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Foliage Cruise Suggestions

Drift Past Fall Foliage On Hudson River Cruises

By: Valarie D'Elia

Henry Hudson was among the first Europeans to view the changing autumn colors along his namesake river, and you can do the same on a selection of fall foliage cruises.

Catch the first glimpse of changing leaves along the Hudson on Circle Line's Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens sightseeing boats, on weekend voyages between October 3 to November 1. The eight-and-a-half-hour day trips head up to Bear Mountain, N.Y., where passengers can hike, picnic and partake in some oompah at the Oktoberfest celebration.

Departing from Pier 83 at West 42nd Street, tickets cost $49 for adults, $40 for seniors and $30 for children. Visit www.circleline42.com for more information.

Meanwhile, competitor Circle Line Downtown's Zephyr ups the ante with a five-and-a-half-hour cruise for $120 per person on four Saturday afternoons. The trip is full of wine tasting, a buffet lunch, two cash bars, live music and college football on satellite TV. Zephyr leaves from South Street Seaport at Pier 16. See circlelinedowntown.comfor more information.

If you prefer to sail up the Hudson the way Henry himself did 400 years ago, climb onboard Classic Harbor Line's schooners, the Adirondack & Adirondack II, on two weekends in late October for a four-hour tour for $90.

Classic Harbor Line also features a Fall Foliage Brunch Cruise onboard motor yacht Manhattan for three weekends in early November, sailing for three hours for $95. See www.sail-nyc.com for details.

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Now here's a D'Elia's Deal you don't want to miss when sailing onboard any of Classic Harbor Line's Fall Foliage cruises. Get $10 off when booking with the code "VAL09" at www.sail-nyc.com.

For more travel deals, visit www.travelwithval.com or follow Valarie attwitter.com/travelwithval.

ClearWater Sailing Excursion Saturday May 09

Sloop Clearwater sails by Alpine. Anthony G. Taranto Jr.   Palisades Interstate Park Commission New Jersey Section  in conjunction with  Hudson River Sloop Clearwater present  Sailing Excursions on the Hudson Saturday, May 9, 2009  The New Jersey Section of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and Clearwater proudly present:Sailing Excursions on the Hudson River. On Saturday, May 9th, two excursions will take adventurous passengers from Yonkers to Alpine for some quality sailing time on the historic river. In addition, each excursion will include a stop at Mrs. Kearney's tavern for some 19th-century music and fun. This event is sure to be enjoyable for the whole family!  Event Information "Family Excursion" will depart from Yonkers Municipal Dock at 12 PM and includes music and games at Alpine.  Cost is $65 adult, $25 children, returns at 3 PM.  "Evening Excursion" will depart Yonkers Municipal Dock at 4 PM. This trip features music and a light supper at Alpine.  Cost is $80 adult, $35 children, returns at 8 PM. For more information or to make a reservation: 845 454-7673 or visit: www.clearwater.org/  The New Jersey Section is part of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, which administers 29 parks, parkways, and historic sites for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in New York as well as the Palisades Interstate Park and parkway in New Jersey. For more information about New York State parks and historic sites, please visit www.nysparks.com and for more information about the Palisades Interstate Park parks and historic sites, please visithttp://www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/ Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit, member-supported corporation whose mission is to preserve and protect the Hudson River, its tributaries and related bodies of water. Clearwater conducts innovative environmental programs, advocacy and celebrations in order to inspire and energize the next generation of environmental leaders. The Palisades Parks Conservancy, Inc., (dba Friends of the Palisades, Inc.), the charitable partner of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission is a free-standing federally registered non-profit corporation exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations may be made over our secure Web site atpalisades.exhibit-e.com/donate/ or by mailing to Palisades Parks Conservancy, Bear Mountain State Park, Administration Building, Bear Mountain, NY 10911. For more information, please call us at 845-786-2701 or send email to admin@palisadesparksconservancy.org.

