Another Home Run
14 May 2019
Allan Gray
One of our goals on this trip was to stop and visit towns we had bypassed during our trip of 2016-17. As we looked over the charts and read some reviews we decided Kingston NY might be a nice place to stop so, we plugged it into the chartplotter and wound our way through the narrow entrance to a well protected harbour. We had left Atlantic Highlands with a renewed faith in mankind but we were not prepared for what we would find in Kingston.
When we arrived we elected to tie up at the Ole Savannah Smoke House restaurant which is housed in a beautifully restored brick building from the 1800s. The deal is if you have dinner, overnight docking is free. Kind of a no brainer, so we secured Dagny and went for a walk around town before heading back for dinner. Fortunately, there was a table on the terasse overlooking the water, and as we settled in the table next to us started asking questions about our boat. They were intrigued with our trip and were keen to hear about our winter adventure. By the end of the evening they had offered us the use of a car the next day as well as inviting us to be their overnight guests. We gratefully refused but did take up an offer for a one hour guided tour of the area on Saturday morning which included a stop at the local farmers market. The historic Center of Kingston is enjoying a rejuvenation as it draws attention to the many area attractions.
We had intended on staying here until Monday morning but once again the terrible spring weather that has affected this area came into play. We had relocated to the dock at the Hudson River Museum for Saturday night so we could visit the museum on Sunday as well continue exploring the town. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain on Sunday morning so we decided to move on once we visited the great little museum. News was spreading that northbound boat traffic was starting to back up at various marinas so we decided to head to Catskills and get the mast down a day or two earlier than planned. The goal is to get to the junction of the Erie and Champlain Canals in Waterford while there is still room to tie up at the town Welcome Center.
By the time we left Kingston the showers had turned into a steady downpour, this combined with single digit Celsius temperatures and a 15 knot wind made for a miserable afternoon. We felt like the 18 mile trip to Catskills would never end but all was forgotten once we arrived, plugged in, and got the heat going. In between the rain showers we got Dagny ready for dismasting before calling it a day. If all goes well we will be ready to travel by day's end on Monday with everything secured on deck.
Today's picture is of me at"The Wheel" in the Hudson River Museum.