October 4

Thursday was our day to get our mast put up. We left Waterford and the Erie for the Troy Lock and the salty water of the Hudson River. From this lock to New York, we are at sea level and subject to tides and tidal currents. The river flows fresh water south on the ebb and the sea returns its salt water on the flood. As we passed Albany, we saw this replica of the Half Moon, Henry Hudson's ship. Notice the crescent moon on the stern.
Along the Hudson, antique lighthouses still stand but have been replaced by channel markers and automated lights. Efforts to save many of them are continuing.
After we had the mast put up at Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill Creek, we decided to move down river to Saugerties and an anchorage at Esopus Creek. We believed that our traveling companions on Eagle's Wings were not going to get their mast put up until first thing on Friday. We went ahead to be in position to get to our planned meeting with Jeff Jones in Newburg for lunch on Friday. They called us after we anchored in Esopus Creek and told us they did get the mast up and would either join us or stop at an anchorage above us. It turns out that they did decide that they would not have time to get to Esopus Creek before nightfall. Esopus Creek provided one of the most tranquil nights at anchor we have spent. We did not even set the anchor and Sabbatical just floated on a limp anchor rode all night.