Great Loop Overall Statistics to date:
Statute Miles: 1891.1
Average Miles/Day: 51.2
Total Hours Underway: 260.9
Average speed (mph): 7.5
States Transited: 9
Total Days: 91
Travel Days: 37
Locks: 7
Fuel Purchased: 472.9
Miles / Gallon: 3.4
Nights at Extra Days
Marinas: 21 50
Anchor: 13 3
City dock: 2 0
Free Wall: 1 0
Mooring: 0 0
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The Hudson River current flows with the Atlantic tide from New York City all the way to Albany. As the tide pushes in or flows back out, the narrowing of the river to the north accelerates this current. During these travel days, we had both positive and negative current affecting our boat speed. Because we had such short legs to cover, we made departure decisions based more on time of day rather than to take advantage of, or preventing hindrance of, the river current. If the current was going to be against us, we just took longer to get to where we were going - we didn't try to burn more fuel just to arrive when our typical speed would have indicated. None of the days were very long at all, so an extra hour or so of traveling through beautiful scenery was of no concern.
From Croton-on-Hudson to Poughkeepsie, the tides happened to be in our favor for the morning, so we left at 0830 - it was cloudy with winds 10-15 from north. We traveled at the center of the deepest channel in order to take maximum advantage of any flowing water in our same direction. Because of the favorable current, our average boat speed was above typical for this day.
From Poughkeepsie to Kingston, the tide was neutral for our morning travel. Winds were calm, and the scenery was spectacular for the short ride further up the river. Having left a bumpy Poughkeepsie, exposed directly to Hudson River boat traffic, it was nice to turn up Rondout Creek and tie up out of the main traffic. The docks at the Hudson River Maritime Museum were very good and we had 50A power accessible.
From Kingston to Catskill, the tidal flow was against us for a morning travel time. We added about an hour to what would have been our overall day, but we didn't mind based on the "tour" we were getting of the Hudson River Valley. We saw as much as 2.5 knots of current against us at some of the narrower sections of the river. Like Kingston, Catskill had a creek to turn off into and a beautifully-quiet Catskill Marina dock. We came into the creek at low tide and saw a "hump" partway in of 7.5ft minimum. Everywhere else was 12ft or more of depth. Catskill Marina only had 30A power connections, so we used an adapter to connect to our 50A inlet plug. Access to town businesses, restaurants and grocery was fantastic here.
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Great Loop Travel Days (GLTD):
035: Poughkeepsie NY (from Croton-on-Hudson NY)
036: Kingston NY from Poughkeepsie NY
037: Catskill NY from Kingston NY
Map of our Overall Great Loop travel:
Extended stay in Croton-on-Hudson NY: In our last blog, we had a BIG day cruising through New York City. We had planned to stay at Half Moon Bay Marina a few nights – through the weekend. We ended up extending our stay 1 day to wait out some predicted heavy winds.
Transportation Challenges: As car-less tourists, we learned we would be challenged to navigate on land around Croton-on-Hudson:
Steep hills are the norm.
The bridge to cross to the other side of the high-speed rail (running along the river) is about a half-mile walk from the marina.
All the restaurants are on the other side of the high-speed rail.
Uber is unreliable to non-existent.
The road in the middle of the photo below is a moderately-steep hill, compared with other streets we walked.
Looper Boats: Half Moon Bay is a popular stop on the the Great Loop. I could tell this by the 13+ loop burgees I counted. 😊
Old Boat: Well, not literally “old”. We noticed a blue American Tug 34 in the marina, and soon realized it was our previous boat, named mv Drifter. She is now mv Nauti Jenny, and the new owners are also doing the Great Loop.
History of Half Moon: Henry Hudson sailed Half Moon up the Hudson River in 1609 – his 3rd attempt to find to find a shorter route to Asia from Europe. He had to turn back, due to ice, on his first 2 attempts through the Arctic Ocean. Since he was searching for the rumored channel to the Pacific (Northwest Passage), he turned back from the Hudson. On his final trip up the Hudson in 1610-11, his crew staged a mutiny, but his “discoveries laid the groundwork for Dutch colonization of the Hudson River region.”
Food: Despite the hilly challenges, we managed to check out several restaurants.
