Day of Infamy
Trip Start
Jul 21, 2001
1
18
45
Trip End
Apr 22, 2002
Tarrytown,
New York,
United States
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
We left the anchorage this morning in a very cautious manner. It certainly was strange to work our way, without instruments, pass the shoals off Croton Point and back into the main shipping channel. The water is very murky with only a foot or so of visibility so I found myself being extra cautious. I'm probably no different from many sailors who almost unconsciously look at their instruments and it is only when they are not there that we become maybe unreasonably nervous. It is hard to recall back decades ago when we had no instruments and sailed confidently just looking at our charts. The difference on the Hudson is that we only have large scale charts as 95% of our sailing in within the marked shipping channels.
Our own problems would be become so minor in comparison with what the day would shortly bring the citizens of the US.
We arrived at the Tarrytown Marina just after the World Trade Centre was struck. People at the docks were just standing looking southward to a huge white column of smoke. One man had been talking with his friend on a cell phone and the man screamed, "The second one just went down in front of me!" Everyone was just stunned at what has happened. Over the marina's PA system, the ABC news was broadcast for all to hear and keep updated on what was occuring. During the morning, we kept getting updates and every 15 minutes the Coast Guard broadcast a message over the marine radios that no boats were allowed to move south of the George Washington Bridge.
We are only 25 miles away and we were told that normally you could see the twin towers from our dock. Now we only see a huge white column of smoke. I'm sure all of you at home have watched it on TV and we would like to see it but there is also quite a difference being right here with people who have friends and neighbours working at the Trade Center. One young man had his video camera out and was just standing there. He was supposed to have had a meeting at 11:30 that morning at the Trade Centre and was about to get on the train when the first reports were issued.
We just heard over the radio that over 4000 people worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Tower One between the 30th and 50th floors and they gave a number for relatives and friends to call to find out more information about these people. If there were 4000 people between 20 floors and the towers were over 100 stories high - what will the death toll be not only of these workers but the firefighters and police who were helping evacuate the buildings when they collapsed on top of them?
September 12
We reported the lightning strike to our insurance company and we still have not heard from the adjuster. Our agent is trying doing her best to get some action for us but it is certainly understandable that in this crisis our problems are very low priority.
All during yesterday Armed Forces planes flew directly down the Hudson, seemingly just over our heads. The Tappen Zee bridge is right beside the marina and Margaret looked up once to see 9 ambulances crossing over to the New York side.
Our radio/CD player on the boat was fried by the lightening but we have a solar powered radio that escaped damage. As we were walking the docks listening to it, the news was interrupted with a live flash that a third building had just gone down. We looked up and there, off the end of the dock, a huge plume of smoke went up in the New York skyline.
We can't watch CNN of course so it is very strange to go back in time to listen to radio. They keep saying this is a declaration of war and listening to updates on the radio must in a way be what it was like for our parents and grandparents during the Second World War as they gathered around small radios anxiously awaiting news of events.
This morning, when we went to the showers there was a Coast Guard notice that the river was closed below the George Washington bridge. When we returned, there was a new posted message stopping all traffic, commercial as well as public, on the Hudson River from 10 miles above us to the entrance to New York. A warship, an aircraft carrier and a missile carrier are due shortly in the river. As we walked to our boat, a gun ship went steaming up the river. It is so strange not to see any movement on the normally incredibly busy waterway.
You don't hear this on radio or TV but there is a Coast Guard gun boat with 3 inch cannons and 50 caliber machine guns 10 miles up from us opposite the nuclear power plant. I think this is the boat I saw early this morning. The Coast Guard Auxiliary members I spoke with today were told the river may be closed until Sunday. As we watch continuous traffic across the Tappen Zee bridge and listen to the trains constantly go by it's difficult to understand the extreme preoccupation with river traffic.
September 13
The Hudson River is still closed and there is no indication as to when it may open. We heard from our insurance company that the adjuster won't be able to see us until tomorrow. This marina only has basic amenities with no club house and no adjacent park or picnic tables etc. Thankfully, there is one local continuous news channel which we were told about. We have a small TV/VCR combination on board and we were able to watch a rather blurry version of events as they have unfolded today.
After hearing that there was nothing we could do until at least tomorrow and with the Amtrak train station only five minutes away from the marina, I decided to take the train to Manhattan. I wanted to visit something like the Museum of Man to restore one's faith in humanity, maybe even find a West Marine store to look for equipment to replace what has been destroyed.
Margaret was happy to remain behind and read a new book she had just started as she has never had an interest in entering New York city. She is not comfortable in large cities and as far as New York is concerned once was enough for her when we visited it 10 years ago.
It was quite interesting taking the train as it traveled along the shores of the Hudson River. The river was empty with the exception of three barges which were anchored in mid channel. Obviously, they had been stopped in mid voyage by the Coast Guard.
Suddenly the train stopped!
Over the PA system, we heard that there was a bomb threat at Grand Central Station and we would not be allowed to proceed past the next station. We slowly advanced and stopped at a station in the middle of no where. A north bound train came into the station and most of the passengers left and took the overpass to that train. Figuring they were much more savy than a visiting Canadian, I of course followed them - onto a train that also went nowhere!
Finally, an hour later, we took off as the southbound train stayed put. Back in Tarrytown, I explored the area and walked to Sleepy Hollow, the place made famous by Washington Irving. I crossed the Headless Horseman Bridge, passed the Sleepy Hollow High School - Home of the Horsemen. Certainly the students seemed to be dressed in much more "normal" clothing from the extremes of student dress that I saw upriver outside Kingston High School. Our Manitoulin students would have no trouble fitting into this small community.
