Logged at 5:12 pm, August 17 @ UnderPressur, Asotira, NY
By Shenzhan/申展
Pier 66, New York, August 16, 2025
Photo credit: Shenzhan/申展
Location: Pier 66, Chelsea, NY
Depart: 9:30 AM
Return: 12:30 PM
Previous Tide: 8:23 AM Low
Next Tide: 2:40 PM High
Temperature: 80°F
Wind: South, 7 mph
Course: South-North-South
Crew: Al (skipper), Shenzhan, Yoko, Maria
Skipper AI —short for Alexander, not Artificial Intelligence—was a tall, slender man, sitting quietly in the boathouse at Pier 66, minding his own business while Yoko and I caught up before the sail. I had sailed with Yoko last season. She was in her fifties, with big eyes and short hair—tanned, energetic, and full of life. She told me her main challenge was sailing smaller boats like ours, a J/24.
Maria arrived late, slipping aboard as we were rigging. Her English carried a heavy accent, and I later learned she was originally from Argentina, had lived in Madrid, and had now settled in New York.
AI opted to raise the genoa rather than the jib. It was a smart call. The wind was light, and J/24s balance better with a genoa. Larger than a jib—almost two-thirds the size of the mainsail—the genoa can drive the boat when the breeze is soft, or during a race.
We hoisted the sails south of the stationary barges. There are now four near Pier 66: three sitting mid-river and inching closer to the pier, and one uncomfortably too close to the mooring field, complicating traffic for sailboats coming and going. With the wind steady from the south, we headed north along the New Jersey side.
As we squeezed through the narrow channel between New Jersey and the barges, five vessels suddenly converged —a small cruise ship, two motorboats, a ferry, and the Circle Line, a commercial river cruise refusing to yield to the sailboats. Yoko, at the helm, steered us through the commotion without an incident, guided by AI.
Midtown New York Seen from the Hudson River, August 16, 2025
Photo credit: Shenzhan/申展
The rest of the sail was calmer but no less enjoyable. We ran wing-on-wing for a good stretch, the genoa pulling opposite the main as we glided downwind past midtown. After Maria’s turn at the helm, I took over and turned the boat into the wind. The boat heeled nicely as we worked our way downriver. Before getting too close to the barges, we bore away and headed north again. Between jibes and tacks, we all had plenty of practice and a satisfying workout on the river.
August 17, 2025
Astoria, NY