Not to Miss: Margaritas and bourbon pecan pieat The Tavern at Croton Landing. The 1-mile walk is mostly flat except for the approximate 4-story climb to the pedestrian bridge across the railroad.
105 Twenty Bar & Grill menu was OK, and outside dining was enjoyable. The 1.2-mile walk is mostly steep hills.
Not to Miss: Black Rock Kitchen had a cozy atmosphere, delicious food and beverages, and live music most nights. We sat at the bar and enjoyed welcoming conversation with the owner. The 1.3-mile, steep hill walk was well worth the effort.
Entertainment: In addition to live acoustic music at Black Rock Kitchen, we enjoyed a live band at The Green Growler (bottle shop -- next best thing to a brewery). The 1.5-mile walk options are mostly flat but can be challenging in the evening. (One option is a heavy-traffic road, the other is a mostly-paved trail that is unlit in some areas.)
Lucky Find: The 80’s band, Phineas & the Lonely Leaves, is based in Peekskill NY. If you happen to be in the region, look them up! They are a fun, talented band!
Chores: Ray took advantage of the extended stay at Half Moon Bay to do some boat maintenance:
✅ Wash SCOUT.
✅ Replace raw water intake hose & raw water pump (preventive, for the starboard engine after having to do the port side).
✅ Change Oil – both engines, and use the “handy cart” to walk to the local auto service center to recycle used oil.
I walked with mv Griffin to the local grocery store. We took turns pulling the loaded cart back. Really! 😉
And we all shared a Taxi to the local laundromat. We used J & S Taxi (listed in the marina welcome packet). They are busy, but reliable; be patient.
We learned that weekdays are more difficult to book taxi service than the weekends. (Our uninformed opinion is that there may be more drivers available on weekends – when not working their regular jobs.)
Sightseeing: Croton Gorge Park is at the base of the (new) Croton Dam.
The first aqueduct system was built (1837 - 1842) “in response to the fires and epidemics that repeatedly devastated New York City” due, in part, to contaminated wells.
By the 1880s it was clear New York City needed more water and plans were made to harness water from the Croton River's three branches with a new dam. […] The dam was designed not only for function but for form as well. Scientific American wrote in 1905 that "this noble structure will form one of the most impressive and beautiful scenes, of an engineering character, to be witnessed in any part of the world."
The new (current) Croton Dam took 14 years to build (1892 – 1906).
We taxi’ed with mv Griffin to the Lower Croton Dam (to see the falls). We planned to Uber back one day to hike the trail to the Upper Dam, to walk across the bridge and fly the drone, but rain and winds foiled that plan.
Interesting Fact: The bridge across the dam was originally open for traffic, but was permanently closed after the 9/11 attacks.
Nature: The smell of Honeysuckle permeated the hills!
Ahhh….the sweet smell of spring…no, summer…in the Northeast.
Have I mentioned it was HOT!! -- 108 degrees, with heat index of 125!
Those long sleeves in the picture above are for sun protection – not warmth. 🥵
If we had not just travelled 1800 miles over 80 days to get here, I would have thought we were in Florida! Although, a few minutes walking up the steep hills would have clued me in to my mistake! 😊
We saw 3 night herons on the sea wall at sunset each night. I got photos of 2 of them.
Sunsets:
GLTD035 Poughkeepsie NY (from Croton-on-Hudson NY): When we left Croton-on-Hudson, late morning, there were clouds and 10-15 mph winds from the north (on our nose).
To exploit the current, we travelled near the middle of the channel (where current is strongest). We had a short, uneventful run up to Poughkeepsie NY.
There was nothing new to see other than the beautiful foliage – a lot of trains running on both sides of the river, at the base of the cliffs. In this porthole view, the silver “streak” at the bottom of the cliff is a train; it looks like a model train on that cliff!
🔷 Boater Tip: Barges are difficult to see against the cliffs – especially when cloudy or rainy.
Our AIS transponder was most helpful for spotting large traffic (and them assuredly seeing us).
Ray was amused by our passing through “Worlds End”. According to Wikipedia, Worlds End marks the deepest part of the Hudson - 202 feet.
