The blustery winds that confronted us for the first few days of the trip were northerly, unfortunately (thus pushing directly against as we traveled into them). In the tight confines of the Hudson River, sailing against the wind is difficult at best for the Half Moon, requiring tricky, split-second maneuvering. Even Captain Hudson in 1609 preferred to remain at anchor rather than fight countervailing winds here.
Luckily, however, we encountered ideal weather once we emerged from the Hudson Highlands are were able to enjoy several hours of quiet travel under wind power alone in the broad section of river just south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.