New York, New York–we love you!

What an amazing city!  We’ve had our first bite of the Big Apple and we’re addicted.  Sure, it’s a crazy place – big, brash, totally in your face, noisy and exhausting but that’s all part of its intoxicating charm.  We loved this rough and tumble city although we’re glad we don’t live there.  It was great to retire to Bandit each night.

 

Given that we’d never intended to visit New York – initial plans were to leave Bandit in Georgia and head to the UK for summer – it was a pretty fantastic feeling to see that oh so familiar Manhattan skyline emerge from the Atlantic morning mist after a night at sea.  And motoring past the Statue of Liberty put us on a real high.

We’d met up with fellow Kiwi cruisers Mark and Amanda on Balvenie just off Cape May and did the overnight sail together up the coast to New York.  This was very handy as it meant we could take photos of each other with those landmarks in the background – much easier than launching the tender and trying to do it ourselves.

Our first venture ashore left us feeling distinctly overwhelmed and disorientated – Manhattan is massive and there is just so much to see. Our bikes were great -  they allowed us to cover more ground .  One of our first explorations was through leafy Central Park, an 800 acre green oasis in the heart of this chaotic city.

We spent our first two nights at anchor in the swift flowing Hudson River at the foot of 79th St- in the heart of the city and just a stone’s throw from one of many entrances to Central Park.  It just happened to be the one where the Dakota building is with the John Lennon Strawberry Fields memorial nearby. 

Feeling unfazed by New York traffic we headed down 5th Ave to Times Square but our blaze attitude didn’t last long!  It was a hair raising ride with crazy taxi drivers, ignorant limos and double parked service vehicles so we sought avenues with cycle lanes – far more relaxing.  The Times Square area is huge and needed to be explored on foot so we tied the bikes to a lamppost - much to the amusement of a policewoman who came over for a chat and insisted we take her photo. She was intrigued we had come by yacht. 

                  

 

After two rolly days and nights we decided to head for a more peaceful anchorage.  The Hudson is very busy with lots of boat wake and confusing current and we couldn’t relax leaving Bandit so we headed up the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge to Port Washington.  It was amazing motoring past those landmarks  – the new World Trade Centre, the Empire State, the Chrysler, Trump Towers, United Nations and Riker Prison.

Port Washington had free moorings and we felt far more comfortable leaving Bandit knowing she was secure, especially with afternoon thunderstorms whipping up strong winds.  The Long Island Railway had frequent trains right into Penn Station and we spent several more days in New York City just soaking up the sights.  Once rush hour was over we’d get the 9pm train back, returning to Bandit exhausted but exhilarated.  

We spent a whole day exploring gorgeous Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the wonderful Meatpacker’s Area – where derelict warehouses have been turned into stunning boutiques (think Gucci), upmarket cafes and restaurants.  Quite by chance we stumbled across the Chelsea Market which used to be the old Oreo (biscuit) factory.  Today it’s full of fantastic shops that foodies like us adore –  fabulous Italian supplies, a fish market, upmarket greengrocer, baker, specialty kitchen shops and even a spice shop!  It was here we found a cafe serving the best coffee we’d had in New York…bliss!  Two hours later we emerged to get back on track and walk the High Line, a disused railway track now planted with wildflowers, trees and shrubs that gives a great view over the Hudson and city streets.  It’s a great place to wander and locals seem to hangout at the cafes and restaurants or lounge on the wooden seats.

Greenwich Village was every bit as eclectic as we expected – full of arty and musical types doing all kinds of things…even playing grand pianos!  We just sat and absorbed the wonderful goings on from a central spot in Washington Square Park.  The quaint leafy streets in the village are very neighbourly with small parks where locals push children in strollers, sunbathe or walk dogs.  It feels far removed from the hectic hurly burly of nearby 5th Ave.

Heading back to Penn Station on our trusty bikes we stumbled onto a film shoot.  After a bit of eavesdropping we discovered the “stars” were Matt McConaghey and Scarlett Johanssen being directed by Martin Scorsese.  Internet research showed it was an advertisement for Italian designers Dolce and Gabbana.  It was fascinating to stand and watch the goings on.

               

We’d read Ground Zero and Wall St were “must dos” but to be honest, we found both a little underwhelming.  Sure, we saw a few chaps in their embossed jackets standing outside the New York Stock Exchange smoking…but that was about it.  Not the hustle and bustle we expected in one of the world’s busiest financial centres. Maybe we’ve watched too many Wall St movies!