NOAA indicated “Worlds End, a sharp bend in the Hudson River at Mile 46, has depths of more than 100 feet. Extreme caution should be exercised when passing through Worlds End; the view is obstructed and vessels should reduce speed and sound a warning signal.”
Just over an hour after departing, the temperature had dropped 10 degrees.
That’s 40 degrees cooler than 3 days ago, when it was 108 degrees! Could this be the worlds end? 😮
Well, it wasn’t the end of the world for us, for SCOUT, or for our Great Loop. But it was, apparently, the end of the world for all the photos I took with the camera during this day’s cruise. 😒 I was really bummed as I had some great photographs ready.
The “lost sight” that I must still highlight is Bannerman Castle, north of West Point, on the eastern side of the river near the town of Cornwall-on-Hudson. Francis Bannerman (Frank) was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1851 and came to the United States to live in Brooklyn, at the age of three. He began construction on a simulated Scottish castle and simple residence in 1901.
In non-Covid times, they have movies and performances. One example I found looked awesome!
We arrived in Poughkeepsie NY early afternoon and docked at Shadows Marina.
You may have noticed in the photo, above, that the river is still surrounded by cliffs, so walking around town was, once again, a bit challenging. But we tried not to let that stop us from exploring all the town has to offer.
Food/Entertainment:
Not to Miss: Gluten Free Pancakes at Alex’s Restaurant were a welcome treat for me. This business space has been in the same family, starting with Alex Pappas in 1911. Alex’s Restaurant has been in the space since the 1960’s.
Below is what looks like the original counter and bar stools. Unfortunately, it was not available for service during Covid. I’m including the photo to see if one of our avid readers, Elise, recognizes it. 😉
The 1.1-mile walk to Alex’s from Shadows Marina includes about 5 blocks that are fairly steep uphill.
Not to Miss: Despite being a local hangout, our bartender at Mahoney's Irish Pub was friendly, welcoming, and enjoyed learning about our Great Loop adventure. My Irish Beef Stew was delicious!
The best part of the evening was the weekly Jazz Night. Every Tuesday, the Poughkeepsie Jazz Project hosts a jam session. The night we went, there must have been 15-20 musicians signed up to play various instruments.
Mahoney's is in a historic building where the original Vassar Brewery operated in 1803.
From Shadows Marina, you will walk uphill for about a block before finishing the 0.6 mile to Mahoney’s.
Interesting Fact: Matthew Vassar's fortune, made from the brewery business, built the nearby Vassar College in 1861.
For a unique dining experience, check out Tavern 23, which appears to have originated as a house in a neighborhood with large lots. I enjoyed the ribs, and Ray enjoyed a large beer selection. Once again, the place appears to be a “hopping” locals-only joint, but the staff were very friendly.
Now I feel like we are in the “north”. This was probably the 3rd place in Poughkeepsie where someone asked me where my accent was from. 😊
I would estimate about 3-4 blocks of uphill sidewalks on the 1.2-mile walk to Tavern 23 from Shadows Marina.
Walkway over the Hudson: At 1.28 miles long, the bridge is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. It is 212 feet above the Hudson River. We rode a glass elevator the 21 stories from one of the lower landings to the walkway above. Ray launched the drone from the walkway and took a photo of us at an overlook (below).
The bridge now known as the Walkway Over the Hudson opened in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge. In 1974 a fire, probably sparked from a train’s brakes, destroyed the bridge. When firemen tried using water from a steel pipe that ran the length of the bridge, they found that several places where the pipe had burst because it had not been drained the previous winter. Penn Central had known it but had not repaired it.
The bridge was rebuilt and re-opened in October 2009 as a State Park.
This is the park on the Highlands side of the bridge. It was very well done. For this sightseeing trip, after breakfast at Alex’s, we walked 4.9 miles!
Zeus Brewing appeared to have a good food menu, but this is the night we had planned dinner and jazz at the Irish pub.
Not to Miss: Mill House Brewing is one of my favorite breweries. The brick and dark wood created a cozy lounge “feel” and they offered cocktails (for the gluten-free crowd). They also offered a few ciders, which seem to be popular up here in New York. (I guess we are in apple-growing country.)
