ELECTRO SAILING AROUND NEW YORK: Part Three: HELL GATE

The idea of passing through Hell Gate on New York's East River often causes apprehension for first time cruisers through the area. Having made the transit through   Hell Gate numerous times I can say there is really nothing to be afraid of that a secure hand on the tiller or wheel won't solve.  There are current swirls, some up-welling and short choppy waves making it look more threatening than it is.  Here are some are some tips to make the transit:

1) The biggest danger is getting in the way of a tug and barge or one of the New York City sludge barges that also frequently transit the area. There is plenty of deep water in the Gate to avoid them and give them a wide berth. Remember they do not have the same ability to maneuver as smaller boats do.

2) It is best to motor through Hell's Gate. I've only managed to sail through one time on a northwest wind on my previous boat a Bristol 24.  But, as soon as I was through Hells Gate the streets and buildings of Manhattan and the East River currents caused the boat to do boat spins as it traveled down with the current. So now I always motor from the Brother Islands to at least 23rd Street off of Manhattan when heading toward the Battery and visa versa when heading toward Long Island Sound.

3) It is always better to go with the flow of the current. It makes for a much quicker and  pleasant passage.

4) The metal bridges in the Hell Gate area can reek havoc on the magnetic compass of autopilots so put them in standby and keep a firm hand on the tiller or wheel until you are well clear of them.

The following video shows what it like to transit Hell Gate motor sailing with electric propulsion. I had rounded the Battery about three hours after low tide. BIANKA rode the flood current 14 miles all the way into Long Island Sound. Winds were light so it was mostly motoring under electric propulsion  This trip was in late October 2012 and amazingly  boat traffic both recreational and commercial was non existent for this passage. That may not always be the case . Especially during summer and on weekends:



Ironically, the Honda 2000 generator that had been operating since about 9:45 am had finally ran out of gas right in the middle of Hell Gate. It had been running five and a half hours on one gallon of gas motor sailing BIANKA for about twenty five miles. Nice thing about electro sailing in a hybrid mode using a generator like the Honda 2000 is that the batteries automatically take over and keep propelling the boat as shown in this video:


After refueling it was another ten miles of electro-sailing until  I reached my destination after forty nautical miles of motor sailing under electric propulsion.

ELECTRO SAILING AROUND NEW YORK: Part Two: Riding the East River Flood

 The current that took BIANKA and I down the Hudson River got the boat to the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan Island at just about the time the of the flood current up the East River. Even though I had to use the motor exclusively for the past six hours,  the quiet operation of electric propulsion made it a very pleasant journey.  This video covers the East River  part of the trip from  the Battery to just before Hell Gate.

ELECTRO SAILING AROUND NEW YORK PART ONE CLICK HERE

ELECTRO SAILING AROUND NEW YORK PART THREE CLICK HERE

DESTINATION: CITY ISLAND NAUTICAL MUSEUM

After visiting the Pelham Cemetery it was time for lunch. The Crab Shanty was my choice for a reasonably priced lunch. Capt Mike's Tip: Make sure you come hungry. The portions were big and I made another meal with what I took back to the boat. After lunch it was time for the main reason why I came to City Island in the first place. Which was to visit the City Island Nautical Museum run by the City Island Historical Society. The museum is housed in a century old former school building which is still standing no doubt because those people who built those stout boats and ships in the shipyards also participated in it's construction too. It makes an impressive sight when one comes up to it on Fordham Street with it's up pointed arrow like roof making a rather positive architectural statement:

City Island Nautical Museum

Once inside the solidness of the building continues as one wanders around the halls and rooms which contain photos, artifacts and exhibits of City Island's nautical past and also life on City Island through the years.  With an emphasis on boat building that took place on the island.

I wonder how much it would cost for this wooden "yacht tender" today? The Henry B. Nevins shipyard had them in stock years ago. Back then you would be able to "row it away today" no doubt:


I also wonder if any of the ship builders tools on display like those below were used in making some of those yacht tenders?

For those into power boats you'll find also find something of interest too, Like this display of outboards through the years:

While at the museum I ran into a fine old gentleman named Ed Sanders. He was master of a New York City fire boat called the FIREFIGHTER for decades. He also built the model of the boat on display at the museum:

 

He was also a Hell Gate Pilot and I spent and hour or two chatting with him about his life and experiences fighting fires in New York Harbor on the fire boat and his experiences as a Hell Gate Pilot.  I also spent some time in the library of the museum which had shelves of nautical books as well as clippings from newspapers and other historical documents about the island. Including the log books kept on the construction of some of the ships from the various shipyards.

I spent four hours in the museum and I still plan to go back again as I found it a fascinating place and being able to come visit it by boat made it even more special.  

DESTINATION: NEW YORK HARBOR

Assuming I can get BIANKA's wishbone rigged and sail on board today. I should be heading off to New York Harbor as the first cruise of the season by the weekend. I always enjoy the trip to New York as I always seem to find something curious and interesting somewhere along the journey. Such as the interesting sites I observed during last years sojourn as seen here and here. Though I have a special reason for heading into the Port of New York next week which I will be talking about in a future post as I get underway.  Another reason a sail to New York is so interesting is that the city and it's waterfront is constantly changing for better and for worse. Professional Mariner Capt. Bruce Brucato has some musing on this at his NY TUGMASTER blog. Here is the money quote:

It’s easily acknowledged that the city is so transient that it’s residents tend to overlook its legacy as one of the greatest ports in the world.- Capt. Brucato

Indeed those of us who approach the city by the water see changes that the pedestrians on land often miss. Plus we get to approach the city the way sailors like Hudson, Verrazano and the Native Americans in their canoes did. Using the same tidal forces to make our journey easier. It is a unique perspective and a trip that I never get tired of making. The East River transit is one of my favorites through Hell Gate and into the harbor. Capt Brucato captures that journey from a unique perch in this time lapse shoot: