5/11 - 19/23 - Great Kills-Staten Island, NY to Troy, NY (Hudson River)

Thurs, 5/11/23 - Great Kills, Staten Island, NY to Croton-On-Hudson, NY (45.5nm).  This was a BIG day in Looper Fandom - the day we cruise past the iconic Statue of Liberty!!
  • Port-A-Gee & Kayak hated to leave the exceptional hospitality of GKYC, but we got places to go and things to see!
    • We crossed under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, and past Fort Wadsworth, and the New York Skyline was quite literally on our Bow.
    • New York Harbor - We had been warned that this is a very busy harbor, but on this Thursday morning, it was pretty quiet, save for tour boats and the Ferry.
    • We made our way to the Statue of Liberty and took lots of pictures!  It was soooo cool, our chests were full of patriotism!
  • Moon Dance IV took a couple of days enjoying the NJ ICW and when they arrived in NY they elected to go to Liberty Landing in downtown Manhattan.  But we all caught up and spent the rest of the gorgeous day on the Hudson River.
    • We will navigate approximately half of the 315-mile Hudson River until it meets the Erie Canal.
  • So much to see as we cruised past so many NY cities:
    • Sculptures, Garbage Barge, Empire State Building, Little Island Amphitheater, George Washington Bridge, New mountainous landscape.
  • At 2:30 we pulled into the Croton-On-Hudson harbor and Half Moon Bay Marina.  Steve, the Harbor Master is quite the character, Brian dubbed him Ricochet Rabbit - LOL.  He's a wealth of knowledge and a true ambassador of Croton-On-Hudson.  His hand-drawn map calls out everything the area offers.
    • Brian gilled some chops then we gathered on the dock with Moon Dance IV & Kayak to debrief our exciting day on the Hudson.
    • On Saturday we enjoyed the miles and miles of paved trails for a run and bike ride.
      • Then enjoyed an early dinner at The Tavern at Croton.

Croton-On-Hudson 911 Memorial / Sundial
    • Half Moon Bay Marina:
      • Steve is a one-man show and does a great job seeing to his guest's comfort.
      • Each bathroom has 2 stalls and 1 shower - both clean.
      • The marina does not have laundry facilities, so Steve suggested, My 3 Suds, full-service laundry @ $1.47/lb.  Stephanie picked up our bag at the dock and delivered the laundered and folded laundry later in the afternoon.  It cost more than doing ourselves, but it was a nice indulgence!
Sat, 5/13/23 - Croton-On-Hudson, NY to Poughkeepsie, NY / Shadows Marina (34.3nm).  Port-A-Gee and Kayak agreed on an early departure to catch as much of a push from the current as possible.
  • We were immediately in awe of the majestic landscape - not really what I had envisioned New York to be!  After crossing Bear Mountain Bridge, we saw a Bear running down the train track - so there really are bears on bear mountain!
  • West Point Military academy sprawls across the Hudson River shoreline.
  • The long commuter trains run the peripheral of the shore.  They look like toy trains with the huge mountain behind them.
  • We arrived at Shadows Marina around noon.
    • We had intended on staying 2 nights, but learned of the death of my sister-in-law, Teddy Sherry, in the early morning hours - RIP.  So, we decided to continue North on Sunday to be closer to Albany airport.
    • Not wanting to squander our 1 day in Poughkeepsie, as soon as Kayak tied up, we called an Uber and visited the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and home.  Notice, FDR's renovation of the farmhouse he grew up in, featuring columns that look familiar. The design was done in 1915, 18 years before he moved to the real White House.
FDR House Inside

FDR House Outside
    • When we returned to the marina, we had dinner at Shadows Restaurant.  Most marina restaurants are pretty casual, but this one was very swanky.
      • Unfortunately, the atmosphere and mouth-watering menu didn't really live up to expectations.  We don't mind paying for a nice dinner, but it has to be good!
  • Shadows Marina:
    • Keith, the harbor master should team up with Steve at Half Moon Bay on a YouTube Channel!  These guys are quite the characters, and also great at their jobs.
      • Keith's "office" is his truck parked at the end of the dock.
    • Shadows Marina does not offer much in the way of amenities, but its a great location.
      • No fuel, laundry or any other amenities.
      • The trailer head/shower is less than desirable.  I passed, Brian tried to give it a go, but could not get any hot water.
Sun, 5/14/23 - Mother's Day - Poughkeepsie. NY to New Baltimore, NY /Donovan's Shady Harbor Marina (48.7nm).  We waved goodbye to Kayak and continued our journey north on the Hudson.
  • We benefitted from a good push from the current most of the day, but we also encountered some unexpected 1-1/2 - 2 ft seas.
  • There were lots of unique lighthouses along the way.
    • Also, passed under Rip Van Winkle Bridge, Catskill, NY.  It was named after the 1819 short story by Washington Irving, which mention Hudson and Catskill - I'm going to have to reacquaint myself with that story.
  • At 2:00 p.m., we pulled up to the fuel dock at Donvan's Shady Harbor Marina.  Ken greeted us, helped us with 130 gallons of fuel and into our slip.
  • Moon Dance IV arrived just ahead of us - we caught up over docktails
  • Brian made me a nice Mother's Day Dinner of grilled chicken, green beans and rice.
    • Teddy's memorial is going to be at a later date, so I cancelled my flight and we will resume our trip as planned.
  • Extended stay at Shady Harbor: Sunday - Wednesday.
    • The Erie Canal is only about 20nm, but it did not open for the season until Fri, 5/19. Four days in New Baltimore was more than enough, there is no sightseeing near this small town on the Hudson.
      • However, we did make use of the courtesy car to drive into Albany and check out the capital and surrounding area.



