It’s hard to write a blog post describing something as big as the week we had in NYC. I could say “it’s as amazing. We’re so glad we did it. The end” but that’s clearly not good enough. And breaking down each day might be far too intense for me as a “writer” and you as a devoted fan and reader. So how to best break this week down? No clue. Seeing as I refuse to edit these blogs or even attempt to have any sort of comprehensible or consistent narrative I’ll just grip it and rip it.

Somehow the idea of spending any sort of meaningful time in NYC escaped both of us. We wanted to anchor at the Statue of Liberty and,well, that was about all we had thought of. Our minds were on things both north and south of NYC. But that day coming down the Hudson River and seeing NYC appear was, well, as we said, fucking amazing. A lifetime memory! It made us reevaluate our schedule and as we started listing the things we’d like to show the boys it was clear a week was needed. Plus we’d get a discount at the marina so clearly a week was right! #worthit #whatabargain

Our passage from Oyster Bay, NY to Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City was uneventful. The East River and Hell Gate was managed well once again. The boys, ever jaded, went below to build Duplo while we went down Manhattan. Sigh. Melissa and I saw a really cool sight. We were watching a seaplane taxi towards us as we transited south at 11(!!!) knots and started to get a bit curious what his plan was. The VHF crackled to life and he said “Captain, hold your course, I’m going to get close to your stern for take off.” I acknowledged and did as I was told. He got close and, zoom, off he went. While this video is probably be a let down, much as this blog post will likely be, I thought I’d include it.

We arrived safely and began trying to solve our sinking/leaking problem. Since this is likely to be a long post I’ll give you the TL:DR version: It’s fixed. We had to completely disassemble our bathroom vanity, which was never meant to be disassembled. It took hours and hours. It nearly ruined Melissa first, and then me next. I could do an entire screed on how these cheap ass, mass produced, boats are a fucking…but I won’t. We had to disassemble said bathroom because we couldn’t get a tool in such a small space to loosen a tiny 2” plumbing fitting. Anyway, it’s fixed. The bathroom is still disassembled however with a completion date of Q4 of 2022. (Edit: Melissa put it back together!)

That afternoon we sat in the cockpit, ordered terrible (and terribly expensive) delivery food and planned our week. I also put on a baseball game (I love listening to the radio calls, not the TV). Wait! Are one of the NY teams in town? Perhaps I could catch a game…hold on…the TORONTO BLUE JAYS are in town?! Tomorrow?! Against the Yankees? A FREAKING DAY GAME?! On a Monday?! With a wild card berth at stake?! OH HECK YES!!! LET’S DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!

Our set up for the week was pretty killer. We had an amazing view of lower Manhattan and a ferry departed our marina hourly for the 8 minute ride to Brookfield Place. Doesn’t get any easier than that! We spent every day in NYC. There were many highlights for us, all varied I’m sure. One of the most happiest moments for me was when we took the boys to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Oliver was absolutely buzzing and it was so great to hear him say “this is why we left home and school. To see cool stuff like this!” The past 2 months have been tough and filled with second thoughts because of Oliver’s experience and lack of socialization with other kids. Watching school start up from afar has been tough too. But this was nice to hear. And it was a fun day too.

We’ve met some lovely people so far on our trip but the couple from RI on a Jeanneau 44DS have continued to be a big help to us. We were hurricane prepping together at Pilots Point in CT and they mentioned a fantastic course they took to learn about servicing Yanmar Diesel engines. We did some investigation and learned that there was 1 spot left, WHILE we were in NYC and it was only an hour drive away. Obviously it would be Melissa who took that spot, seeing as she’s a certified outboard engine mechanic (thank you Mercury University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin!) and the daughter of a mechanic. I’ll let her write a post on the experience but let me say that it was invaluable and we’re so glad one of us took it. While this limited Melissa’s time with us in NYC (it was a 2 day course) it was well worth the time and expense.

With Melissa off wrenching I spent 2 glorious days with the boys. We walked and walked and walked. Elliott, just 4 years old, is such a trooper. I’m in awe of how tough this kid is. We walked from Brookfield to Brooklyn (via the bridge), grabbed some great pizza at Grimaldi’s and walked back. In the rain. We grabbed Krispy Kreme donuts and then RAN (in flip flops) to catch our ferry from Fulton Station to Brookfield, all while crushing donuts on the way. I’ve never been prouder.

Perhaps the best highlight for everyone was our visit to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. What a fantastic experience! There is simply so much to see and do there you could easily spend 8 hours there. The fact that we managed to spend 5 hours there was a testament to how enthralled the boys were. Space Shuttle? Check! A huge variety of military aircraft? Check! Nuclear missile submarine? Check! All on a massive AIRCRAFT CARRIER?!?!?!?!?!?!?! You bet!!! The boys were in heaven. What also made the day special was our discovery of a new to NYC fast ferry line from Brookfield Place to the Upper West Side. The catamaran ferry was fast and fun, offering a fantastic view of Manhattan all for the price of $2.75pp (kids are free)! Sweet! From the terminal it was just a 2 block walk to the Intrepid.

Clearly this post is long and its been 6 days since I started writing it. I’ll wrap it up by simply saying it was a magical week that was jam packed with fun and adventures. The boys loved it. We are so thankful and grateful to have spent a full week in the city. The ability to stay aboard Atlas immediately across the river was ideal. A huge park next to us, fantastic play ground, great dog walking and running trails, all in the shadow of Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and lower Manhattan, I mean, how good is that?! Enjoy a few more pics of our week there.