You should visit Dave’s Blog for the story – there are a number of Goat and other Storerboat blogs listed in the right column – http://gis-davlafont.blogspot.com/2013/08/chivita-visits-mother-of-exiles.html
Dave LaFontaine finished his Goat at the beginning of the year. Now he’s getting to follow some of his plans.
Photo is by brother Rick. Dave wrote on the photo “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” – Maybe Frank was singing about boatbuilding?
This is Dave writing about the day – they were cruising with friends in a yacht.
We pushed off the Liberty State Park ramp, bumped into the sea wall lightly and pushed away from it, then sailed away on a beam reach right out into the harbor; no tacks required! It was too good to be true.
All day, the wind was our friend.
We had N-NW in the morning which allowed for good angles at the statue, but not too much of a beat to head up towards Manhattan. By the time were in the Hudson, the wind had shifted around to westerly so we reached uptown for a good long way. We finally reverse course at the passenger terminals because we knew we’d have to get home sometime.
The wind was W-SW for most of the ride home, plus the current was with us by then, so we rode a starboard tack almost the entire way except to dodge a cargo vessel or a ferry. Even the lulls–wind shadow from various NJ buildings–were welcome to give us a little rest. But making out way back to the ramp involved (of course) beating directly into the wind. But even then, there were lifts from the south at just the right moments and we literally sailed right back onto the ramp. I NEVER USED MY OARS. So awesome.
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