Eels, Aliens and Shipwrecks: An Evening With Chris Browser Friday May 8 @7:PM Beacon Sloop Club

Friday, May 8th, 2009  

7pm  

Beacon Sloop Club  

(next to the ferry dock) 

 

 

Everybody has their favorite Hudson 

River stories. Scientists have discovered 

some amazing new stories about the 

Hudson River.  

Chris Bowser, science education 

specialist with the New York State 

Department of Environmental 

Conservation Hudson River Estuary 

Program and National Estuarine 

Research Reserve will talk about some 

of the remarkable scientific discoveries 

under the Hudson and in its watershed. 

Much of this science is done with 

remarkably high-tech gear, and some of 

it is done by teams of enthusiastic 

volunteers and students.  

BEACON SLOOP CLUB ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SERIES 

www.beaconsloopclub.org 

845-542-0721  

Eels, Aliens and Shipwrecks:  

Updates in River Science 

An Evening with Chris Bowser 

10 Foot 

Sand Wa 

ves 

and 

Shipwrec 

ks! 

Floating Docks To Receive Flotilla Of Dutch Wooden Boats @ Port Of Albany September 26 As Part Of Hudson 400 Celebration

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=795418&category=ALBANY

A Dutch accent for Hudson 400 Flotilla from Netherlands will call at Port of Albany as part of celebration ERIC ANDERSON

ALBANY — The Port of Albany is making plans to welcome a flotilla of at least 17 Dutch wooden boats in September as part of the Hudson 400 Celebration. Details are still being worked out, but the boats would sail up the river from New York City to Albany for the daylong celebration here on Sept. 26, port commissioners were told during their monthly meeting Wednesday. The flat-bottomed boats resemble racing yachts with large sails. "They're the type of ship you'd see in freshwater yacht races," said Rich Hendrick, the port's general manager. The boats, ranging in size from 10 to 55 metric tons (a metric ton is about 2,205 pounds), will be tied up along the waterfront at the Corning Preserve so spectators can view them, although it wasn't clear whether anyone actually would get to board. Floating docks would be placed in the river to provide access to the boats. A wooden replica of English explorer Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon, will also be on display. Hudson sailed the original Half Moon from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for the Dutch East India Co. in 1609, crossing the Atlantic to discover the river that bears his name. Coast Guard cutters and other ships also will be on display, said Robert Cross, chairman of the Albany Port District Commission. The Dutch boats will spend the first three weeks of September in New York City as part of the Henry Hudson 400 Celebration there. The two events are part of the larger statewide Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricenntennial Celebration that marks the 400th anniversary of the voyages of Hudson and French explorer Samuel de Champlain, and the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's steamboat trip on the Hudson River. Otherwise Wednesday, port commissioners learned that the $7.6 million project to replace 500 feet of the oldest portion of the wharf is ahead of schedule and could be completed in August, before the Hudson 400 Celebration. The port remains in contention for $8.8 million in federal stimulus money to replace the last 500 feet of original wharf, dating from the late 1920s, Cross said. Meanwhile, cargo shipments were down more than 60 percent by weight in the first quarter from the year-earlier quarter, according to port data. The port handled 78,205 tons of cargo this year, compared to 217,042 tons in the first three months of 2008. Shipments of grain were off substantially. The port handled 88,000 tons last year, and just 17,000 this year, said Terrrence Hurley, the commission's chief financial officer. "We haven't had any salt or molasses as of yet," Hurley added. But officials remain optimistic that cargo will rebound. A grain ship is due tonight, a scrap steel ship was to arrive later Wednesday, and a ship carrying power-generation equipment was expected to leave the port in coming days. Eric Anderson can be reached at 454-5323 or by e-mail at eanderson@timesunion.com.

