Tag Archives: New York

28 September 2019:
New York, New York:
Our Grand Arrival

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By Corey Sandler

There are many places to make a grand arrival, but not many that can truly compete with a sail-in to New York in the early morning.

Before dawn, we sailed along the coast of Long Island and past the sleeping beach communities and the famous amusement park of Coney Island in Brooklyn. Then we moved toward the lights of the massive Verrazzano Bridge and beneath.

At that point, the harbor of New York lay before us: Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and lower Manhattan.

I’ve sailed into New York many times, and it is still one of the most thrilling places to arrive by sea.

We have spent most of the last four months aboard Silver Wind, visiting Norway, circling the United Kingdom, crossing over for a circle of Iceland, back to London and the U.K., and finally coming across to Iceland and then up the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec City and Montreal. This final leg took us down the coast and then up the river to New York.

I hope to see you here soon.

All photos and text Copyright 2019 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved. See more photos on my website at http://www.coreysandler.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ANY PHOTO OR AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

5 November 2018:
New York, NY, US:
Last Call

By Corey Sandler

Early this morning we sailed into the harbor of New York,  completing (for me) a journey that began two months ago in London.

In early September, Silver Spirit cruised down the River Thames, across the North Atlantic to Newfoundland and then made four loops of New England and the maritime provinces of Canada and into the Saint Lawrence to resplendent Quebec City and Montreal.

It’s time to head home for a month or so. I’ll be back in December on Silver Whisper as she heads from Fort Lauderdale through the Gulf of Mexico and into the Panama Canal to emerge in the Pacific Ocean and up the coast to San Francisco.

I hope to see you aboard ship, or if not, here in these pages.

To guests we have sailed with on the past five cruises: safe travels.

All photos and text Copyright 2018 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

16 October 2018:
New York, NY, US:
Riverboating

By Corey Sandler

In the predawn darkness we made our approach along the south coast of Long Island and then Brooklyn before turning into the outer reaches of New York Harbor.

(Technically, we entered into the North River. That is the old name applied by the Dutch, to distinguish it from the South River which we now know as the Delaware River. It becomes the Hudson River at the Verrazzano Bridge. Same river, two names.)

We have come to the end of this cruise, and I wish departing guests safe travels. This afternoon we will head back down the Hudson River to the North River and then hang a left in the Atlantic Ocean and work our way back up to Montreal one more time.

Here is our plan:

On this trip we will skip Boston in favor of a call at historic Portland, Maine.

All photos and text Copyright 2018 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

25 September 2018:
New York, NY, US:
River to River

By Corey Sandler

Two weeks ago, Silver Spirit made an early morning procession down the River Thames from London, beginning our crossing.

Today we sailed into the Hudson River, alongside the Statue of Liberty and along Wall Street to come to our dock in mid-Manhattan in New York.

I’ve made that entrance many, many times. It never disappoints.

The weather was reminiscent of many visits to London: foggy and rainy. But thrilling nevertheless.

Here are some photos from a sunnier day.

This cruise has come to an end: London to Falmouth, then Cobh in Ireland, and down the northeast coast from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia and then into the United States at Boston and Newport.

To guests leaving us here, safe travels. And welcome aboard to new friends.

SILVER SPIRIT ALBUM

As we neared competition of our Atlantic crossing,I took a tour of our ship in search of new angles:

Today, we’ll enjoy a day in the Big Apple, and then work our way back down the river and out to sea headed up to the Saint Lawrence River and Quebec City and Montreal.

Here’s our plan:

All photos and text Copyright 2018 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

————-

Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy, please see the tab on this page, “HOW TO ORDER A PHOTO OR AUTOGRAPHED BOOK”

Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

29 October 2013: New York, New York

Heading for Home

By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

In the dark that precedes dawn’s first light, a distant glow merely hints at the great harbor and city that lays ahead of us.

We picked up a bar pilot at 5:30 in the morning off the coast of Long Island and headed west toward the mouth of the Hudson River.

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Beneath the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge at dawn. Photo by Corey Sandler

Okay, about the job title: a bar pilot is not in charge of delivering the crew to a tavern. The bar pilot is aboard to guide the captain and helmsman across the bar at the mouth of the channel from the sea and through the harbor.

In constant communication with harbor authorities and other vessels, in New York he or she is aboard for about two hours.

