01/04/2009, Jersey City, NJ
Many of you have requested links to the media coverage the Liberty Schooner received in 2008, so here goes.
July 12th, 2008. We were featured in the New York Times travel sections for our New York waterfall tours. It was a great boost, and were very grateful for getting such wonderful exposure.
New York Times Article.
October 15, 2008. While down in Baltimore preparing for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, the local CBS affiliate interviewed Sharon and the kids about living on the Liberty Schooner. Click the link below to see the interview.
News Report.
TV Interview.
December 14, 2008. On our return trip from Cape May to New York City, we took the inside channel, rounding Cape May Point, and was noticed by a local photographer. A picture of us appeared on CapeMay.com - Cape May's online magazine as the picture of the day.
Link to www.CapeMay.com's Picture of the day website.
We also featured in many personal blogs of our delighted passengers, including
Shayne Benowitz, who is a freelance travel writer.
Link to Shayne's Wanderlust travel blog
Of course, all the media coverage in the world pales in comparison to the transformational experiences in peoples lives as they have spent time aboard the Liberty Schooner. A special thank-you goes out to all of you who have taken the time to let us know how your lives have been changed.
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01/01/2009, Liberty Schooner Galley
2009 is shaping up to be a fantastic year, and we can't wait until the weather warms up, so.... in the meantime, you are invited to enjoy something special we have prepared for those cold, gray winter days.
Something that will keep your mind on sailing and building friendships.
Why Knot Dinner ? Dinner aboard the Liberty Schooner every Wednesday evening from 6-8pm, with a Marlinspike knot tying course thrown in for fun.
Here is the schedule:
Enjoy the hospitality we are famous for. Come as a stranger, leave as a friend. Dinner served in the ship's galley at 6 p.m.
Course Outline
Week I
* Knot just words.
* Getting the Bends.
* Whipped?
Week II
* Knot just words.
* Tied up - Knots.
* Hitched up - Hitches.
Week III
* Knot just words.
* I splice with my little eye.
Call: 973-309-1881
Email: liberty.schooner@gmail.com
Address: Liberty Landing Marina
Slip I-8
80 Audrey Zapp Drive
Jersey City, NJ, 07306
Website: www.libertyschooner.com
(Ask about our student, senior and "bring a friend" discounts)
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01/01/2009, Jersey City, NJ
It was so much fun to reconnect with old friends for our New Year's harbor tour today. It would have been nice to have temperatures higher than freezing but we were refreshed by the cloudless, sunny skies. All the kids who joined us for the day opted to stay down below out of the cold, under the watchful eyes of some adults who needed to defrost in the galley. This New Year's tour is held annually by our good friend Shelly and we were thrilled to be asked to host this year's trip as the ninth annual New Year's harbor tour. We had about 25 people on-board today and really loved spending time with our old sailing buddies like Charlie and Fran, Owen, Dominique, Blaine and Rachel and so many others that are dear to us. Thank you all for coming out and those that didn't make it: come over and join us for our "Why Knot Dinner?" event on Wednesday evenings. Call for details 973 309-1881.
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12/14/2008, Off the Jersey Shore
At long last a favorable weather window opened up for long enough to attempt the overnight passage from Leesburg, South Jersey to Jersey City. We gathered together a skeleton crew consisting of Captain Bill, First Mate Spencer, the Professor, and myself and threw off the dock lines at 9 am and experienced lumpy seas around Cape Point due to the changing tide. Other than that the weather was mild with a calm sea and following wind all the way in to Liberty Landing Marina. This picture was taken just north of Atlantic City around sunset. We arrived safely at 5:30 am on 12/15/08.
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12/12/2008, Leesburg, NJ
While we look forward to a weather window to allow us to sail home to Jersey City, and enjoy all the comforts for our slip in Liberty Landing Marina, I am going to miss being here.
It is truly a most beautiful place to be. Definitely off the beaten path, out in the sticks, it is the antipathy of our Jersey City home. We are literally unplugged here. Unplugged from shore power, we use a kerosene lantern to read and do school work by. Unplugged from a fresh water supply, we carry water from Captain Bill's house in 5 Gallon jerry-jugs. The dock at night has been covered with ice, and the current rages by at 4 kts, and of course its winter. Not to mention the ablution facilities, except to say the shipboard systems are all winterized! But, we have seen spectacular sunrises and sunsets here, the simplicity and the remoteness, makes you feel like you are cruising a far away coastline.
The best of all has been working with Captain Bill. He is a remarkable man. Always thinking, always tinkering on a project, he really is a great friend, and working along side him this winter has been a really special time.
Right now we are on the end of a lonely dock, but have moved around a little since getting here. First we were tied up at friend of Bill's dock, until he pulled his docks out for the winter. Then we moved over, and tied alongside a barge full of fish habitats, destined for an artificial reef. (see picture) Being flexible and patient are essential!
Right now, it looks like a Sunday morning 0900 departure for the trip back north. The NOAA weather forecast has mild weather(for this time of the year) starting sometime on Saturday night when the NW wind clocks around to the south. Here is the latest from NOAA:
OVERNIGHT
NW WINDS AROUND 20 KT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS UP TO 30
KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT.
SAT
NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO
4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT.
SAT NIGHT
NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT.
SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.
SUN
S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO
3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 4 FT.
SUN NIGHT
S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.
MON
S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
With a 0900 Sunday departure we should miss the Monday winds predicted at 25kts. Stay tuned.
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12/03/2008, Leesburg, NJ
Monday morning dawned bright and calm. It was time to haul Liberty out and check that all was good down there.
The last time Liberty was out of the water was in February for the marine survey in Key West, Fl. Since then, Liberty has been in her slip in Liberty Landing Marina, Jersey City, NJ.
When you change the water chemistry, and the electrical environment, it can change the rate at which your sacrificial anodes corrode, and we wanted to ensure our hull remained well protected. This was the purpose of the haul out, and while we were out we wanted to check the bottom paint, the cutlass bearing, and the shaft packing.
The good news is that we splashed back in today, with all our objectives accomplished. The bottom looked great, the zincs were all removed polished up, some small blisters ground down, primed and painted with bottom paint, and the shaft packing replaced. Captain Bill still had time to finish off the cabinets, and I got some rust under the cap rail taken care of. All in all, we worked hard, and accomplished a lot.
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