City Island Nautical Museum

A fire closed the doors of the City Island Nautical Museum on Fordham Street, down the block from City Island Diner, and just before Barron's Boatyard, where my North River 2 winters and is cared for.

But now the Museum has reopened.  In the old PS 17 are rooms of City Island memorabilia, mementoes of the days when the Rosenfelds of City Island made the iconic photographs that the Times website features, that decorate countless hotels, restaurants, and apartment walls.  The Rosenfeld Collection  - a million images - is at Mystic Seaport.

My City Island roots go back to our adoration for the Vim, the 12 meter that challenged for the right to defend the America's Cup in 1957.  Originally built for Vanderbilt by Harold Nevins on City Island, it was bought by Ed Matthews the owner of the stevedoring company my grandfather worked for on the Brooklyn docks.  Their manager Sven Pedersen was in charge of the boat. Vim was skippered by Bus Mosbacher - who went on take the helm of Ted Turner's Courageous (also built on City Island).

The Museum is open 1 -5 on Saturday and Sunday.

So here's the City Island Nautical Museum's website

Olin J. Stephens II, Yacht Designer, Dies at 100

VimOlin Stephens designed boats when boats were legends. His Dorade won the 1931 transatlantic race from Ambrose Light to Lizard Point and earned him a ticker-tape parade.

Our family bond with Stephens is Vim - the 12 meter sloop. Built for Vanderbilt in 1939 at Henry Nevins yard on City Island, she was a contender in the 1957 America's Cup revival. Its owner was John Mathews, for whose stevedoring company my grandfather Capt. George Washington Conk (U.S. Army, Ret.) worked on the Brooklyn waterfront. His friend Sven Petersen was charged with maintenance. Bus Mosbacher, later JFK's protocol chief, was the skipper.

Olin J. Stephens II, Renowned Yacht Designer, Dies at 100 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com