Hudson River Day 2009 Events Schedule

http://www.riverkeeper.org/events_story.php/1401

Hudson River Day 2009 - Schedule of Events

JUNE 5 (Friday)-evening “launch” celebration in NY Harbor with the Blessing of the Fleet, and festivities at Battery Park.
- 3pm parade around the Liberty Island and muster for Photo Op in the Hudson against the Skyline
- 5pm Blessing of the Fleet at Battery Park
- Anchor or dock for dinner/party at boat/yacht clubs
- Overnight for flagships-1 or 2 at Liberty Landing, 1 or 2 at Liberty State Park, and 1 at Erie Basin

JUNE 6 (Saturday)-early morning with 6am pick-up of dignitaries at Manhattan Yacht Club.
- 7am start of flotilla at Statue of Liberty.
- Pilot boat arranged to take dignitaries off ships at 79th Street Boat Basin.
- Arrival in Tarrytown and Nyack area between 3 and 5pm for festivities
- Overnight for flagships-Onrust at Nyack Boat Club, all others at Paul Janos and vicinity in Tarrytown.

JUNE 7 (Sunday)-departure at 8am.
- Arrival in Haverstraw by 11am for midday celebration, leaving Haverstraw by 2pm.
- Arrival and welcome in Beacon/Newburgh around 5pm.
- Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Mystic and Woody in Beacon; Half Moon, and Onrust in Newburgh.

JUNE 8 (Monday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.

JUNE 9 (Tuesday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.
- Depart Beacon/Newburgh at 4-5pm.
- Arrival and welcome (7pm) in Poughkeepsie area.
- Overnight for flagships-Marist, and 2 boat clubs

JUNE 10 (Wednesday)-flagships remain in Poughkeepsie all day for educational activities.
- Depart Poughkeepsie at 4-5pm.
- Arrival and welcome (6:30pm) in Kingston for overnight.

JUNE 11 (Thursday)-remain in Kingston for school groups from 8 to 11am.
- Arrive and circle Saugerties Light House around noon to 2 for school groups.
- Arrival and welcome in Catskill/Hudson/Athens by 6pm.
- Overnight for flagships-Half Moon in Catskill, Clearwater in Hudson, and Onrust in Athens.

JUNE 12 (Friday)-remain in Catskill/Hudson/Athens area for school groups until noon.
- Arrival in Castleton at 4 for final night and fireworks.
- Overnight for flagships-Clearwater and Onrust at Castleton Boat Club, Half Moon at Brick Yard.

JUNE 13 (Saturday)-depart Castleton at 11am.
- Arrival at 12:30 for final welcome and day-long celebrations
-Half Moon in Albany
-Clearwater and Onrust in Rensselaer

For more information on Hudson River Day events visit: www.exploreny400.com

New York Luxury Liner Sightings Are Still An Eyeful

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/nyregion/thecity/26crui.html?ref=thecity

URBAN STUDIES | BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

The Ghost Ships of the Hudson

Floating hotels on local waters lift spirits and conjure another era.

CONSTANCE ROSENBLUM

THE luxury liners that once crossed the Atlantic at a regular clip are of course a thing of the past, long since converted to cruise ships or disappeared entirely. And since 2005, some New York-bound cruise ships have been hanging a sharp right as they enter the harbor, heading not for the West Side’s Passenger Ship Terminal but for Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Still, many of them continue to make their way up the Hudson River en route to the piers in the West 40s and 50s. And as seen from the window of a Brooklyn Heights apartment with a sweeping view of the harbor, these ghost ships, as they almost beg to be called, are a haunting, almost mystical sight.

They typically swim into view sometime after 7 a.m., languid wedding cakes moving silently upriver. If the sun is rising, they are washed in a surreal lemony light. On foggy mornings, they are barely visible through the haze. They appear and disappear like great, slow-moving mirages, seemingly so evanescent they could vanish in the blink of an eye.

Though these vessels are typically about a thousand feet long, from such a distance they look scarcely bigger than a child’s bath toy. The colorful scrawl on their white hulls is indecipherable from so far away. And although you know that at this very moment several thousand passengers are milling about the vast decks, savoring the final moments of their journey, all this activity needs to be imagined, taken on faith.

Ghost ships give rise to romantic imaginings. They recall the heady days when the comings and goings of ocean liners and their starry-eyed occupants were big news, when every paper worth its salt had a ships’ news reporter and flashbulbs from bulky Speed Graphics, cameras of a now-bygone era, bathed arriving princes and showgirls and millionaires in sudden bursts of brightness. They bring to mind the pop of Champagne corks, the confetti, the giddiness, the hubbub.

