The morning was so lovely, we just had to take more photos of our boats with Lady Liberty before we headed north into the Hudson River. You simply do not pass up an opportunity like this.
In my humble opinion there is no other more beautiful and meaningful statue in all of the United States. Officially known as “The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World,” she was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
– Emma Lazarus
Need I say anymore?
We usually turn east for our boating in the summer, so this is a new adventure in new waters for us.
The Hudson seemed busier than the East River. Ferries are zipping north and south and east and west transporting people in and out of the city.
Ahead of us we could see the George Washington Bridge and shiny blue boat.
It was the yacht, Aviva, owned by Joe Lewis, a British businessman; she is his third yacht of that name. A few details: 322 feet with a beam of 56 feet. Aviva runs most comfortably at a zippy 16.5 knots, despite an official cruising speed of 14 knots. Just for comparison purposes, we cruse at our “zippy” 7.4 knots but we can push it to 9 knots for a short burst. Aviva can carry 16 guests in 8 staterooms with a crew of 25 in 11 cabins. Just for comparison purposes, Kindred Spirit carries her 2 passengers/crew in 2 cabins, with one unused. 😉
We have never been under the George Washington Bridge, only on it, in crazy traffic! So much nicer down here on the water!
Tucked under the east side of the bridge’s support, right near the water is a tiny “little red lighthouse” and that’s exactly what I called it. Googling later, I found that it really is known as the “little red light” and has a sweet story to go along.
The Little Red Lighthouse, officially Jeffrey’s Hook Light, is a small lighthouse located in Fort Washington Park on the Hudson River in New York City, under the George Washington Bridge. It was made famous by the 1942 children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift, illustrated by Lynd Ward. The lighthouse stands on Jeffrey’s Hook, a small point of land that supports the base of the eastern pier of the bridge. I think I may have to try and find that book (Note – I found a new 2003 edition on Amazon! I can read it to my grandchildren.)
The current slowed our passage up the Hudson, averaging only 5.5 knots. We passed under the George Washington Bridge at 10:30 am, 2.5 hours after leaving the anchorage at Liberty Island. Once through there, the cityscape fades away and the landscape becomes greener. We didn’t reach the next bridge, the Tappan Zee Bridge, until 12:30 pm. The word ‘zee” means sea in Dutch and Tappans were a local Indian tribe. We use this bridge much more than the GW on our car trips back and forth to Pennsylvania and Delaware to visit family.
Susie
What an amazing day to be traveling past NYC. Your pictures are beautiful. The little striped lighthouse is called Lefrak Point Lighthouse. Keep having fun.
watsons
Thank you, Susie!