Fun Stuff -

Boo. No sailing for me tonight. Must work work work.

A few neat things I've known were approaching -

Ever wondered if kayak polo was for you? Give it a try for free tonight (August 30th, so sorry for such late notice) with New York Kayak Polo!

This Sunday, September 2nd, it's time for the 15th annual Hudson River tugboat competition! I went last year, off-duty from the schooner for the weekend as I was recovering from a bad case of the flu & wasn't feeling entirely able-bodied yet - unfortunately the day sort of ended up in the "sad memories" file because of the then-pending closure of the barge (it was tough seeing that wonderful scene & knowing it was so close to over) plus a deeply depressing encounter with one of the self-appointed leaders of the efforts to do something about the closure - but I did get some great pictures. I almost feel like I should go this year just to wash last year's bad taste out of my mouth, but I'll probably go paddling instead - been getting a lot of water time in & I'm really enjoying doing some longer trips (catch-up post with semispontaneous Gravesend Bay trip coming soon).

And then during the first part of September - it's time for opera on a tanker! Evocatively featured on Tugster - it sounds REALLY cool.

Finally (well, for today's post, I'm sure there are lots of other neat things going on but these are the ones I've been wanting to mention before they were over & done), on September 21st, the Working Harbor Committee (same folks as put on the tugfest!) are offering another in their series of the Working Harbor Committee is offering another in their ongoing series of Hidden Harbor Tours - this time, it's the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the Kill Van Kull tugboat yards (I've seen the latter & it's really something to see). I'd be there except that I should be 1/3rd of the way into a 3-day paddle out along Long Island - that's been planned for months now, part of an effort to get into the Guiness Book of World Records for SLOWEST circumnavigation of Long Island by kayak (they have that as a category, right?).

OK, just joking about the record thing, but the slow circumnav plan is totally for real. More on that some other time!

BTW - Sadly, it doesn't look as though the barge where I spent so many hours of the last 9 years is going to open this year - but happily, at least New York Riversports, a not-for-profit organization created through the joint efforts of the 3 organizations that provided paddlesports fun of all sorts for so many years at the old barge, is now up & running in their shiny new boathouse at Pier 66. Still can't believe it took so long, but at least there's finally a restoration of some real river access in Chelsea. I'm happy for them.