  • The marina sits down in a valley and has a huge cliff hovering over it.  The driveway up to road is STEEP.
    • I attempted a run, but it turned into a very aggressive walk along a 2-lane highway.  About a mile up the road is Hannacroix Creek Preserve, and it has lots of rough, gravel trails.  After trudging through about 1/4 mile, it felt a little spooky being out there by myself.  So, not a very bike/walk/run-friendly town
    • There are lots of cute historic homes in this quiet, rural setting.
  • Shady Harbor Marina:
    • It is a legendary Looper Marina, largely due its gracious hosts, Brian & Kathy Donovan who sponsor a Looper Pig Roast in June every year.  We'll miss it by a couple of weeks.
    • The docks, laundry, showers, ship store are all acceptable.
    • 2 courtesy cars
    • The pool looks awesome but was not open for the season yet.
    • The onsite restaurant, Boathouse Grille, was fantastic!
      • Kathy Donovan brought over a round of little beers!

Thurs., 5/18 - New Baltimore, NY to Troy, NY - Troy Motor Boat & Canoe Club (21nm). The Hudson River was blanketed in fog due to the fridged 32-degree wind chill.  We didn't have for to go, so we had plenty of time to wait for it to clear.
  • Kayak left around 9:00 and we followed shortly after.  The sun kept us warm in the pilothouse and we enjoyed our final 20-miles on the Hudson.
  • We've been as sea level since dropping down through all the Tenn-Tom locks into Mobile Bay back in September.  Now, we're on our way back up:
    • 11:45 we reached the Federal Lock & Dam at Troy and pulled in behind Kayak to raise 14'.
  • By 12:30, we were tied up to the Troy Motor Boat & Canoe Club, and reunited with Moon Dance IV, who had been there since Monday.
  • The wall outside Lock 2 was clearly visible from TMBCC, so we're able to keep an eye on the Erie Opening Day activity.  Boats were lined up on the wall with anticipation of catching the first lock-through.
  • Docktails with the crews of:
    • Kayak
    • Moon Dance IV
    • Last Chance
  • Beef & au jus simmered in the crockpot all afternoon was delicious!
Fri, 5/19 - Troy:  We had eyes on the lock from the TMBCC so we decided to relax and monitor the Erie Canal opening day from our vantage point.

  • I went for a run over to the lock in Waterford and chatted with some loopers waiting on the wall to lock through:  Boatniks & Nautic Venture IV.
    • All this talk of the "Wall" in "Waterford" is giving me creepy Handmaid's Tale vibes - LOL!
  • The Troy side of the Hudson didn't really look very inviting, but 1/2-mile over the bridge is the cute town of Waterford.  The locks are adjacent to Peebles Island State Park, which has nice walking trails.
  • It was a very windy day, so our stern was waked by the Hudson all day.  We just relaxed and took a breather before heading to the Erie Canal.
  • Moon Dance, IV, Kayak & Port-A-Gee gathered for some "fellowship" on the Troy Motor Boat Club lawn;
    • Ordered (not very good) Chinese Takeout;
    • Hung with the locals in the Club bar - we had a great time with these friendly folks.
  • Troy Motor Boat and Canoe Club:
    • This was the 3rd private yacht club we've visited (Solomons, Great Kills, Troy).
      • Since it's the beginning of the boating season, members have not put their boats in yet, they are happy to offer transients a spot.
      • Each on was a great experience, with nice amenities, and a great bar!
    • Troys hospitality & nice clean showers made for a nice 2-day stay.


Leg Stats:
Miles: (149.7) 45.5, 34.3, 48.7, 21.2
Marinas:(4) Half Moon Bay, Shadows, Donovan's Shady Harbor, Troy Motor Boat & Canoe Club, 
Anchorages: (0)
Locks: (1) Federal Lock & Dam at Troy




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