No Traffic, No Noise, on Rat Island- the Bronx - NYTimes.com

Rat Island is near Barron's boatyard, City Island

Rat Island - a hazard between City Island and Hart Island - the site of New York City's Potter's Field -  is for sale.

No Traffic, No Noise, on an Island Off the Bronx - NYTimes.com: "It has no electricity or sewer lines. Much of it is under water at high tide. It has no shelter, nor a ready spot to build one. It does not even come with a dock."

'via Blog this'

First day of spring - Circling City Island

We're a week short of the liturgical first day of spring -  Fat Tuesday - but that is just convenience and convention.  The real first day is the first one on the water.  That was today - when I rowed around City Island in my 8 foot plastic Walker Bay skiff.

Senior Citizen Completes Solo Circumnavigation of City Island

On my first day of Medicare eligibility I rowed around City Island.  Why?  Because I could.  Engaged in every man's favorite activity: watching other men work while I did what I pleased.  Below are my 8 ft Walker Bay skiff and some of the workmen and working boats I saw.

My boat - NR2A

all quiet at the fuel dock

Island Current - Daily 8
AM, Nightly 6:30 PM

Hudson Beaver

City Island Bridge

Howard H -  wood work boat still working in NY harbor

Big Bird in his skiff

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City Island - evening light

The Henry Hild

The Henry Hild is, I believe, the only active wooden workboat in New York harbor. A WWII vintage Navy boat, it was bequeathed to John Barron by the late sailmaker, Henry Hild. It is seen here on a mooring at Barron's boatyard on the east side of City Island.

Barron's is one of the handful of yards to which you can entrust a wooden boat - like my North River 2 - an L. Francis Herreshoff-designed Buzzards Bay 14 built in 1985 at The Boat School in Eastport, Maine.

Year-end voyage

The shortest voyages can be the most gratifying.  Today in a December thaw I rowed my 8 ft. plastic dinghy out .48 nm, past Big Tom (a rock)  to  R2 - the nun buoy that marks the entrance to Eastchester Bay.  Outbound is a lot farther than inbound.  Rowing into the sea and the wind, aiming for the bridge, and pulled south on the ebb, you earn the leisurely slide back to the dock, feathering the oars, cutting across the sea, spinning and pulling to put the stern into the swells when a big one rolls in.  When you get to the dock that .48 nm looks far again and you're glad the pump can still put out enough to carry you there on the strength of your arms and your back.

Then check North River 2 at Barron's.  Boat yards are at their best in winter - full of boats.  Looking at the keels, hulls, and spars you can tell how they sail.   The functional shapes and  primary colors look their best against the gray sky.

And then Brian Dempsey's American Ale House.  Vikings 20, Giants 19.  Season not over.