The 1.3-mile walk to Mill House from Shadows Marina includes about 5 blocks that are fairly steep uphill, but it was worth it.
Since we haven’t been to a brewery in 8 travel days (since Annapolis MD?! 😮), Ray was excited to try 2 of the 3 breweries in Poughkeepsie.
A local we were talking with at Mill House (beside me in the picture above) advised “you might want to be careful walking to [that 3rd one]”. I thanked him for saying something to us! 🙏 (It’s nice to know people look out for people!)
We opted to skip it. We had already been considering skipping it due to the distance – at least another 1/2 mile beyond the first 2 breweries.
We walked almost 4 miles for the dinner and brewery visits that evening – and that was after walking nearly 5 miles that morning along the Walkway Over the Hudson! 👍
GLTD036 Kingston NY (from Poughkeepsie NY): We enjoyed a leisurely morning and coffee at the marina before leaving Poughkeepsie.
Esopus Meadows Light was bright and cheery.
Not far beyond the lighthouse, we saw the Culinary Institute of America. Lunch or dinner there didn’t make our priority list. Now, if their brewery had not been temporarily closed……(for, what else…Covid), we may have Ubered over!
Interesting Fact: Once we passed Poughkeepsie, the Hudson River is no longer salt water. The actual salt line changes with storm rainwater runoff, tides, etc., but generally we will now only be in fresh water for the next four months until we reach the Gulf of Mexico! Also, because of this, our boat will sit 1-2” lower in the water than it typically does in saltwater.
📞 Future stay marina planning: We had debated a stop in Albany NY (considering the unprotected dockage on the river). But, with low winds for the next several days, we anticipated we would be OK to stop. I reserved a slip for a couple of nights, as our next stop past Catskill NY.
📞🟠 Life Afloat: Once we secured a slip in Albany, I reviewed the nearby pharmacies “approved” by our insurance plan and decided to refill some prescriptions there – just 0.4 miles from the marina. I called a few days before arrival to allow more time for ordering out of stock medications.
I saw a few mansions that are historic sites. They were hard to see from the river, due to forest growth.
Vanderbilt Mansion. Ref: https://www.nps.gov/vama/index.htm
Wilderstein was the 1852 home of Margaret Suckley, a cousin and confidante of Franklin Roosevelt.
The weather beautifully complemented the scenery that wasn’t hidden away in the cliffs.
I could not determine what this building is. It has a formal balcony.
We arrived at Hudson River Maritime Museum Marina in Kingston NY before noon. We caught up on some chores and relaxed for a few hours.
Our friends on mv Griffin caught up with us in Kingston shortly after we docked. We all walked 1 mile to Kingston Standard Brewing.
Pedestrian Warning: Just like Croton-on-Hudson and Poughkeepsie, the streets here are very steep.
Keegan Ales has a relaxing atmosphere in the old 19th century building.
I recommend Uber for these 2-miles.
Food:
Not to Miss: Bourbon Pecan Pie at Ole Savannah Southern Table, which is on the water right next door to the marina. We enjoyed dinner – and dessert -- here with mv Griffin during our 1-night overlap in Kingston.
Not to Miss: Both atmosphere and food quality were memorable at Hoffman House Tavern. The colonial building dates back to 1679.
The “grill/gate” above the bar is a reproduction of the original “bar and grill”. At night, the innkeeper would pull the grill down to lock up the spirits for safekeeping, as patrons would oftentimes sleep in the inn.
History: Kingston was New York’s first capital city. (I think New York City was second – before Albany, the current capital city.)
We appreciated the effort to preserve history in this area. This is one of the uptown streets. (In these hilly Hudson valley towns, I don’t think the term “downtown” would ever apply. 😊)
The Four Corners, as it’s referred to by locals, at Crown and John Streets, is the only intersection in America where the buildings on all four corners were built pre-Revolutionary War. Much of the architecture in Kingston is known for having been constructed pre-Revolutionary War, and much of it is well-preserved including remnants of the city as state capital pre-Revolutionary War.
We stopped in at Rough Draft, a bookstore and tavern on one of the Four Corners, on our way to dinner. We rode our electric scooters, but I would recommend Ubering the nearly 3 miles to get there.
Two of the other corners, from inside Rough Draft.
