Thursday, June 30 we left Liberty Landing and the Statue of Liberty and settled 20 miles north at Half Moon Bay Marina in Croton-on-Hudson. We stayed there until Sunday, July 3. This marina is highly recommended by the AGLCA. We were not that impressed. Maybe we were spoiled at Cape Charles and Spring Cove Marinas.

En route to Half Moon Bay, we relished in the sites of the New York City harbor on the Hudson River. It’s quite the experience to view via the water.

The Hudson River was a key leg in the transport of goods between New York Harbor and the Great Lakes via the Erie Canal, which made New York the Empire State.

From Lady Liberty you cruise past Governor’s Island, and past the East River to the Erie Canal. There are 63 marinas within a 134-nautical mile stretch, indicative of just how popular boating is on the Hudson.

Cruising the Hudson River south of Federal Lock 1 is very tidal and subject to tidal changes of up to five feet. The Hudson is well marked along its entire length to Troy, New York, with lighted buoys, ranges, fixed lights, and directional lights.

As you approach NYC, the unmistakable skyline comes into view. First is the Verrazano Bridge, followed by on the West, Staten Island. We also saw Ellis Island.

The Hudson Valley is home to many famous historic sites in America. From New York City, to Sleepy Hollow, the U.S. Military Academy, the Mohonk Mountain House, the Culinary Institute of America, the estates of Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Mills, the mansions of Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Van Buren, Samuel Morse and Washington Irving, Kingston, and the Catskills – there are many wonderful places to visit.

Here are some photos from our journey on the Hudson River to Half Moon Bay Marina in Croton-on-Hudson.