As for Ground Zero, to visit the memorials you needed to book online and bring printed tickets so that was out.  We’d seen some fairly moving memorabilia at the Newseum in Washington (relics from the site including cellphones and shoes) and some graphic film footage so decided to leave it at that.  It was wonderful to stand beneath the towering  new world trade tower and see America not capitulating to terrorism but rebuilding and moving on.

Of course a visit to New York would not be complete without a trip up the Empire State Building, spending time at the Metropolitan Museum and the Guggenheim and we did all that.  The Met was overwhelming first visit – it’s massive!  So we returned for a second day which meant we got to see everything we wanted to.  Highlights were the wonderful displays of armour including two of Henry V111’s suits, the brilliant Punk exhibition featuring couture as well as street fashion from the punk era (Vivienne Westwood to Versace), the art and the Egyptian Collection including an entire temple from Luxor.   

We also visited Frick House and that proved very special.  To see so many classic works of art (Rembrandt, Constable, Turner) in what was a private home, well a mansion really, was astonishing.  Henry Frick made his money in steel in the late 1800s and amassed a mind boggling fortune which he poured into his art collection.  He then left his 5th Ave home and the entire collection as a museum.

            

And then there are the shops… no trip to New York City would be complete without a little retail therapy.  So Saks 5th Ave it was and wouldn’t you know it – they had a sale on.  Of course we did Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and dozens of other shops as well…and yes, following the philosophy of good cruising friends who told us years ago we should always leave a little bit of cash on each island we visit – we left a bit on Manhattan.

                

We LOVE the big apple….so much so we’re planning to return and spend more time on our way back down the east coast.

Fireworks fantastic

Americans sure know how to party as anyone who saw July 4th’s Independence Day celebrations will agree.  Annapolis reputedly has one of the better fireworks shows in Chesapeake Bay so that’s where we headed, anchoring in the harbour with a handful of other boats.  Within minutes a Coast Guard boat arrived welcoming us to the area and pointing out exactly where the fireworks barge would be – we had a box seat!

Wanting to check out the town we headed in by tender, passing dozens of beautifully decorated boats.  Restaurants lining the dock had red white and blue banners draped over balconies and the entire town was alive with visitors, locals, street entertainers and bands.

 

We returned to Bandit to find the anchorage filling up and it was an entertaining afternoon as boats anchored; some with success, some without. Tempers flared as boats got too close while partying youngsters paid no heed to anything other than having a good time.  The evening rolled on with entertainment all around us. The fireworks show was spectacular with the display lighting up the bay – but of course, photos never do it justice but here’s a tease.

          

Next morning we were woken at 5.30am by barking orders coming from the nearby naval academy and looked over to see hundreds of young men doing morning press-ups.  A gentle breeze was blowing through the anchorage so we decided to make the most of it and headed away.

By breakfast time we were sailing in a perfect 15 knot breeze which took us right to the top of the Chesapeake.  We anchored in a gorgeous spot in the freshwater Bohemia River.  The jellyfish that plague the Chesapeake only like saline water so, for the first time in many weeks, we jumped overboard for a swim.  Bliss!

To catch the favourable tide through the C&D (Chesapeake and Delaware) Canal we had to up anchor at 5.30am.  We love this time of day so it was no hardship.

Cape May was a good overnight anchorage and a place to watch the Wimbledon final on the big screen.  No luck – the game began at 8am and the sports bars can’t serve liquor until noon which meant they couldn’t have the tv on.  Instead we wandered the gorgeous back streets dotted with the so called “gingerbread” houses.

       

Back at the anchorage we again found a gentle breeze so upped anchor and headed north.  New York……here we come!

Checking out the Chesapeake

After two weeks in Solomons having work done on Bandit, we were getting restless - we’re not used to staying in one place for long!  With no work over the weekend we decided to head away and explore the eastern side of Chesapeake Bay.  Gentle afternoon breezes provided good sailing across the bay and we anchored off the very English sounding town of Oxford.  And yes – Cambridge is just a bit further up the river!  Both towns were settled by the English gentry in the 1600s and thrived during the tobacco and slave market boom.  After the Civil War Oxford found new prosperity from its bountiful oyster beds.  It’s still very much a waterman’s town with boat building, marinas, fishing and tourism based around the sea.

Ashore, Oxford was almost too perfect for words.   Beautiful leafy streets dotted with immaculate houses with perfectly manicured lawns and gardens. There were no hedges to keep out inquisitive eyes, just the requisite white picket fence or two and the shady front porches with rocking chairs looking very inviting.

