Just when we thought that we had reached the pinnacle of our adventure,
sailing past the Statue of Liberty
in the heart of New York City….
We had known the Hermione would be in New York
(you can read more about her here)
and hoped we would be able to see her
but when we came across the opportunity to join the flotilla
for the Independence Day celebration,
we jumped at the chance.
145 boats participated
R.E.D. was listed as #100
and as far as we could tell
we were the only Canadian boat.
I hope the following pictures
will give you a hint of her magnificence…
Captain did a superb job of positioning us amongst the others…
At times it wasn’t easy as the waters were rough
and there was constant jockeying for the best place.
We had to keep within a designated perimeter of Hermione
and none were allowed to move past her bow,
otherwise it was a nautical free-for-all.
…Francois flew his Royal Canadian Artillery Flag with pride…
…we all passed under the Verrazano Bridge…
…past the Statue of Liberty…
…there were pirates…
…and musicians…
(this French woman held the tiller between her legs while playing beautiful
French tunes on her accordian)
…at noon there was a fly-past…
…and fire boat displays…
…so many beautiful ships participated…
…security was fierce…
After 2 hours the parade ended
and we let R.E.D. do what she was meant to do..
sail.
Back on Staten Island we settled in to the evening fireworks…
A day we will remember always!