M/V MASCOT: NYC

Our trip down Delaware Bay and up the New Jersey coast was uneventful except for the brief view of the nude beach at Sandy Hook NJ. "Look Mary, all those people are wearing flesh colored bathing suits!" We cruised under the Verrazano Narrows bridge and around New York Harbor before going to an anchorage behind the Statue of Liberty. We anchored here in 2009 when we did the Great Loop and decided we needed to do it again. She is just as stunning when viewed from behind as from in front.

The sights and sounds of the harbor are overwhelming at times, the architecture so diverse. It was Fleet Week so there were extra patrol boats everywhere as well as helicopters of all kinds, including Osprey. We had seen Osprey while anchored in Mile Hammock (SC), they are pretty amazing.

The Battery

Visiting military vessels

Statue of Liberty from anchorage

Interesting old buildings in Brooklyn

Staten Island Ferry with armed CG escort

Staten Island Ferry & Osprey VTOL aircraft

While anchored, we noticed a custom ferry coming and going from a modern glass building on the shore (Jersey City) and discovered it was for the Liberty National Golf Course. The glass structure was the clubhouse and the ferry, M/V Liberty National, was bringing people back and forth from Manhattan. The 18 hole course was designed by Robert Cupp and Tom Kite. Members include Rudolph Giuilani, Phil Mickelson, Mark Wahlberg and more.

Liberty National Golf Course - Jersey City

Erie Lackawana terminal

Ellis Island

We opted to move the boat north of the Tappan Zee Bridge and take the train into the city. Croton-on-Hudson to NYC was a 40 minute train ride along the Hudson River and the Harlem River to Grand Central. In 2 days we logged over 25 miles walking! We scored discounted theater tickets to An American in Paris by entering an online lottery.