The Trawler Sterling Lady
on America's Great Loop
for the Secound Time!
6/23/09
This Black and White picture is of Historic Garner Basin, the marina, is perfect for the Black and White days we have been having. Gray skys again!!! This is were we stayed for 2 days in Atlantic City.
Garners Basin Marina has an aquarium, which you can get in for free with your $1.50 a foot,paid dockage.  This picture is also black and white, because the truth is , I hit the wrong button on the camera. So we toured the aquarium, and headed to Atlantic City using the local jitney buses.
Pretty God awful gawdy, huh.
It wasn't very crowded.
Most of the Atlantic City Boardwalk is new, not much of the old is left. This is the original "steel Pier", still up and running.
If you ever get to Atlantic City, find this 99 cent store on the boardwalk. Wow, I bought 15 cheater reading glasses for 99 cents each.  There were a lot of other things we could have bought , but being on a boat, there just ain't room.
This is also a very fun and interesting thing to do here on the boardwalk.
A local recomended the Irish Pub for a good cheap lunch, and it was. BTW, we did go to casinos, and did the 5 cent slots. came out even.
For reasons unknown to me, the gulls here sit on the ground a lot. I have never seen one do that in the Keys.
<------------Sitting on the ground gulls
The light blue Jitney busses run constantly , 24 hours a day. A trip to town is $2.50
This is the view from our aft deck. The red and green building continually changes patterns and colors.
Ol' Donnie Trump donated this statue of Neptune that guards the marina entrance.
6/26/09
When you run aground, just to the port of dead center channel, at high tide, you must be just north of Atlantic City on the ICW.
7 am Tow Boat to the rescue,, best $100 I have ever spent , is there membership. We got off and continued on. It is realy skinny water for the 20 miles north of Atlantic city in the New Jersey ICW.
Another long,dreary, cloudy day, and we stayed at this very nicely done, well maintained,cleanest marina I ahve ever seen.
6/27/09
The run up from Manasquan was nice, huge smmooth roolers on the stern, nice ride.
It's was a thrill to the the Statue of Liberty.
As per normal, New York was rough due to all the boat traffic.
Personally, I wish there were rebuild the exact same towers in Manhattan.
The Coasties were working the pleasure boat traffic, which was one ohther boat and  then us.
In the Believe it or not department, they pulled along side,  and politely asked "When was the last time you were safety inspected?"
I replied, "Just before we left on this trip, my Coast Guard Auxiliary safety inspection Decal is on the side of the cabin."
He saw the sticker, said thank you, and went on.
Safety Inspection stickers are not a deterrent to boarding's, but they can be a repellent.
As the Sterling Lady cruised under the George Washington Bridge, I imediatly called Boat US Insurance, and my rate went from $3300 a year, down to $600 a year, for the same coverage. This lower rate is in effect until we reach Mobile Alabama, where it will skyrocket back up.
The farther up the Hudson River you get from New York, the prettier it gets! This is the Palisades.
We stayed at the Half Moon Marina, a very well run, transient friendly marina.
6/28/09
I wanted to say, "it doesn't get any better than this, cruising thru the mountains" but when you do the Great Loop, It does continually change and get better.
The trains run along the edge of the river on both sides. Commuter trains on the starboard, and freight trains on the port.
West Point. Our small little Keys high school has a graduate going there this year.
And on another note, my grandaughter Brittney recieved a full scholarship.
The tides were extra high, so there was lots of logs and flotsam.
The Kingston Lighthouse, marking the entrance to, you guessed it, Kingston.
The Maritime Museum has 3 PT boats, in all stages of restoration.
The Grand Mariner cruises all thru the ICW and the cannals.
Just before we got to the end of the creek, the skys opened up just in time to get me soaked while anchoring... ah boating.. what a lifestyle.
6/29/09
The Sterling Lady crossed tracks with what I believe was the replica of the Half Moon,  Hudson the exporer's vessel.
We arrived in Catskill at 11 am, and docked at the Port of Call restaurant docks, which where reported to be free with dinner. We did lunch and dinner there, and later found out it was $1 a foot, w/o electric or water, but still cheaper than the $2.50 at the other marinas.
Catskill had a "cats" theme, we walked in the town, in the rain, and took picture of the various cats.
Someone got confused -------->
And the winner, the "Catue of Liberty"
While at the dock, they were giving a  demonstration of how to overlaod your dinghy.
Rub a dub dub.
6/28/09
If you ever get up this way, Waterford will be one of your favrorite stops.

Free docks, free electric, free water for two days!

and we did spend our two days there, great spot.
This is part of the original Erie Cannal. Waterford is at the confluence of the Erie Canal, and the Champlain Canal.
On the walkway, along the old Erie canal, were these footprints.
In the town, some areas had Slate sidewalks.
Even though I like calling myself, "the last looper" there are others out there. This is Ann and Ralph, from Fort Lauderdale,doing the loop on their 4 Winns boat.
Dinner was at the Angry Pelican, followed by an after dinner drink at Ahern's Hideaway.
Should it rain, which it has every day since we left Florida, do you suppose that rain gutter will fill up the jeep?? Not a smart place to park with your window open.
6/29/09
Troy, out of order, got my days mixed up...
however, the docks just under the bridge are a good place to fuel up.
Why is this white Bacarrdi bottle full of diet coke,you ask?? We will be in Canada soon.  Enough said. If you really want to know, email me at FloridaKeyz@aol.com
Albany on the horizon.
Albany is very commercial
Watched this Duck launch, you could hear the tourists scream!
6/30/09
Back in order, I now present the trip in correct order,,,,,for now anyway.
After Waterford, we headed up the Champlain Canal. At lock #1 paid our canal fee.
At $15, it's a heck of a deal.