Hudson River Maritime Museum: Admission to the museum is free with paid docking! The exhibits are very interesting. I loved the interactive exhibits – geared toward children. I guess I’m a kid at heart. 😊
I guess mv Griffin is also young at heart. 😊
GLTD037 Catskill NY (from Kingston NY): We left late morning for a short run to Catskill NY.
Rondout Lighthouse is at the mouth of Rondout Creek, where we had entered previously to get to the Museum docks. mv Huntress, a 248-ft yacht, is anchored in the background – across Hudson River.
Amusing Sidenote: We almost didn’t get a spot on the face dock at the Maritime Museum because mv Huntress had originally planned to dock there and hand changed their mind.
Note: The museum has 400 feet of face dock, and almost half of that was in use by Belle Aventure, a 94-foot-long ketch, and a solar-powered tour boat when we arrived.
As we left the museum, both the 94-ft Belle Aventure and Clearwater, a 106-ft tall ship were docked there.
We heard rumor that Huntress still planned to dock at the museum later in the week. At 248 feet, it would have been interesting to see Huntress docking behind the 2 tall ships. 😮
I spent most of the trip, taking pictures, even though it was overcast. I was hunting mansions!
I found a few historic mansions – this is Blithewood.
And Olana.
But the best photos were not highlighted on Google Maps. These are some interesting ruins (maybe).
And a variegated cliff.
Some patch-worked brick factory buildings.
After fighting Hudson River current all morning, the waves continued to build. There were whitecaps as we passed Saugerties Lighthouse.
We passed Mystic Pearl who was heading south. An internet search indicates she is out of Mystic Connecticut.
We docked at Catskill Marina early afternoon. The green and red chairs “marking” the dock house are cute!
We met up again with our friends on mv Griffin, who were already docked at the marina. Late afternoon, we all walked uptown to check out a brewery and find some dinner.
Slight Terrain Change: The only-slightly-steep roads were a welcome change here!
Food:
Not to Miss: Wasana’s Thai Restaurant is excellent. We ate there twice; the second time we planned to order too much food -- on purpose -- so we could bring home leftovers to have underway when we left. 😊
Cat-N-Around: We noticed these “strange cats” while walking uptown. Catskill has a fundraiser (each year, I think). Local artists decorate cats which are then displayed around town all summer. In the fall, the cats are auctioned off. Below are just a few of the cats.
Ray and mv Griffin managed to visit 2 breweries, both a short distance from the marina. Crossroads Brewing is within easy walking distance uptown.
The next day they scootered across Catskill Creek bridge to reprovision the boat supply at Beer World. On the way, they stopped at Subversive Brewing. Ray said the sourdough pizza was the best sourdough pizza he’d ever tried.
While the guys were “beer hopping”, the ladies got Jane’s Ice Cream at Bittersweet, then walked around town exploring the old houses. The East Side Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ref: https://www.livingplaces.com/NY/Greene_County/Catskill_Village/East_Side_Historic_District.html
Hiram Comfort House, c.1838.
Amberleigh House, c1893.
Beattie-Powers Place: This c.1839 house and the 6 acres it sits on were given to the village to use as a park.
Not to Miss: A great stop on the Hudson River: We really enjoyed Catskill. So far, Catskill has been our favorite stop on the Hudson River. The neighborhoods are so peaceful, and there are nice restaurants and shops within easy walking distance. The creek is quiet and kayak-able (though we chose not to during the unusual heat wave).
Provisioning: Wal-Mart, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Harbor Freight and Walgreens are just 1.2 miles away. Ray & I scootered early (before temps hit 100) one day to get a few groceries.
What is a skill? We’ve noticed several Hudson River villages and tributaries with the word “kill” in their name – Fishkill, Peekskill, Wallkill, Catskill, Spackenkill………..so what does it mean?
As a body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel". The term is used in areas of Dutch influence in the Delaware and Hudson Valleys and other areas of the former New Netherland colony of Dutch America to describe a strait, river, or arm of the sea.
Based on this, calling something Catskill Creek (on the map) sounds a bit redundant, doesn’t it? 😕
What’s next? In our next blog we hope to start travelling west on the Erie Canal
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