US East Coast to the Caribbean - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 158

Timing our arrival at Hell Gate
The worst behind us, we ticked off city sights from our cockpit like first-time tourists,
even though we know New York well. I snapped wildly away at the Empire State Build-
ing and Ellis Island, wondering how travelers managed before the age of the digital cam-
era. Namani was one of a handful of sailboats transiting the East River, watching the city
stir to life with the rising sun. Soon we were engulfed by the noise of buzzing helicopters,
zipping ferries, and lumbering trucks on the riverside highways: just another morning in
the big city. It occurred to me that weather reports are to sailors what traffic reports are to
city commuters, and felt lucky to belong to the first group.
Cruising is as much about taking care of your boat as it is visiting interesting places, so
our first order of business was to locate more gear, including sealant, charts for Central
America, and a new stereo. Our bargain mooring at the 79th Street Boat Basin was just a
dinghy ride and three blocks away from the subway. In contrast to bucolic New England,
everything in New York seemed large and loud, its bustling streets lined with restaurants,
shows, and shops in all sizes and flavors. Still, the New England connection was there:
many of the imposing public buildings are built of Maine granite, delivered once upon a
time by hardy Down East sailors.