---

Due to work I wasn't able to attend the last two Whaler Outings to New York Harbor. I always wanted to make the trip, but I thought my Montauk might not be big enough. This past December I bought my 1990 18 Outrage, and have been anxiously waiting for the right day to go. Finally with the right boat, engines running well, 4 mph wind, temperature in the low 60's, and 1pm slack tide at the dreaded Hellgate bridge, I decided to go for it.

I found Google Maps satellite photos very helpful, and they enabled me to visualize the route I would be taking.

Here's a link to the photos: http://www.danwagner.com/NYCwhaler/in.../index.htm

I left Cold Spring Harbor at 11am, and with a few quick stops arrived at Hellgate bridge around 12:30pm. The tide was rising with slack tide at 1pm. What I didn't understand was the current runs East as it rises and West as it lowers. I was hoping to run with the current. Fortunately it didn't matter because the Hellgate Bridge wasn't too hellish. On the return 1 1/2 hours after slack tide, my GPS indicated that the current was slowing me down by about 4mph. But this is when I was on plane, and would probably be stronger if more of the boat was in the water.

Most of the trip my twin 70 Yamahas ran at 4K rpm and pushed the boat at 24 mph GPS.

Just past the Hellgate Bridge there's an area to the right that's good for laying up and fishing. Evidently, the striped bass fishing can be fantastic in The East River. One fisherman proudly displayed a huge striper (see photos).

Two of my concerns were floating objects like logs, and commercial boat traffic. I saw about 8 or 9 large wooden beams that would have seriously damaged my boat. I don't think I'd want to make this trip at night.

I made friends with three men in a 1985 22ft Outrage (see photos) who were kind enough to snap some photos of me. They knew about this site. I told them I would be posting a link to the photos.

Boat traffic in New York Harbor wasn't bad, and the swells were a lot of fun. You have to really pay attention, unless you want to find yourself with a ferry coming right at you.

The trip took a little over 4 1/2 hours and covered about 100 miles. I'm looking forward to doing it again, and hope I don't have to work on the day of the next official Whaler round-up.

---

Dan,

Today was a perfect day for it... nearly 70 today. Glad you had a great day. I will pulling of the 17 out of the water this weekend and hope to get a day on out on the Hudson in the next few weeks.

---

Wow Dan,
Great pictures it looks like the weather was great. I wish we had weather in October like that. Here in Minnesota we are freezing to death. I am thinking about putting my boat away for the winter next week.
Chris

---

Nice Job Dan, you picked a great day, great photo's. I see they put a new coat of fresh red paint on the Hellgate RR bridge, look's a bit less scary instead of "LOOMING BROWN RUST". The striper's like to hang out by the warm water discharge of "Big Alice" (Con Ed's Generator plant) there. Glad you got home safe !

---

Hi Matt, thanks, I'm glad I didn't have any problems with the motors. I read that if there's a strong wind from the Northeast it can push more water towards Hellgate. I heard the stripers also like the warm water by the Northport power plant.

Chris, I'll send the weather over to you today.

---

WhalerDan. Great photos!

After looking at your pictures and all those buildings......I'm very glad to be living in Texas! I was born in New Jersey and lived there for a few years before my family moved to South Florida. We always made an annual trek back to the Northeast to visit family so I still somewhat know most of the areas you photographed.

Thanks again for sharing.

---

Dan -

Good for you!

You definitely had better weather than we did in June. You also did not have to contend with the boat wakes of 47 other boats. It was hard taking photos with the boat pitching and yawing.

As always, your photos are great.

---

Great pics Dan. Thanks for posting them. :D

---

Dan
Wow.. that is soo great. Must be a great feeling to have that notch on the belt. I have missed the 2 NYC runs as well. I will to my best to attend this years. Now that you have done the run, how would you feel about doing it in a montauk 17, if you still had it?
PS. That is a great setup you have there!!!!! Love the twin engines.

---

Great story, trip, and pictures. Took a ride across the bay last night to Fire Island for some surf fishing. Something about the water this time of year...when the wind lays down, the water cools a little and the light is right it's like running on liquid silver or mercury... No fish on the beach but it was great ride anyway.

---

This is the BEST time of year in the N.E. for the water !

---

.. not that I've done it, I would do it in a classic Montauk. But, I would want a nice day because there's a lot of distance to cover and I'm not in my early twenties by a long shot and don't like a lot of pounding. Of course I'd want to be 100 percent confident of my boat and motor.

Not having a head, I only had toast for breakfast, drank water sparingly along the way, and had some crackers when I was an hour from home.

One of the best things I brought with me was Seashocks 1 1/2 inch thick fatigue mat to stand on. It softens the ride a lot. I also wore a sweatshirt and ski jacket even though the temp was about 60 -- I find it feels colder when going 24 mph. And I put sunscreen on my face, neck, ears, and bald spot :)

I also brought a few hundred dollars cash in case I had to pay for a tow.


Yes the liquid silver quality of the water when the lighting is just right is kind of magical.


Thanks for compliments on photos. I would've taken more and made them better, but I wanted to keep an eye out for wakes and traffic, and also maintain the schedule I'd set. I agree it's a challenge to take photos while the boat is bouncing around. I tried taking the photos at the top of the bounce. I used a Canon G-9 which is a fantastic point and shoot and I can operate it with one hand.

---

I'm in NYC - Very envious. If you ever want do it again we're game. Awesome!

---

Dan,

Yes, you did have fantastic weather for October. We made the run in June and the weather was pretty tough.

I took a ride up the Hudson on my Conquest the same day you took your ride. The sun was out, the trees were probably close to being at their peak for color and the water was glasslike.

You took great pictures, especially the last one of the Hell Gate Bridge. It really is a beautiful structure.

Hope to see you at next years Whaler run.

Norm

---

Hi Mark and Norm. Mark I've seen your photography -- great stuff. Please e-mail me dan@danwagner.com and maybe we can do the voyage.

---

I was off yesterday as well and almost made the same trip. I opted to take the dog to Central Park instead. He loves the boat, but not for that long with out a spot to run around. Hell Gate isn't as bad as people think, except for larger displacement hulls and tugs pushing barges. I have I lot of respect for those capts. Let me know the next time. I'll be up for it.

---

Dan,

Looks like it was great weather!

FYI, about half of the links in your photo album are dead.

---

Tom, yes, the weather was more than I could hope for. I just fixed the links.

Here's a photo of Barry D. and his fishing friends. They're out of Edgewater NJ.

[img]http://www.danwagner.com/NYCwhaler/images/WhalerNYC102109_064.jpg[/img]

Barry was kind enough to photograph a few photos of me on my 18 in the same area.

Barry sent me an e-mail with some info on the huge striper, "The really big stripped bass, that my friend fishing on the GW caught, is docked next to me at my marina in Edgewater, NJ. This very big bass measured 47 " and weighed in at 35 lbs."

Here's the striper photo:

[img]http://www.danwagner.com/NYCwhaler/images/WhalerNYC102109_067.jpg[/img]

Barry's boat is a 1985 22 Outrage with a single 250 HP Yamaha Four Stroke that can push the boat 50mph. He used to have twin 90 Yamahas.

---

Dan, it is a nice trip. Have made it a few times myself. I was debating putting the boat in for a last trip before I put her in my garage for the winter. I wanted to get a few more trips in this year, but I have the need to get started on the fuel tank. Next year will be here before I know it, and I hope to have most of the repairs on the boat done by then. Glad you had a great day.

Kevin