The golden age of the luxury liner was a hard act to follow. But the ghost ships have their own quiet allure. To suddenly catch sight of one of these ships as you’re sipping coffee and desultorily leafing through the newspaper seems a small early-morning miracle. And once in a while, as you’re savoring your good fortune, out of the corner of your eye you spot a second ship. It feels like a lucky way to start the day.

Quadricentennial Guest Of Honor Henry Hudson Of Half Moon Fame

http://suomenkuvalehti.fi/kuvat/2009/04/23/travel-trip-new-yorks-400th-hudson-valley

Travel Trip New Yorks 400th Hudson Valley

FILE - In this file image released by the Museum of the City of New York, an undated lithograph depicting a 17th century man who is purported to be Henry Hudson is shown. Four hundred years after Henry Hudson sailed his ship Half Moon up a river that would one day bear his name, historians are marking his role in the evolution of a tiny Dutch trading post into a world capital with a series of events and exhibits.

Great Champlain Hudson River Paddle 193 Mile River Journey August 3-17 2009

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=791508&category=REGION

Paddlers to hail Hudson(s)

River excursion coincides with 400th anniversary of explorer's voyage

LEIGH HORNBECK,

SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville will play host to the Great Champlain Hudson River Paddle this summer as a band of kayakers makes its first overnight stop en route to Manhattan.

The paddle trip, sponsored by the Hudson River Valley Greenway, has special significance this year, the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's trip upriver to Castleton, but it almost didn't happen. During the state budget process, funds for the Greenway were in limbo. Originally, a month-long paddle trip was planned from Rouse's Point just south of the Canadian border on Lake Champlain to Manhattan. Instead, the great paddle will begin at Rogers Island in Washington County. In years past, the paddle has started in Albany and about 30 kayakers have made the entire trip with day paddlers joining in along the way. Dan McLaughlin of Highland Landing, Ulster County, will be making his seventh great paddle. "This is one body of water where you will see eagles, osprey, cormorants, and then further down the communities that grew up along and because of the river, to places where railroad tracks border both sides of the river, and you have everything from ocean-going vessels to rowboats alongside you," McLaughlin said. It is a cleaner trip these days than McLaughlin's first journey in 2003. The sight of litter and old refrigerators dumped in the water used to be common, he said. A crew travels along with the paddlers on land, carrying food and supplies. McLaughlin, who will turn 60 the day before the paddle begins Aug. 3, said each year he considers sitting out the trip, but each year he's compelled to pack his 18-foot sea kayak for the 193-mile journey. He sees something new each time out, he said. The paddlers will make overnight stops, beginning at Fort Hardy Park in Schuylerville. The other stop in Saratoga County is Peebles Island in Waterford, and other overnights include New Baltimore, Wappingers and Yonkers. The final stop is at Pier 96 in New York City Aug 17. The village of Schuylerville will host the kayakers and sponsor a festival with the help of a grant from the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission. This year marks the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's exploration of the lake that now bears his name and the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's journey up the Hudson River, the first successful trip aboard a steamboat. McLaughlin, a retired MTA sergeant, said he was always intrigued by the river's history and relishes seeing first-hand what he read about in books. "It's a beautiful river," he said. "And it's right there for all of us." Leigh Hornbeck can be reached at 454-5352 or by e-mail at lhornbeck@timesunion.com. Getting involved Experienced paddlers may join the Great Champlain-Hudson Paddle, Aug. 3 to 17, for $875. Shorter getaway trips are also planned for $210 per person, $400 for two and $600 for three. Registration closes June 15. There will also be opportunities along the way for novices to try their hand at paddling. For more information, contact Scott Keller at scott.keller@hudsongreenway.state.ny.us or 518-473-3835.

