Who is going on the NJLHS cruise on Aug 20th
I will be there. I hope the weather is good.
Fran

Stan and I will be there--you'll know me by the seaband bracelet on each wrist. I get sick on elevators; you don't want to see how sick I can get on the water!!

ramamine!!!!!!!!!! I heard my friend got something from the doctor that works great without putting you to sleep. Don't know what its called.

Dramamine sorry.

Fran,

Esther and I plan on being there.

Dennis

Oooh, now I wish I was going. I'm busy redesigning the NJLHS website, though, so I guess I'm doing my part for the group.

If we are able to get the people, maybe I'll see some of you on a Circle Line cruise.

Didn't want to miss this trip, but we are leaving for Michigan that day to lighthouse before and after the reunion. Asked Robert if we might want to take the cruise and leave from there, he said "Don't push It".

Joyce

Well we took our little boat cruise in NY Harbor today. We got to see 1 beacon, 1 faux lighthouse, 1 Lighthship and 9 Lighthouses.

It was an adventure. The ship was upposed to be there at 9 AM and we were supposed to leave at 9:30.

The ship arrived at about 10:45 after getting cleaned up from the Masons the night before and being held up by Homeland Security so more important shipping could use the shipping lanes.

The adventure started when the Captain realized that the dock he was coming into was a fixed dock- not a floating dock as they are used to using. The removed one of the doors from the stairway leading from the upper deck and laid that down as a gangplank. They had 6 guys - 3 on each side - helping the passengers get onto the boat at a very steep angle.

We left dock and proceeded on our way to out first Lighthouse- the Statue of Liberty. We had an extra added attraction there- the Fuji blimp was floating around it.

We continued on our way and passed Robbins Reef next. We were able to get up close to this one for some nice shots. We had some good narration by Jim & Nancy cope of the NJLHS.

We motored on to the next stop- Weed Battery in Ft Wadsworth directly beneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

We continued on our way and got up close and personal with both Old Orchard and West bank Lighthouses. We got very close to both of them.

We could see Conover Beacon in the distance as well as a faint view of the Staten Island Rear Range Lighthouse and Elm Tree Lighthouse on Staten Island.

We continued on and got to Romer Shoal and got very close to it for some more nice photos.

We took a short ride from there over to Norton's Point (Coney Island) and then started back to Liberty State Park.

We got a surprise then- we continued past the park where we could see a vies of the Lighthship Liberty and went up into the Hudson River- apparatnly this is just about where the line is for the oficial end of the river- to a Faux Lighthouse. I believe the name was Le Clerc Point. It's a red and white striped lighthouse that was built to advertise a condominium complex on the banks of the Hudson in Jersey City.

We had another adventure getting off the ship when we got back as now it was low tide and we had to place the door on a set of steps and then crouch down low as we went through the door to get off the ship. We again had 6 guys around the gangplank.

All in all things went a bit awry but a good time was had by all- at least as far as I know- and we raised about $200 from the 50-50 and other raffles for Lighthouse preservation.

I got to see a bunch of people- some from NELL, some from the LI Lighthouse society, many from the NJLHS and that one unique individual who represents all of those organizations plus at least one more the Outer Banks Lighthouse society- Shirin Pagels.

It was a fun time to see so many old friends and get a chance to talk and get to meet some new faces.

Pictures will eventually follow.

Sandy how did we mange to miss each other on this one- I actually asked shirin if she knew you and we were looking for you before the boat left but we didn''t find you.

I did speak with Fran for a moment , though.

I thought that Diane and Nancy from LI were coming but I guess they changed their minds.

Dennis

Dennis,

Don't know why we missed each other. We were seated starboard side aft on the upper deck. Stan kept getting up to photograph the lighthouses; I maintained a conversation with a couple from New Jersey that we sat with. Shirin probably doesn't know me by sight altho' we've emailed each other in the past. Tom Pregman knows both of us by "ducks" (the name of my home-based business is Ducks-in-a-Row and "ducks" is part of my email address). I even wore my Tilly hat for the beginning of the trip and my NELL badge is pinned to the hat. I looked for your name on name tags to no avail. I only know what you look like from the side view of your avatar and didn't "see" anybody that looked like you. Maybe Maryland. . . .

Sandy,

I was the lunatic walking around selling 50-50 tickets. I had a coquille Lighthouse t-shirt on.

Did you buy any tickets?

To be honest with you I clear forgot all about that you were on the cruise after Shirin and I talked while we were waiting for the boat to show up.

Sorry- I should have thought about it later.

We were sitting near the exit to the bow on the left side of the boat. Right near the bar and the stairs.

Dennis

Dennis,

You stopped at our table with the 50-50 tickets which we opted out of this time. Next time make certain you only show your profile and, most importantly, do not shave. You were seated on the same deck as we were, either two tables behind us or on the other side. I probably tripped over you at some point!! Puts a new spin on "two ships passing. . . ."

Sandy,

I still have my beard- haven't shaved it off in years. I've had a beard or at the very least a mustache since 1969. The biggest differnece is there is a bit less red in the beard and a bit more gray in it.

Dennis

Thanks for the trip report Dennis! Sounds like quite the adventure -- but those always end up being the best trips, in my experience.

Nancy and I didn't make the cruise. I REALLY wanted to go, but the wedding is so close and I have no free time. Add the fact that I have been really sick all week, so I probably would have been miserable had I went.

I hope the NJLHS will consider running this cruise again next year. If so, I mark it on my calendar as a "must-do."

Can't wait to see your pictures, Dennis.

Diane,

Hope you feel better. Chat reminded me that the wedding is literally around the corner.

Hope the day is beautiful for you and Bob.

I'm getting slow in working with my photos again. Here's a link for some photos taken by some others on the trip.

http://www.lighthousing.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4764

Dennis