Left Ossining about 7:00 AM headed north. The Hudson River is lined with just spectacular homes along the entire route. Sort of like the St. Lawrence with more of an urban feel. The trains run up and down the length of the river and they are busy. Its kind of funny to think they are running right over the spot where the mules walked a hundred years ago dragging river boats up and down. We're pretty much screwed with the tide because of losing the day at the marina. If I wait for an incoming tide I won't be able to leave until the afternoon and there's just no time. We will be fighting the outgoing tide all day because as it drops in the south, the north follows with a delay so if you're traveling north you lengthen the outgoing tide effect. I'm happy to see the Dorice Ann can still push 6 knots even going into the tide so we'll make some progress. We got to see West Point today. It looks like a giant medieval fortress towering up over the river. It's on the west shore, out on point, hence the name. It rises I would say 400 to 500 feet above the river and its definitely intimidating with parapets, cupolas, and peaked windows. I thought about all the bad ass military minds that came out of that place since general Washington moved in back in 1779. Below is a brief synopsis of what it is and what it does if interested.

West Point's role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in 1778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a 150-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.

More history stuff here if interested:
http://www.usma.edu/wphistory/SitePages/Home.aspx

We continued up the river and came across an abandoned island with a castle on it. Sort of like boldt castle but smaller. Website worth a peek. History is cool.

http://bannermancastle.org/

There are some striped bass in the Hudson River that I'm pretty sure could eat a human. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but I had no idea there was such an active, healthy fishery on the Hudson. There are fishing boats everywhere and we saw one of these things mounted that was 4 feet long. Now THAT'S bass fishin!

We made it to catskill where we plan to have the mast dropped tomorrow and head for home by car. We're tired, freezing cold and ready for a break but the Dorice Ann is about 150 miles closer to home.