It all starts here...
Rocinante’s first Voyage from Milford CT to Haverstraw NY

Saturday, May 17th we were the proud owners of a 1981 Catalina 30 Tall Rig Sloop and it was time to get down to business.

Day 1: Getting her ready...

Well, it is cold and damp... perfect sailing weather ;-)
The day ahead was not exactly what we had expected.
We spent the first few hours just cleaning out a lot of the "junk" left behind by the previous owner, rigging the sails, etc., etc., etc.

By the time we were ready to go it was 2:00 PM
I'm still not sure what we were thinking, but we left, only to return 4 hours later after sanity set in and we realized there was no way we were going to make City Island before nightfall

Day 2: Heading out... (again)

Now this was more like it... 8:30 am, clear skies and a nice breeze!

It was a rough morning... not particularly found of failure, yours truly was in a foul mood and started thinking that it might be better to pay someone that actually knew what they were doing to take her home for us. Fortunately, my better half had more confidence in my abilities than I did and convinced me to give it another try... sure glad she did!

Day 2: Under sail and heading home!

The next few hours were great! We motored out of Milford harbor, raised the main sail, set the jib and pointed her home (more or less)
We managed between 5.5 and 7 knots and quickly (relative term) left Milford behind us. The lighthouse that yesterday lingered for what seemed like forever off our starboard side, quickly slipped away. I can’t begin to describe the feeling as apprehension gave way to the thrill of sailing away on our very first vessel!

Day 2: Buoy what Buoy?

We had done our homework, had our charts, etc. Matching the real world to the charts... now that’s the trick, but for our first trip, we actually did reasonably well tracking our way across the Long Island Sound and towards Hell Gate!!! By this time we were simply enjoying the moment and the Admiral is hamming it up making believe she couldn't read the charts. This is what it’s all about folks!

Day 2: Cargo ship of our starboard bow...

As we continued our trip across the Long Island Sound, we were amazed at the amount of commercial traffic transiting the sound... cargo ships, tankers, huge barges, etc.

Day 2: Lighthouse just before the Throgs Neck Bridge...

Well, a good part of our first leg is behind us as we prepare to pass under the first of seven bridges and enter the East River... we are almost at Hell Gate!

Day 2: Hell Gate!

The tower on the tip of Roosevelt Island just after passing through Hell Gate... talk about anti-climatic!

I guess like everything else, a well planned journey avoids problems. After seeking advise on the Sailnet.com message boards and familiarizing ourselves with the currents and tides from Reed's almanac, Hell Gate was a breeze!

Day 2: Manhattan Bridge off our stern...

Down the East River we go... gorgeous views.
The perspective from the river is amazing... a totally different experience from traveling those roads for so many years.

Day 2: Brooklyn Bridge off our port bow...

My favorite shot from this trip!
Of all the bridges connecting Manhattan to it's surrounding neighbors, none is more beautiful than the the Brooklyn Bridge.

Day 2: Lady Liberty off our starboard bow...

Well, it's been almost 9:00 hours since we left Milford CT... Lady Liberty was a sight for sore eyes! It's getting late and our timing is a bit off, we're going to be fighting the tide heading up the Hudson... perhaps it's time to call it a night.
The plan was to anchor north of the George Washington Bridge...

Day 2: Skyscrapers in the early evening sun....

As we started our journey North on the Hudson, we had an absolutely great shot of the Skyscrapers lining the southern tip of Manhattan...

We are definitely fighting an outgoing tide and doing about 2 knots... guess making the George Washington bridge by nightfall is out of the question!

We wisely decided to call it a night and start searching the local marinas for a slip... as luck would have it, Newport Marina is just ahead and they have a slip with our name on it!

Day 2: The City that Never Sleeps...

We slid into our newly assigned slip and decided to celebrate our first day at sea... okay, okay not exactly at sea, but close enough for two newbies! Not looking our best, and in no mood to try to improve on said appearance, we hit the local bar for a quick snack and a drink then back to our slip for a well earned rest.

Well, New York City might never sleep, but we sure as heck did... exhausted after a long days sail, we fell asleep quite easily...

Day 3: Monday morning on the Hudson...

After two days of downright nasty weather, we woke up to a beautiful view of Manhattan and glorious sunshine!

A casual stroll to the local coffee shop and we were ready to go: fresh coffee and bagels for breakfast back at the slip as well as sandwiches and chocolate cake for later... time to head out and prepare to dodge those ferries!

Day 3: George Washington Bridge in our wake...

With Capt'n Carlos at the helm, we steam upriver. (okay, okay so there was no steam involved!)
Speeding ferries, barges, etc. behind us and the towering palisade ahead... about three more hours to Haverstraw!

Day 3: The Palisades... .

Gorgeous views of the palisades have been visible off our port side for miles. In the distance, just around this next bend is the Tappan Zee Bridge and just beyond Haverstraw Bay.

Day 3: Home sweet home

... Ahh, nestled safely in her new home, we toast to the next voyage... may it be as memorable as the one we just completed!

Adios for now.