J 80 #3 at Pier 66, Chelsea, New York City
By Shenzhan Liao
Depart: 4:00 PM
Return: 7:00 PM
Previous Tide: 12:32 PM (Low)
Next Tide: 6:41 PM (High)
Temperature: 65°F
Wind: NW, 11 mph
Course: South
It felt chilly after being in the water with strong winds for a while, particularly if your pants got wet from the bow catching spray from time to time. Still, it was a really fun sail overall. And I got to sail around the Governor's Island for the first time!
Earlier that day around 2:30pm, I left a symposium about ancient Shang Dynasty bronzes at China Institute, and hopped on a Citibike from a nearby station. It was a quick 20-munite bike ride to the Chelsea boathouse at Pier 66.
The day seemed perfect for sailing: brilliant blue sky, clusters of thick clouds, and high winds – though not too strong to have the club cancel the sails. As I was biking along the Hudson, I spotted a few sail boats tilting sharply in the river. Oh, it's going to be a fun sail! I said to myself.
The boathouse seemed quiet. Corner, a staff member from the Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) , told me that everyone was already out in the water. My skipper, Sam, a young guy with a slight accent, was standing next to the boat chart and asked me if I were on his boat. He seemed experienced and chilled. A young woman named Tylor there was also on our boat, J80 #3.
Sam’s buddy, a middle-age man named Dan amd Jackie, a young Asian woman, joined us later. We had a full crew for the sail.
With a black mainsail and a black jib printed with a word spelled “Equinox”, J80#3 looked sleek. It was probably sponsored by the high-end gym in NYC. I have never sailed with this boat in my 3 years with HRCS so there was something new here today. The wind was so strong that the boat came back from an earlier sail with a reefed main already. Sam decided to keep the reef but let the jib fully out.
Getting the boat out of the mooring field was uneventful. And soon we found ourselves beaming south towards the Statue of Liberty. With strong winds and an ebbing current in our favor, we might make it to the Statute today! Sailing depends so much on the tide and the wind. Sometimes the sailboat could only go to the north, or sail back and forth like playing in a bathtub. But today, we seemed to have the condition aligned beautifully.
Once we were through the area shadowed by the skyscrapers from both Manhattan and New Jersey, our J80 #3 was out in the harbor. As we were gliding in front of the Statue of Liberty in the front, the Verrazano Bridge in the distance even seemed so very tempting.
“We won’t make it to the bridge.” Sam said, as if he was reading our minds. “It looks close, but it takes a long time to sail there.”
The harbor was very busy with traffic. Two Staten Island Ferries were crossing each other, and we managed to keep our little sailboat out of their channels. A few smaller cruises and dinner boats were out there too. Once the ferries were cleared, Sam suggested we go around the Governor's Island.
I have never set foot on the island but know it is famous for its annual jazz festival and glamping – its luxury camping ground could be seen from the water. It costs over $600 per night to camp there. A spectator’s platform was being built for the New York SailGP 2025 on the weekend of June 7 and 8. Last year part of the race was canceled as there was almost no wind. I hope they will get our winds this year.
Governor’s Island, New York City
by Shenzhan Liao
By the time we were circling around the Governor's Island, Tylor was at the tiller. It’s her second season with HRCS and she wasn’t too confident yet. But Sam was a good skipper, giving calm instructions and plenty of encouragement. I have never sailed around the island so the first-time experience was exhilarating for me too. The water channel became much narrower so we had to make a few tacks to maneuver out of it. For the first time, I saw the Staten Island ferry get into its terminal, as well as a smaller Governor’s Island ferry station right next to it. I also recognized the green metal facade of Cipriani on the water, where I had attended the APEX gala just weeks before.
By the time we made it back to Pier 66 on time, I was ready to stay away from wind and water. Fun as it was, I started getting really cold, and hungry. The sun was still out, casting a gold glow on the J80 #3 we just jumped off.
3:02 pm, May 25, 2025 @ the Coffee Lab, Astoria, NY