Upriver

Haverstraw Bay, NY
It seems that anytime I want to go somewhere this fall there is a gale :). So it was when we left New York City, to head up the Hudson River to Stony Point. We left in the morning, expecting the gale to start that night, figuring we had enough time to anchor during daylight if we kept the speed up (we were going with the flood current and used the motor as well as tht sails). My friend Michael was taking his sloop to Stony Point as well, so, to ensure he could get in and dock before dark, Issuma towed him,, as you can see in the picture. The Tappan Zee Bridge is in the background.Issuma anchored and Michael docked before dark as planned. I set two anchors, the main anchor (Raya), and used the dinghy to set the 44lb Guardian/Fortress anchor in less than 2m of water. The Raya probably would have been enough on its own, but it was set in a small 10m patch, and if it dragged a short distance, the bottom dropped off steeply, and I was concerned we might get blown into the channel, so I wanted two anchors for the gale. The anchors held with no problems, only requiring moving the rope for the Guardian/Fortress anchor every change of tide to avoid chafing on the bowsprit.

Halve Maen

New York, NY, USA
While Issuma was anchored in the Hudson River, off Manhattan’s Upper West Side, this replica of the Halve Maen (Half Moon in English) sailed by. The original Halve Maen was the first European ship to document entry into what is now called the Delaware Bay and River, and to explore the Hudson River as far as what is now Albany, NY.