Hudson River Heroes

July 2018

After being tossed around in all the ferry wakes of New York Harbor and running around with more people than we’ve seen in our lives (never mind the last 10 months), we cut inland and started the ride up the Hudson River. The river is a wide, deep tidal run for about 150 miles north to the start of the Erie Canal (near Troy, NY), and it was one of the more surprisingly beautiful sections of the trip.

The idea that New York City was anywhere nearby was hard to believe. Just a few miles north of Manhattan, the buildings disappeared and sweeping landscapes of rolling hills, cliffs, and trees remained. Mansions peeked out from the tops of hills, white puffy clouds painted roving shadows amongst the sunlit valley, and rock formations kept me fascinated for hours. City? What city? It was a different world.

Along the way, we received an email from back home. A friend at our home club Crescent, Tom Cotter, used to live in the area and sailed at Chelsea Yacht Club. He offered to connect us with a friend with the promise of hot showers and a mooring ball. We were sold. Realizing we were just a day away, I made a phone call to Sharon Herring: “Hey, can we show up tomorrow?” Seemingly unfazed, arrangements were made and we unknowingly began one of our most heartwarming experiences of our adventure.

Time and time again, Emily and I have been so impressed by the extreme kindness of strangers on our trip, particularly from the boating community. Sharon and her husband Jimmy didn’t know us, but immediately took us in without question. They seemed to have a clear schedule for taking care of wayward travelers; in no time we had fresh groceries, we were promptly welcomed into their home, and we were ensured that of course we could use the pool and shower as many times as we wanted. They even helped us organize a visit from Emily’s aunt and uncle, Claudia and Howard. They had driven out to visit us all the way from Connecticut; the timing was perfect, and our hearts were flooded with gratitude.

While relaxing over wine and cheese and hummus (our favorites, how did they know?!), the topic came up of our next move. I explained that we couldn’t really go too far too fast because the bottom of Elpis was a sheet of barnacles. She had accumulated growth from the soupy waters of the ICW, and I hadn’t had a chance to clean the bottom in clear water since the Bahamas. My plan was to wait until Lake Ontario to jump in and give Elpis the scrub she deserved. Sharon and Jimmy wouldn’t allow it. Chelsea Yacht Club has a travel lift, and a few phone calls later we were scheduled to be hauled out the following morning for a power wash. I’ve never felt more grateful, and we were almost too stunned to speak. Just within a few hours of meeting us, these wonderful people were helping us out in the biggest way possible, and solely from the kindness of their hearts.

The next morning, Elpis was secured high and dry, and we got to work. This was the first time she had been out of the water since the previous spring, and it was not looking good. We love the ocean, but the ocean did not love Elpis’s hull. Looking like a combination of Dumbledore’s beard and the back of a troll, we had a hard time finding the bottom under all the crap. Jimmy power washed, while a few of us started scraping with pieces of scrap wood. While we worked, other members took notice; without question they started jumping in to help. They didn’t know us. They didn’t know the boat. They saw sailors who needed a hand and willingly they gave it. We couldn’t say “thank you” enough times. With the help of the community of Chelsea Yacht Club, the hull reappeared. Sharon even sent her granddaughter Ashlyn to pick up a new zinc, and before we knew it, Elpis was ready. Everyone was covered in barnacle bits and seaweed chunks, and everyone was smiling. For the hundredth time in 24 hours, Emily and I were overwhelmed with gratitude.

However, we couldn’t stand around admiring the newly stripped hull- it was time to go racing! I jumped aboard the Herring’s J30 Knot Pherfect to join the Sunday afternoon club race. It was refreshing to get back into racing and figuring out wind shifts, mark roundings, and the ever changing tidal current- all while dodging barges! Just like home, everyone is a competitor on the water and a friend on shore. Post-race we gathered for some good old yachty karate, and enjoyed a camaraderie that comes from a day well spent.

When it was time to go, we felt like we were leaving behind our newfound family. Our time together was short, but so special and lasting. It was a lesson in kindness to the extreme. People everywhere are so willing to open their hearts and give with no expectation of anything in return. Emily and I have experienced countless remarkable acts of generosity, and Sharon and Jimmy and the members of Chelsea Yacht Club have gone above and beyond in their welcome and support. We have been reminded of the goodness in the world, and we hope we can someday pay it forward. We have been inspired, and I hope you are too. With more people like these, we will all be better off. Chelsea Yacht Club, thank you.

The Hudson Valley, featuring a castle on the island in the middle