What a difference a day makes

The day (5th October) broke with sun shining and warm, after the somewhat dismal trip down it was a welcome change.

We took a boat Taxi across the canal where we were docked to Liberty Island Park where we could get the ferry to Ellis and Liberty Island. It used to be the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal.

Just being here and looking across the Hudson to the site of the Twin Towers brings that awful day back. It was a day not unlike today that people in New York witnessed the horror - erie being here.

Those are the new towers - the structure is complete on the taller one and they are now finishing the exterior. They are not in the same position as the old ones those spots are now fountains.

Believe it or not Ellis Island is only recently restored most of it is closed to the public. The Hospital buildings are off limits so here is the main entrance and the hall on the second floor where new immigrants filed past officials and were either allowed to enter the USA or not. About 2% were sent back, usually because of medical issues, disease etc. We spent most of our time here, the exhibits were fascinating if depressing after a while. Lots of these people never got past living en mass in Tenement buildings in squalid conditions.

Then another ferry ride to Liberty Island. Because of 911 she was closed so we couldn't climb up inside her, we didn't even get off the boat, the best pictures we thought were from the ferry itself! What do you think?



Actually the view of downtown Manhattann is probably better from the ferry too. As you can see, even this late in the season tourists abound.

Ever southward

Pretty uneventful trip out of  New York Harbor, we were being buzzed by a pair of F16's and Statten Island Ferries. The wind was on our nose most of the way but as we steered into Great Kills the wind was on our beam so we upped sails and sailed in.

The Verrazano Narrows Bridge marks your exit from the Upper Bay to the Lower. And now we are in Great Kills Harbor. From here we do the New Jersey Coast run past Atlantic City to Cape May.