For the third time in as many weeks we anchored just before a huge thunderstorm hit.  Weather in the Chesapeake in summer is unbelievable.  Before we visited, American cruisers we met described it as the place of “100, 100, 100.”  Translated it’s 100 days of 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity.   Having spent time in Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia and Trinidad in rainy (hot) season we figured we could handle it.  Wrong!  It’s been the most unbearable heat we’ve ever had- just as well David installed a fan beside the bed as the nights are stinking hot and still.  We always sneered at American cruising boats with air conditioning units sitting above the hatches, but when someone offered us one we grabbed it!

After spending a wonderful morning wandering Oxford’s neat as a pin streets and exploring the indented waterways by tender, we headed to nearby St Michael’s.  The trip up the Choptank River was fascinating with some amazing waterfront holiday homes.  Even the smaller properties have docks where they can tie up their boat.

Since arriving in Chesapeake Bay we’ve spent a lot of time dodging floats marking crab pots.  Getting one of these tangled around your propeller would not be fun.  But on the eastern side of the bay crabbing is done by running out a baited “trot line” which is left for half an hour then pulled in slowly.  As the bait passes through a loop the fishermen use a net to scoop up the crabs that have grabbed the bait.  We couldn’t quite figure out what they were doing so had to go and ask and they happily explained the procedure to these ignorant Kiwis.  Crabs are huge here – they feature on every restaurant menu and you see them on bags, t-shirts, cushions, tea towels.  Even the smart jewellery shops have crab charms, rings and brooches.

St Michael’s gained notoriety in the 1812 war when locals rigged up lanterns in a nearby forest to fool the British into thinking that was the town.  The ploy worked – the forest was shelled and the town saved.  In more recent times the town became popular after the publication of James Michener’s Chesapeake which is set all around this area.  And no…neither of us managed to finish it years ago so planned to buy a copy – but couldn’t find one in town!

St Michael’s, like Oxford,  was picture postcard perfect with immaculate houses and gardens in neat and tidy streets, quirky boutiques, gift shops and galleries and a beautifully developed waterfront area with marinas, a maritime museum and restaurants and bars.  It was wonderful to browse, enjoy coffee out (a rare treat for us) and not think about boat chores for a day or two.

We met up with Australian cruisers Carol and Pete off Jack Tar here.  They carried a cautionary warning about making sure we carried lifejackets in the tender.  We’d done this religiously in Florida and Georgia but had been a bit slack in Maryland since we were only flitting to and from the dock.  So were they – but they got stung by a $95 fine for not carrying them.  Hmm…that’s one way to encourage foreign cruisers to visit!  Surely a warning would have been sufficient?

Working weeks

It’s time to dispel illusions of the mythical bikinis and martinis lifestyle you think we live by injecting into the blog some mundane aspects of our life.  For the past three weeks we’ve been holed up in Solomons in Chesapeake Bay getting work done on Bandit and working 8-10 hour days ourselves.  The bikinis are packed away (as you can see from the photo the water in the Chesapeake is murky and it’s also full of jellyfish).  Okay I tell a lie – the marina has a swimming pool and we’ve been having the occasional afternoon dip – a necessity in this unbelievably hot and humid climate.

 With a Pacific crossing looming next year, there were a few things we needed to do to Bandit.  She is 15 years old now and, given we live on her and do some pretty serious sailing, day in , day out, things wear out quickly.   We do most all of our own maintenance but there are some things we’ve had to call the specialists in for.  Spending summer on the east coast of the States presented a perfect opportunity to get the experts in – this is after all the home of sailing.

      

While the experts were replacing some of our standing rigging, fixing our freezer and replacing engine mounts we busied ourselves with a long list of jobs.  We installed a new stove and barbecue and seemed to spend all day sanding, painting, varnishing, polishing, cleaning, replacing and repairing.  It felt satisfying to sink into bed each night absolutely exhausted.

As all cruisers will understand, nothing ever goes to plan when it comes to boats.  Parts NEVER arrive on time and there are always delays.  Our refrigeration unit and engine mounts came quickly but the rigging parts took forever. It was incredibly frustrating but did give us the chance to lots of jobs that had been on the”to do” list for ages.

 Solomons in the Chesapeake was a fantastic place to stay while doing all this work.  The marina had great facilities including a swimming pool, shuttle to the nearby supermarket, laundry, showers and a  grassy garden bar.   A popular holiday spot nearby Solomons Island has a lovely relaxed feel and some cute shops and galleries.  When Australian friends on cruising yacht Eye Candy called in we went to the atmospheric Tiki Bar for Saturday sundowners.  With palm trees and sand it was like being back in the Caribbean.  

 For people who are always on the move, it’s been really nice to just be in one gorgeous spot for a few weeks, feel like locals, get work done and relax now and then!  Oops…I guess these photos don’t do anything to dispel the myth.  But truly…it’s been a hard few weeks of work.