New York City

Tuesday morning started with fog.  I hate fog.  Captain Keith also hates fog, and we waited until about 7:30 AM before feeling like it was reasonable to leave the dock in Cape May.  We were able to get out of the inlet easily however once offshore for just an hour the fog rolled back across us.

Did I mention how much I hate fog?
The marina Tuesday morning

I really hate fog.

View from the flybridge off the NJ Coast

Our radar and AIS was very helpful and we sounded the horn periodically as one should in the fog.  It only lasted about an hour and then lifted, thank goodness.

We had a great run from Cape May to New York.  Other than a bit of fog early, the water was extremely calm.  A very comfortable ride all the way.  We came into view of the city around 2:00 PM.

Verrazano Bridge

The Verrazano Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn.  There are 13 traffic  lanes, 7 on the upper level and 6 on the lower level.  The upper deck was opened in 1964 and the lower in 1969.  It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at a span of 4,260 feet, until it was surpassed in 1981 by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom.  The bridge is the gateway into New York Harbor and the Hudson River.  All ships arriving into the Port of New York and New Jersey pass under the bridge.  It is named after Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian explorer who in 1524 became the first documented European explorer to enter New York Harbor.  Due to a mistake in naming, the bridge name is spelled with only one "z" despite the explorer's name having two "z"s.

After passing under the Verrazano Bridge, the Statue of Liberty came into view.

Lady Liberty

This statue was designed by French sculptor, Frederic Augusta Bartholdi, and built by Gustave Eiffel.  It was gifted to the people of the United States by the people of France.  The organizer of the project, Edward Laboulaye, was a French law professor.  He proposed that the French finance the building of the statue and the US provide the pedestal and the site.  She was built in pieces in France and shipped overseas in crates then assembled on the finished pedestal.  She stands 305 feet tall from the pedestal base to the top of her torch.  She holds a torch in her right hand and carries a tablet in her left inscribed with the Roman numerals July IV, MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776).  A broken chain lies at her feet.  The dedication ceremony was held October 28, 1886.

The final treat in coming through New York Harbor was passing Ellis Island

Ellis Island

Ellis Island opened January 1, 1892.  The first immigrant was Annie Moore, a 17 year old girl from Cork, Ireland.  She arrived with her two brothers to meet their parents who had moved to New York 2 years previously.  Upon arriving and passing through immigration she received an official greeting and a $10 gold coin.  It was the largest sum of money she had ever owned.  Over the years of its operation, Ellis Island saw over 12 million immigrants pass through its doors.  The peak year was 1907 with 1,004,756 immigrants processed.  About 40% of the US population can trace their ancestry to an immigrant that came through Ellis Island.  The Island is also known as " The Island of Tears" for the 2% of those who were denied admittance into the US after their long journey.  They could be denied due to things such as chronic contagious disease, criminal background, or insanity.  The last immigrant was Arne Petersson a Norwegian merchant seaman in 1954.  The island and its facilities are now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.  A museum is now in the main immigration station building.

Immigration Station Building

Lower Manhattan

One World Trade Center or Freedom Tower also can be seen from the harbor.  This is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.  Designed by David Childs, it is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and 6th tallest in the world.  On May 10, 2013 the final component of the spire was installed making the building 1,776 feet tall.  This height is a deliberate reference to the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

One World Trade Center

Now it was time for me to stop taking pictures and get some lines and fenders out on Southern Style as we had our reservation at Liberty Landing just up from Ellis Island.  We pulled into our slip about 2:30 PM and this is our view.

View from the back of Southern Style

This was Tuesday evening