Anyone ever been there that can give me tips on what to see while I'm there? I may be taking the 4 hr trip up there this weekend for a few nights. Seems like a really nice place. Olympic size pool, video games and stuff for the kids etc....

Thanks
-Tom

I have many nights there as a stopover. It is enormous - a city unto itself with 1,000 slips. Very easy navigating in and out. They typically put transients on the Silver dock which is quite a walk to the facilities/office/restaurant. As you will see on a map, the marina is not walking distance to anything and there are no major attractions immediately nearby worth cabbing to, so plan on staying put and enjoying the pool - the kids will love it. I last ate at the restaurant back in June and had a great meal. They usually have live music on the weekends. And since you'll be there on the weekend, the place will be hoppin' and the pool will be packed. A lot of boaters seems to use it as their county club and seldom leave the dock. If you feel like getting off the dock while you're there and the weather is great, it's worth the ride north a bit to the Bear Mountain Bridge. A bit further and you'll be at West Point. It is one of the most beautiful sections on the Hudson. For a much shorter ride, there is also a great anchorage a bit south of Haverstraw Marina on the east side of Haverstraw Bay at Croton Point, but on a nice weekend day it is typically packed. That said, if you're like me, you like to tie up, plug in and hang out. For a couple of nights you should enjoy it.

Also know that their docks are aluminum. If you have a dog they will have difficulty walking the docks on a hot day and will need paw protectors.

As you're navigating north of the GWB, obviously pay close attention to your charts, but don't feel obligated to stay in the channel. There is plenty of water outside of the channel, particularly once you clear the Tappan Zee Bridge and you should feel comfortable staying west of the channel to plot a more direct route to the marina.

Any other places since you're in my area where you have visited? I was going to check out Fire Island as well as Port Jefferson.

They have a nice marina at the Molly Pitcher. Then it's just a quick dinghy ride to Boondocks for grilled garlic shrimp. But I kid.

Port Jeff is a great town to visit by boat. I've only stayed at Danford's there which is a world class marina. No pool, though (although they will deliver room service to your boat). Manhasset Bay would be an even shorter ride. I've stayed there at Brewer's Capri which is one of the finest marinas I've been to. It has a pool but it is very small and not the most appealing place to spend the day. If you have a dinghy you can motor over to a nearby beach which, while the beach is private and you're not supposed to go ashore, everyone anchors out and swims in the water there. Dinghy or water taxi to Port Washington. I spent three nights there and really enjoyed it but didn't have kids to entertain. Heading north on the Hudson, Haverstraw is your closest best bet.

Actually thought about changing to Haverstraw if I really enjoy it. Only 1hr and 10min from my house. One negative thing about it is that its twice the distance of Redbank where I am located now = not as convenient. Positives would be that I'm driving north instead of south for the weekend. I'll have to weigh the options after I visit Haverstraw this weekend. Positives are that it's half the price of my slip in redbank!!

Another huge positive is that you'll be out of the salt. I am sure you have seen the brand new, leftover V358 and V378 at Irwin. I was stunned at how bad the boats looked. I realize that millions of people happily keep their boats in salt water - and I may someday too - but it really struck me when I saw that boat in particular how much extra work it is to keep a boat looking and running great, no matter how it boat is, when you're in the salt.
The other great benefit of Haverstraw is it's such a great jumping off point to so many places. There's so much to explore to the north (including Lake Champlain which would be more within your reach if you had a couple of weeks to take off) and of course the Sound is practically in your backyard. Obviously, in the Navesink, you have to do a bit of traveling just to get to open water. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on Haverstraw. Have a blast!