June 1,2018 Atlantic City to Staten Island

Well, lets look back to April 29th when we left our home in Connecticut and moved aboard Zoey's Adventure. It's been a mouth plus of living on a boat and so far so good .We have settled into a bit of a daily routine for days when we travel and for those days when we stay at the dock. All the days are good!

So on Friday June 1st we departed Atlantic City at 9:00 AM with much better visibility than we  had expected the night before. The Looper that was going to follow us to Staten Island the night before left earlier when he saw the fog was not as bad as predicted.

This run today would be the longest so far, six plus hours. The seas where for the most part calm. We decided to run about 4 miles offshore where there seemed to less boating traffic and basically a straight line to the entrance to New York Harbor. Once we rounded Sandy Hook, NJ it was about an hour run into Great Kill Harbor and Mansion Marina in Staten Island, NY.  Ed, the dock master and owner, came aboard to show us what slip we would have and assist us with docking as we had to more or less parallel  park between two boats.....I aced it thanks to Lou Ann, Ed and two dock hands.

Remember, its Friday and after we get all tied up and plugged in we start to see the regular boat

Frank & Rita

owners coming down to their boats for the weekend, much like what we did for years, "It's the Weekend" Time to unwind and enjoy your boat after a long week at work. One of the couples we met Rita & Frank and Harley the dog, quickly became friends. Frank, I think was the Mayor of the marina because he knew everyone. When I asked him where we could get some grocery he quickly suggested  Frank & Sal's Deli, about a mile walk from the boat. He offered to drive us but we needed to walk. This deli was fabulous. They had the best fresh baked bread, meats, pastries and so much more. So we bought a bit more than we should have. Never go shopping on an empty stomach.

Dinner on-board was a special Italian Staten Island delight!

After dinner we walked just next-door to the Great Kill Yacht Club where there were maybe 8 or 10 other Loopers. Most where out to dinner but we found one Looper sitting on his aft deck enjoying a cocktail so we chatted for awhile as most Loopers do then called it a night.

Next day, Saturday, Lou Ann went for a walk in Great Kills Park that was the outer part of the harbor we were in. Once she returned and said how nice it was, I took my bike and headed out. When I returned Frank, the guy on the boat across from us, asked if we would like to join him for dinner at one of the several restaurants within easy walking distance from our marina. We started with cocktails on Zoey's Adventure followed by dinner at Marina Cafe. Well, this place was really something. The valet parking lot looked like a Mercedes Benz dealership.We had to wait a bit for our table but it was worth it just to watch the bar crowd. Every waiter and maitre'd hand their hand out.
I will say the dinner was one of the best we ever had. Turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. Thank you Frank & Rita!

Sunday was an adventure. We walked about a little more than a mile to the train station and rode the rails to the end of the line. Here, we figured out how to buy a metro card to pay for our ride and have enough funds still on the card for our return this evening. Remember we are still on Staten Island wanting to get to lower Manhattan so the train ends at the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Staten Island Ferry

We jump on the free ferry for a 25 minute ride to the Greatest City in the World, NYC! We had made plans to meet Scott, our nephew, and his girl friend Ashley for lunch and a little sightseeing. Not knowing where to eat in the lower city I reach out to my niece, Anne, for a few recommendations. Anne, thought we would enjoy The Dead Rabbit. I know, I said the same thing. The Dead Rabbit doesn't sound that good but I put a lot faith in her so we tried it. Wow, was it good! Three stories, truly Irish Bar with great drinks and food!

The Dead Rabbit Bar

The Dead Rabbit Portrait by Artist Terry Bradley

                                                                             
                           
Later a stroll thru Battery Park. We made a quick stop at the Fraunces Tavern, where George
Washington bid farewell to his troops. We had to have a beer here,
it was only fitting thing to do to honor George.

Then Scott wanted to take us to one of his favorite taverns. We all piled into an Uber and headed uptown to one of the oldest taverns in NYC, McSorley's Old Ale House. They only have beer, light or dark, and when you order one or the other you get 2 glasses of beer. While you are there, gotta try their appetizer - sliced cheese, raw onion and a whole sleeve of saltine crackers. Now it's late in the afternoon and time to say goodbye so we all again climb into an Uber for a ride back to the Staten Island Ferry. I have to say the afternoon was wonderful, filled with "LBL"  that's  Life-Beer-Laughs. Not once did anyone talk about any health issues. That is not a topic of conversation with young people. Thanks Scott & Ashley, we had a great time.

McSorley's  - 2 beers and appetizer

McSorley's Old Ale House

Oh almost forgot, as we rode uptown we were able to see the new apartment building that Scott is working on in Brooklyn, he is the project manager for all the granite work.

Monday was an easy day to do a few small things on the boat before leaving for the Hudson River.