That's the reason for time...

That’s the reason for time. So that not everything happens all at once.

Garrison Keilor

October 10, 2009

Back River - October

To see the whole slide show click HERE

James at full gallop on James Meadow

From Back River to James Meadow - October afternoon

What's missing at our Memorial Day Parades and 2d Amendment Rallies

Women Militia

Heritage Cup Regatta 2009 - Hempstead Harbor

Dave Seroy and I went to the Heritage Cup Regatta. Tried to stay out of trouble as we followed the fleet of classic boats: Herreshoff S Boats, a P Class yawl, and others at the third annual event in the Woooden Boat Racing Series.

We cast off from City Island at 8:53 and were off the Hempstead Harbor Club dock at 10:23.

I feel like a salmon home to spawn - because that little cove at the mouth of the creek in Sea Cliff is where I first sailed. My father bought an 18' Cape Cod style centerboard sailboat. I remember my sister Kathryn as an infant in a car bed under the cuddy - the youngest of four, me, the oldest nine. And I remember the feeling of relief when I sailed with my father on Lou Peretti's Friendship sloop. That is what led us 40 years later to rent in Friendship, Maine - and now to own a home there on the Back River.

The race was under leaden skies and several showers - but we all got in before the big 4 - 5 PM tropical downpour. We headed home about 17:30 and tied up at our home mooring at 19:20.

Thanks to Mike Emmert and Golden Eye for organizing this year's event. Same time, next year, we hope.

Images: schooner approaching Hempstead Harbor,
an S boat and Friendship sloop Mara E passing port to port pre-start, Hempstead Harbor Club under approaching storm, Dave Seroy, my crew on North River 2, after the rain.

NY Harbor Pilots - a day at the office

Sacha Botbol runs this - the Pilot Launch Wanderer to pick up and discharge New York harbor pilots. Some days the office is rougher than others. This is what Beaufort scale Force 10 looks like off the shores of Long Island. For video of similar conditions on the Gulf of Maine posted by the Penobscot Bay pilots click HERE

A nice day:

Pilot No. 1:

Dream boat

Tiernan Roe, of West Cork, has built this 22 foot lapstrake cuddy cabin runabout. It's got a 30 hp Honda in a well - very economical. Looks like it runs at about 20, and has the right hull shape for a Bantry Bay (or Penobscot Bay) chop.

Here's his blog - with lots of pictures of the boat in process, and links to his furniture making and other things. 19,900 Euro and it's yours (w/o power).

Thanks to Carl Cramer and woodenboat.com for the link.

NY 400 - the Dutch return

NY 400 - Holland on the Hudson commemorates Henry Hudson's arrival in the river now named for him (though it is still the North River in the maritime trades). Part of that is the yacht squadron transported here on the Flinterduin. The traditional craft spent a night at Atlantic Basin in Red Hook (Rood Hoek) (where my grandfather worked on the President Street piers his entire working life). I attended the welcoming ceremony there. The next day the squadron headed north - following in Hudson's wake. For great coverage of their journey go to Tugster, as always the best source of photo coverage of New York Harbor. Click on thumbnails to expand.

Bowsprite: Central Jersey RR Terminal

One of the glories of 20th Century New York City was the ferry service - from Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken, and from the Central Jersey RR Terminal in Jersey City. The architectural winner is the Communipaw Terminal (at the foot of Communipaw Avenue). It still gets some use for sightseeing boats but the tracks are overgrown and the Central Jersey line was rerouted onto the Northeast corridor main line, heading to Penn Station (who can resist - they're building another tunnel to get people to the City).

This is BOWSPRITE'S appreciation of the great terminal.

WTC - the catastrophe and the John J. Harvey

On September 11, 2001 the retired fireboat John J. Harvey was pressed into service at the World Trade Center. It ferried 150 people from the site of the disaster. For a time it provided the only water at the site of the catastrophe. Its story is told HERE. All images c. John J. Harvey, LLC.

For 24 hours