Day 2: Saugerties to Iona Island, NY.
August 28, 2000

It was still light when anchored behind a little island just below Saugerties. I was loath to decend further with daylight soon to vanish, since this was a more demanding section of river than what I had so far passed. Saugerties itself is approached via Esopus Creek. A channel is dredged in the western shoreline to make passage easier. The Esopus Light stands at the entrance to this channel which is projects halfway across the Hudson width.

The river below Saugerties becomes a bit interesting in its properties. A series of shallows produce "riffles" and flats just above and below this town. My cruising guide recommends extreme caution when wind blows strongly up the river as the usual riffles can become short, steep and dangerous waves. Under these conditions, it is recommended the cruiser lay over a day rather than pass. I did not want to pass over these riffle areas in the dark.

Futher down the river, the channel divides such that the shallowest water actually lies in the middle of the river. One may choose the east or west bank channel but must stay off the center "flat" area. The river resumes more normal behavior below Kingston and Rhinecliff.

In the morning of the second day, I noted that I had anchored behind penninsula on the east side of the river. I had actually almost passed the riffle area that so concerned me the previous evening. It was a calm anchorage in about 3 feet of water (near low tide). However a railroad track was just a couple hundred yards from me and it was frequently used during the evening. The boat would shudder from vibration produced by the passing train. The whistle would blow just a bit beyond my location. Concern about drifting anchorage and water depth change from the tide were alone enough to keep me popping awake during the night. The passage of the next train only contributed to my sleeplessness.

The day began by continuing past the dreaded riffles of the "Saddle Bags". It was a bit bumpy passage but not really threatening. A light northeast wind made its appearance as the day progressed, and below Kingston while rounding the Middle Hudson Light I was able to put up some sail and finally turn off the motor!

The transition from motor to sail is always magical to me. Suddenly all is quiet. The throb of internal combustion is replaced by sounds of wind and water passing under the hull. The boat tends to heel a little as the sails begin to take hold of the air. Very magical indeed.

However the wind was extremely variable. It would gust very strongly, then totally disappear. It generally came out of the northeast, but would occassionally veer from north or east. The river itself would sometimes channel the wind and the occassional island or river bend might actually reverse its course if only for a moment in a particular location.

The river straightened its course even more, with the channel nearly its entire 1/2 mile or more width. The shoreline began to rise. Mansions of the very wealthy, and sometimes just pretentious, showed through the trees as we passed Hyde Park, Crum Elbow and Lange Pack sections of river.

Mixed with the houses of obviously very wealthy persons, could be seen plain houses that perhaps any middle class person could afford (the price of the land itself being ignored). Very rarely, one would have to laugh at the attempts of some to turn their modest ranch into a mansion by adding a tower of sorts to the upper floor of their ranch! Homes along this stretch of money proved that wealth does not guarantee good taste. Some of these habitations were oppulent eye sores!

The river widened as Newburgh approached. I was very familiar with the bridge at this location, having passed on the bridge (I-84) numerous times in my travels. This would be the first time under the bridge. The broadness of the river in the section allowed my to again raise sail.

Travelling a river such as the Hudson, with so few bends and radical changes in direction, has you measuring your progress via the bridges you pass beneath. The next bend in the river is a long way off, but the next bridge might actually be closer! During todays run, I would pass beneath the Kingston-Rhinecliff, two Poughkeepsie, the Newburgh and Bear Mountain bridges.

The best part of the entire Hudson River segment of the cruise was the section of river between Strom King Mountain and Bear Mountain, including the strategic bend in the River where West Point stands.

The river narrows greatly from the broad section, where I was first able to actually sail with a variable northeast wind, at and below Newburgh. The conbination of constriction and river bend is what made West Point so strategically important during the Revolutionary War. The river course can not be controlled if West Point is not also under control.

The skies appropriately darkened as a thunderstorm passed south of the appropriately named Storm King Mountain, that stands like a guardian at the entrance to this section of river. I brought in the sails and put on my four weather gear but only a few drops of rain fell. Wind was very gusty and the auto-pilot had a difficult time holding course.

The dark skies added to the eeriness while passing Pollepel Island with the Bannerman castle ruin on its shores. Bannerman was an arms merchant who built the house. The house burned down shortly after completion and Bannerman himself died shortly afterwards in 1918. The island is said to be haunted, and Bannerman got what he deserved from the activities of his trade in implements of death. It truely did present a sobering sight while passing by, with thunder clouds passing over head and winds kicking up the water.

The weather soon turned better and I had an comfortable passage past West Point. The location was a beehive of activity even in late August, as cadets were out marching in drills, practicing football and soccer, and quite a few crew teams of both men and women practicing along the shoreline. Outter edges of the "point" were areas of other cadets practicing rock climbing. One student, all alone by the shore was simply layed out and reading.

It was growing dark as I continued below West Point. I began looking for a place to stay for the night that would offer protection from any strong gusts of wind during the night. Iona Island just below the very impressive Bear Mountain Bridge and nestled between that mountain and Thunderbird Mountain seemed just the place. I carefully entered the quiet and calm nestled waters and found just the right place at 8 feet of depth. I was all settled in by the time the Bear Mountain bridge lights came on in the approaching darkness.

Except for the visit of a power boat with several partying people aboard between 10 pm and about 1 am, this was a very nice anchorage. In fact it would be one of the best for the entire cruise.