Most pilot boats carry a bit of extra hardware in addition to navigation lights: a white round light atop a red one. (Fishing boats carry a red over white.) The old maritime saying is: “white cap, red nose” for pilot boats…with an intimation that in past times pilots might down a bit of booze while waiting for ships to come in. If that was ever true, I seriously doubt the master of a modern ship worth several hundred million dollars would accept a pilot with a wobble.[whohit]-New York 29Oct-[/whohit]

About 6 in the morning we could make out the old boardwalk and some of the landmarks of Coney Island: the parachute jump and the Wonder Wheel. And then we could see the lights of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, the unofficial demarcation of the Hudson River at New York.

Guests began to gather in the Observation Lounge up top and forward on Silver Whisper and on the outside decks. We passed beneath the bridge just after 6:30 a.m., and then ahead of us lay Lower Manhattan: the Hudson River branching off to the left and the East River to the right.

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Lower Manhattan. The Hudson River continues to the left, the East River branches off to the right. Photos by Corey Sandler

Staten Island ferries steamed across the harbor, and faster commuter ferries darted back and forth.

As dawn arrived, we passed abeam of Lady Liberty on our port side. I gave the order from the bridge by telephone down to our ship’s broadcast center: “Now. Loud. Everywhere.” And Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” boomed throughout Silver Whisper.

It was not just the passengers lining the decks. From nearly every opening on the ship, crew leaned out for a glimpse and a photo to send back home.

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The Statue of Liberty at dawn’s early light. Photo by Corey Sandler

We proceeded up the Hudson, alongside the former World Trade Center site. The superstructure of its replacement tower is complete while interior work continues.

About 8 a.m., a tug boat pulled alongside with a second pilot for a short but essential–and daunting–assignment of providing guidance on making a 90-degree turn from the river into the dock along Manhattan’s West Side. Like an airline pilot, the docking pilot is on the spot for a few minutes of high tension at landing.

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The docking pilot comes aboard. Photo by Corey Sandler

Most of our guests and more than a few crew members were ready to debark. For Janice and me, it’s been a two-month odyssey that began in the Baltic and included stops in Sweden, Russia, Finland, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada. All told, we’ve been out to sea on four different beautiful Silversea cruise ships for a total of seven months in 2013.

It’s time to head for home. See you in 2014…somewhere. Safe travels.

All text and photos copyright 2013 by Corey Sandler. If you would like to purchase a copy of a photo, please contact me.

 

8 October 2013: New York, New York

8 October 2013: New York, New York

You Say Goodbye, We Say Hello

And so we hauled anchor at Martha’s Vineyard and proceeded west at full speed through rolling seas: 45 mile-an-hour winds and 6-to-8 foot swells.

We were sailing into the storm that was heading for Martha’s Vineyard…but by 6pm all was calm and at 8pm we sailed beneath the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge that marks the entrance to New York Harbor.

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USS Intrepid Museum, New York. Photo by Corey Sandler

Giovanni da Verrazzano arrived at the mouth of the river in 1524, but apparently did not progress much further. He believed that it was just a big lake.[whohit]-NEWYORKSAILIN1-[/whohit]

There were others who explored nearby, but it was Henry Hudson who progressed 160 miles up the river in 1609, ready to greet the emperor of China. No such luck, but the mouth of the great river is now the site of the great city of New York.

I was up on the bridge giving commentary to our guests.

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New York from the nighttime arrival of Silver Whisper. Photo by Corey Sandler

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Pier 88 Awaits Silver Whisper. Photo by Corey Sandler

I asked the pilot whether there was anything unusual going on as we headed for the Ambrose Channel and then up the Hudson River.

“Other than the fact that there’s a cruise ship coming in at night, no,” he said.

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The Empire State Building, from the Hudson River. Photo by Corey Sandler

Actually, there was one other special event: a private party had planned a fireworks display near the USS Intrepid museum on the West Side of Manhattan. That happens to be next door to where we were to dock at Pier 88.

They held off on their celebration until we were safely docked at about 9:15pm. But it was a fitting culmination to a great cruise.

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Hooray for Us. Photo by Corey Sandler

We wish safe travels to those guests leaving us in the Big Apple.

And we declare: Welcome Aboard to new friends joining us for the trip to Montreal.

Later today, we will back out of the pier, sail down the river and salute Lady liberty before heading to Newport, Boston, Portland, and back up the coast to Canada.

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All photos and text copyright 2013 by Corey Sandler. If you would like to purchase copies, please contact me.