River Day Schedule

http://www.exploreny400.com/riverday.aspx

                                                                       

RIVER DAY SCHEDULE

JUNE 5 (Friday)-evening “launch” celebration in NY Harbor with the Blessing of the Fleet, and festivities at Battery Park.

o       3pm parade around the Liberty Island and muster for Photo Op in the Hudson against the Skyline

o       5pm Blessing of the Fleet at Battery Park

o       Anchor or dock for dinner/party at boat/yacht clubs

o       Overnight for flagships-1 or 2 at Liberty Landing, 1 or 2 at Liberty State Park, and 1 at Erie Basin

JUNE 6 (Saturday)-early morning with 6am pick-up of dignitaries at Manhattan Yacht Club.

o       7am start of flotilla at Statue of Liberty.

o       Pilot boat arranged to take dignitaries off ships at 79^th Street Boat Basin.

o       Arrival in Tarrytown and Nyack area between 3 and 5pm for festivities

o       Overnight for flagships-Onrust at Nyack Boat Club, all others at Paul Janos and vicinity in Tarrytown.

JUNE 7 (Sunday)-departure at 8am.

o       Arrival in Haverstraw by 11am for midday celebration, leaving Haverstraw by 2pm.

o       Arrival and welcome in Beacon/Newburgh around 5pm.

o       Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Mystic and Woody in Beacon; Half Moon, and Onrust in Newburgh.

 

JUNE 8 (Monday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.

 

JUNE 9 (Tuesday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.

o       Depart Beacon/Newburgh at 4-5pm.

o       Arrival and welcome (7pm) in Poughkeepsie area.

o       Overnight for flagships-Marist, and 2 boat clubs

JUNE 10 (Wednesday)-flagships remain in Poughkeepsie all day for educational activities.

o       Depart Poughkeepsie at 4-5pm.

o       Arrival and welcome (6:30pm) in Kingston for overnight.

 

JUNE 11 (Thursday)-remain in Kingston for school groups from 8 to 11am.

o       Arrive and circle Saugerties Light House around noon to 2 for school groups.

o       Arrival and welcome in Catskill/Hudson/Athens by 6pm.

o       Overnight for flagships-Half Moon in Catskill, Clearwater in Hudson, and Onrust in Athens.

JUNE 12 (Friday)-remain in Catskill/Hudson/Athens area for school groups until noon.

o       Arrival in Castleton at 4 for final night and fireworks.

o       Overnight for flagships-Clearwater and Onrust at Castleton Boat Club, Half Moon at Brick Yard.

JUNE 13 (Saturday)-depart Castleton at 11am.

o       Arrival at 12:30 for final welcome and day-long celebrations

§       Half Moon in Albany

§       Clearwater and Onrust in Rensselaer

 

Westchester Boat Wrap Recycling Program A Success: Plans To Expand Are Announced

http://www.westchester.com/Westchester_News/Sports/Boat_Wrap_Recycling_Project_Expands_To_Hudson_River_2009041211310.html

Boat Wrap Recycling Project Expands To Hudson River

White Plains, NY - Westchester County’s program to “rescue” tons of non-biodegradable plastic that protected Sound Shore boats through the winter and would normally get thrown away come spring is back – and bigger and better than ever.

Not only were 21 tons of the thick plastic collected last year instead of tossed as garbage, but hundreds more boats along the Hudson River will also get their discarded wraps recycled this year.  With the success of the pilot project, the county Department of Environmental Facility (DEF) has expanded the program from 16 marinas and boat storage facilities along the Long Island Sound to an additional 18 marinas on the Hudson River.

The Long Island Sound boat facilities, which have already turned in two tons of the shrink wrap since last week, can bring it to one of three designated collection points on the east side of the county: the city of New Rochelle marina, the city of Rye boat basin or Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck. Those on the Hudson River will be able to do the same, dropping them into recycling containers located at two new sites starting Monday (April 13):  George’s Island Park in Montrose and Croton Point Park in Croton-on-the-Hudson.

DEF will pick up the material and deliver it to the Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers. The product can then be sold to recyclers for about $240 a ton to be manufactured into other materials.

An average boat can use as much as 14 pounds of wrap (low-density polyethylene or LDPE).  The six-week program with the expanded service areas is expected to collect up to 30 tons of plastic that would otherwise go into the waste stream as trash.