate and weatherconditions vary greatly
across the state ranging from a marine
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climate in Long Island similar to that of Provence, a
HudsonValley climate resembling that of the Rhine, and the
glaciallake climate of the Finger Lakes. This varied terroir
combinedwith an assortment of ideal grape growing microclimates
hasproduced a surprising number of prize-winning vintages. Acentury
before wines were planted in the Napa Valley, Frenchsettlers were
planting vines along the Hudson. Hudson Valleywines have outlasted
revolutions, wars, blights, bad weatherand Prohibition. Native
Anerican grapes are still being growntoday for grape juice and
Kosher ceremonial wines.
Thanks to the efforts of Cornell Universitys vinicultureprogram
and independent researchers such as the late Dr.Konstantin Frank,
vintners were successful in makingEuropean grapes and hybrid
French-American varieties growin the harsh lake effect snow winters
of the Finger Lake regionand the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake
Erie. The New Yorkwine industry now makes more varieties of wine
than anyother wine region in the world. The red wines are good
toexcellent but New York vintners excel in making white wines.Many
New York wines have achieved world-class statuswinning Gold and
Double Gold medals in internationalcompetition.
Most vineyards are within easy reach of New York'swaterways
starting from Long Island Sound, through theHudson Valley, the
Finger Lakes, the Niagara region ofwestern New York, and the shores
of Lake Erie. I know severalboaters who have aborted a Great Loop
trip in favor of avineyard to vineyard tour via their boats. For a
full list of NewYork State wineries see:
http://www.newyorkwines.org/
While on the subject of potables, in 2007 NY passed alaw
creating a new class of Farm Distilleries. This lawsupports the
centuries old New York tradition of agriculturalcraft wines and
spirits. In the pre-Prohibition era, hundreds ofsmall stills dotted
the landscape, offering farmers a convenientway to market locally
grown fruits and produce. Distilleries are
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limited in production and the product must contain a minimumof
75% NY raw agricultural material. The new law permitstasting and
retail sales on site.
The Tuthilltown Distillery (845-255-1527) is one of thefirst of
these farm liquor producers to be opened. It is locatednear the
Hudson in Gardiner, NY. Actually it has beenreopened. The original
distillery on the site near New Paltzdates to 1788 and operated
continuously until prohibition. Thebase product is distilled from
either grain or apples. A localfarmer has been induced to grow a
special heirloom corn that isused to make the premier product
Hudson Baby Bourbon.This extraordinary whiskey is stored in charred
oak barrelsuntil ready to serve. The distillery sells whiskey by
the cask aswell as by the bottle. (http://www.tuthilltown.com).
Privatelylabeled casks from 2 to 60 gallons are available. Most
liquorstores in the Hudson Valley sell regular bottles.
The craft beer movement is also alive and well in theHudson
Valley. Many small towns from NYC to Albany havemicro breweries
which brew beers and ales to complement thelocal food. The names
may be unfamiliar but the beers aredefinitely worth trying.
Restaurants along the waterway featurelocal beers and ales.
Jus