Mamaroneck to Great Kills Yacht Club, Staten Island

It was a very still night and we all slept very well. Dwayne was up at 0530 starting the coffee and checking the engine oil. By 0600 Foreign Affair was ready to move. We all had a quick breakfast waiting for daylight. We finally cast off at 0630 bound for Great Kills Yacht Club on the southern end of Staten Island. The skies were clear and the temperature was a little cool at 53 degrees. We had to motor as there was little to no wind. It felt good to finally be on our way south again.

Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan

We passed under the Throgs Neck Bridge at 0815 which was shortly after the tidal change and put us in a great position to negotiate the East River and Hell Gate on a favorable tide. The temperature was quickly rising. It was sunny and 58 degrees with no wind as we entered the East River.

Our passage through Hell Gate was as smooth as can be expected. We set a new record for speed 10.5 knots (12 miles per hour). Of course, this was with our engine running at 2800 rpm and no sails. Our best speed up to this time was 10.4 knots which we previously hit in Hell Gate and while running The Race on Long Island Sound. Traffic on the river was light and evenly divided between commercial and pleasure craft. It is always awesome passing through the city with its towering buildings. The top of the Chrysler Building was particularly beautiful as it glowed in the bright sunlight.

United Nations and Chrysler Buildings

Beth seemed to get most excited as we approached Manhattan. She took hundreds of pictures as we passed under the Brooklyn Bridge, changed course toward Governor's Island to avoid the Staten Island Ferries and headed toward Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I can think of no river other than the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon that could provide such a spectacle as the East River as it meanders through the canyons created by the skyscrapers of New York. The East River is sixteen miles of pure wonder.

We arrived at the Great Kills Yacht Club at 1230. John C., our harbor host, was waiting at the dock with a bunch of his friends to help us land and welcome us back to Great Kills. We visited a while sharing our experiences on Long Island Sound and New England. John offered us his car if we needed it to re-provision. We advised him we were well stocked and thanked him for the offer. All of the members of the yacht club were very welcoming and generous.

Our big concern was the weather. Dwayne and John reviewed the forecasts and initially decided we would have to wait at least two days before conditions would allow a passage down the Jersey shore to Cape May. We signed on for two nights at the club. A few hours later, the revised weather forecast gave us hope we could make the run to Cape May the next day. Dwayne went back to John revised our reservation to one night anticipating a departure in the morning.

We ate lunch on the boat and decided to head into China Town for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We hadn't explored that part of the city and thought it would be a good way to prepare ourselves for our up-coming trip to China. We wanted to sample some genuine Chinese food and get some idea of what we might be eating while in China. Beth thought this would be a wonderful way to spend the rest of the day. So, off we went catching the train to the Staten Island Ferry and on to Manhattan.

We walked through the financial district on our way to China Town. We stopped at Fraunces Tavern for a few minutes so Beth could see what it was like inside; however, the second floor museum was closed. Still, it was thrilling to be in the same building that George Washington patronized and where he bid farewell to his officers after the Revolution. From there, we went on to the financial district.

Beth took pictures of the New York Stock Exchange and Old Custom House. The Custom House stands on the site of the first capital building of the United States. Inside, there are exhibits on the role of the custom house in collecting taxes on goods arriving in New York harbor. Customs duties made up the greatest source of revenue for the early federal government. Income taxes did not exist in the early days of our country.

Old New York Custom House

We walked up Water and Pearl Streets to China Town. There, we wandered the streets gawking at the wares that lined the sidewalks in front of the small shops which are run as family businesses. Tables of fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs stood in front of the grocery stores. Octopus, clams, mussels, and sea weed were on display in front of fish markets. Shoes and shirts appeared before clothiers. The sights, sounds and smells were mostly foreign to us. It was all quite interesting.

Chinese Fish Market - Some Still Alive

We wanted to eat some authentic Chinese food but not spend much money at a fancy restaurant. Beth used the Yelp app to help us decide on a place to eat. We ended up at the Spicy Village restaurant. It had great ratings on Yelp. We would have never found the place without an address as all the signs were in Chinese. We weren't really sure we had arrived since the place was so small. After a double take, we decide it was the place and went inside for our Chinese feast.

We all ordered something different off the menu so we could share and try different things. Beth ordered the Spicy Big Tray Chicken. Carla order the vegetarian hui mei. Dwayne ordered a dozen steamed pork dumplings. The servings were huge. We didn't realize they were meant to be shared. We ended up with a lot of left overs. The dumplings were good but rather bland unless eaten with soy sauce or dipped in the hui mei broth. The bowl of hui mei was large enough to have feed the three of us. The spicy chicken was so spicy hot we had to dilute it with hui mei before we could actually eat it. The Chinese can duke it out with the Mexicans for the hot food honors. It was a toss up as far as we were concerned. The spicy chicken went home as a left over, as well as, a good portion of hui mei and three steamed dumplings. The entire meal was a great experience and cheap by New York standards.

Hui Mei and Spicy Big Tray Chicken

Our trip back to Great Kills was fast and pleasant. We got to see the Statue of Liberty from the water lit up at night. The night time temperature was cool, not cold for our walk back to the yacht club.

The weather forecast for the next day was good enough for attempting a passage to Cape May. Dwayne spent some time planning our route so as to arrive at Cape May in daylight early in the morning. Getting to Cape May can take up to 24 hours. So, we know we will be traveling overnight. We decided our departure time would be 1000. So, we could sleep in and have plenty of time to prepare for our journey.