Kingston, N.Y. - Rondout Yacht Basin

This blog will chronicle our (Pat and Patty Anderson's) 

cruising adventures on the Great Loop!

DAYS 70 AND 71 - June 9 and 10, 2017

West Point

Esopus Lighthouse

We had a long run on the Hudson from Georges Island because we really needed a day at a marina - showers, water, re-provision and fuel. Based on the reviews on Active Captain, we picked Rondout Yacht Basin on Rondout Creek, and we picked a winner for sure! There were a couple of interesting sights along the river on our way to Rondout Creek - West Point, a cool sailboat and the Esopus Lighthouse. We would have stopped at West Point if they allowed private boats to dock there, but they don't. We also somehow passed the Culinary Institute but did not see it!

Sailboat on Hudson River

We had called Rondout Yacht Basin for a reservation in the morning, and let them know when we were out in front of the marina. Nick, one of the owners, guided us to our slip and was waiting to catch our bow rail. Rondout Yacht Basin has floating docks in very good condition, and we are hoping like crazy that the last of the Eastern-style fixed pier and piling marinas is behind us! 

Daydream in slip at Rondout Yacht Basin

After we got tied up and registered (moorage is only $2.00 a foot and $5.00 for 30 amp power, New York's best kept secret bargain marina), we kicked back a bit with our usual G&T sundowners, and then headed over to the the Tower Cafe, a little cafe with outside seating directly opposite the marina office overlooking the floating docks.

We had dinner there Friday night. The food is very good and very inexpensive! Tony is the chef and Alex is the waitress.  Alex told us that Tony had just received his U.S. citizenship, and there would be a surprise party for Tony on Saturday night, and invited us to come.  At that point, we did not think we would still be there Saturday night, but we thanked her for the invitation! 

We had breakfast on Saturday morning at the Tower Cafe - have you ever had two eggs, three sausages, toast and a mountain of potatoes for $5.00? Well, maybe at the Senior Center or something, but not at any other restaurant I know. 

I saw they had a TraveLift at the marina, and started thinking - we were right at the 150 hour mark since the prior outboard service. I was thinking I might extend that to 200 hours, but here we were at a nice marina with a TraveLift, with no idea where we would be in 50 more hours! So I asked Andrew, the other owner and Nick's brother, about a haul out so I could do my outboard service.  We arranged to do the haulout Saturday, so we extended for another day! Andrew also agreed he would stop and pick up the seven quarts of oil required and dispose of the used oil - this is truly above and beyond in my book.

Saturday morning, Andrew offered to allow us to use his pickup truck to drive to Kingston to re-provision, and we took him up on his kind offer! Nick said that to the extent they can (no guarantees), they allow transient boater to borrow their cars for shopping, which is an unexpected but very welcome added touch!

Daydream in TraveLift

When we got back, Andrew fired up the TraveLift, I motored over, and Daydream was up in the air just like that! Andrew parked the TraveLift on the backside of the parking lot, and I got down to work, with Patty's assistance when more than two hands were required. The MightyVac paid for itself all over again, just as it had in Swansboro at Benton and Ann Blalock's house in North Carolina.  Benton had walked me through each step, but now I was on my own with no guide!

 All went smoothly thanks to some good advice from Benton. West Coast Marine had torqued everything down beyond all reason at the service in Bellingham. In Swansboro we struggled mightily to get everything loose, including the oil filter, the fuel filter and the lower unit drain and fill screws. Benton pointed out that these are all sealed with rubber gaskets, and there was absolutely no reason to torque them down. In fact, the oil filter said to hand tighten and then tighten 3/4 turn with the oil filter wrench, which we did, and that made it very easy to remove everything for my service at Rondout Yacht Basin. I mention all of this because, as my C-Dory friends know, I am the guy who cannot get a lug nut off a wheel! So I feel pretty good about being self-sufficient for doing the oil change, oil filter replacement and lower unit lube! 

Tony's citizenship party was really heartwarming, lots of smiles, hugs and congratulations. And with good reason - this was a once in a lifetime moment for Tony. Most of the slips in Rondout Yacht Basin appear to be long term, and the boat owners spend a lot of time on their boats on weekends. They were all very friendly and even though we were transient boaters for two nights, they welcomed us into their party. They had brought appetizers, desserts and beverages. One of the boat owners, Frank, brought Sangria that was a big hit. Andrew provided a cooler full of beer. As they say, a good time was had by all! 

Slips at Rondout Yacht Basin

Rondout Yacht Basin sign

A little bit about Rondout Yacht Basin. According to the sign, it was established in 1994. The docks are probably newer and in excellent condition. The restroom building is probably from the 1990s era, but very clean. The grounds are immaculate, with lots of picnic tables, a swimming pool, and games like horseshoes and tetherball. But what really makes this place stand out, and why we liked it so much, is the people who run it. Owners Andrew and Nick, dockmaster Jeff, and even their young helper Nash, all go the extra mile to do everything they can to ensure a great stay. Five stars all around by us!