Hudson River Park User Survey

Today I would just like to share a link to a user survey that the Hudson River Park Trust has put up for the public. I filled this out a while ago after hearing about it from both the NYC Watertrail Association and PortSide NewYork on the very same afternoon; I meant to share it here but it slipped my mind until it appeared again today on the Lilac Preservation Project Facebook page. There's still time to fill it out, last day is March 6th. I of course went for historic ships and water access everywhere I could! Click here to visit the survey. Thanks!  

Grand Re-Opening of the Kayak Dock At Governor's Island

There was some very good news for New York City kayakers (and people who aren't kayakers yet but would like to give it a try) announced by Graeme Burchall, current head of the Downtown Boathouse, on the local kayak email lists today - there will be an opening ceremony for the newly-installed kayak dock at Governor's Island on Wednesday. There was a kayak dock in the past -- the photos above and below were from City of Water Day 2011 -- but at some point it got damaged beyond repair and it took a lot of time, grant-writing, and hard work by Graeme and the DTBH crew to get it replaced.

They pulled it off, though, and now the DTBH will resume running their free kayaking in the embayment on weekends for the rest of their season. The dock will also serve as part of the New York City Watertrail, so more advanced kayakers will now be able to paddle to Governor's Island and land there when the island is open (the one request is that paddlers who arrive that way check in, as safety plans for the island do require the operators to know how many people are on the island at any given time; there will be a phone number posted at the dock that paddlers can call to do so).

Congratulations to the DTBH folks for bringing this beautiful location back into play! I can't make the opening shindig on Wednesday but for anyone who's interested, click here for details. Arrival by human-powered vessel encouraged but not required. Should be a fun event!

Have You Seen This Dock?

Passing along a message posted on the NYC Kayaker moderated email list. Hoping that local waterfront and boating enthusiasts will help keep an eye out for the lost dock. One of the local tugboat owners did mention on a related Facebook post that a dock this size is very hard to tow and suggested that it may have just been cut loose - whether it's that or somebody actually stealing it for their own use, this is a really lousy thing to do. Here's the note that accompanied the photo:

The board of Manhattan Community Boathouse requests help in recovering their modular dock.  It was at Pier 96 on the Hudson River and was removed sometime in the past two weeks.  The dock is used at the free kayak programs run at this location by Manhattan Community Boathouse (and previously by DTBH).   The board of MCBH has filed a police report and asks the waterfront community to help find the dock, and the culprit(s) that took it.

If anyone has information, please contact the boathouse at

manhattancommunityboathouse"at"gmail.com (replace "at" with @ as usual).

Hope they get their dock back soon!

It's My Park: New York City Water Trail - plus April snow???!!!

Quick lunch break post, just thought I'd share this neat little video about the NYC Water Trail that Queens Commisioner of Parks (and Sebago clubmate) Dorothy Lewandoski recently put up on Sebago's Facebook group. Tons of friends are in here (and me too, rolling at 2:15 and also in the ribboncutting group a bit before - boy was that a fun day)! 

PS...Come on, Spring. I've been singing your praises at the top of my lungs  and you wanna go and do this? 

Meeting Tonight (Feb 28th) re plans for Pier 40

Passing along something Carl Steiniger posted on the HRWA group on Facebook. I'm completely confused about what's going on at Pier 40 now, there was an RFP, there was Cirque du Soleil, there was a local group, I don't know where everything landed - I guess I'll go find out tonight. I'm not quite as obsessive about what's going on in the Hudson River Park as I was when I kept my boats there, but I still have a ton of friends in the park so I care about what happens there. Will be there for silent moral support if nothing else.

Carl's post:

Thanks to Nancy Brous for the heads up -

i believe some on this list are interested in the future of pier 40 at

west houston street on the hudson. it is the home of the village community boathouse, ny kayak company, the interim home of one of the downtown boathouse locations, not to mention the many non-boating uses currently there. as has been the case for so long, discussions about its redevelopment are ongoing, made more critical by Hudson River Park's financial problems (in large part a reflection of City and State $ issues) and more recently by the effects of last year's great storm and its surge. i thought this public meeting, sponsored by community board 2 of Manhattan, might be of interest:



Dear Neighbor:



Just a reminder that Community Board 2 (Manhattan) will be hosting a Pier 40 Forum this Thursday, February 28th, at the Saatchi & Saatchi Building, located at 375 Hudson Street (between West Houston and King Streets). The Forum will begin at 6:30 p.m.There will be presentations regarding a number of income-generating proposals for Pier 40 and comments by many of our elected officials. If time allows, there will be a limited question and answer period. We hope you can attend.



Sincerely,



David Gruber

Chair

Community Board No. 2, Manhattan

Bob Gormley

District Manager

Community Board No. 2, Manhattan

Hooray For Gateway Bike & Boathouse!

A ha ha ha haaa! Great news from my friend Rick at Gateway Bike & Boathouse!

This just in:
**********************








Dear Gateway Bike & Boathouse Supporter,

I’m happy to announce that the National Park Service and Gateway Bike & Boathouse will be working together to provide kayaking opportunities at Riis Landing in Gateway National Recreation Area for the 2011 boating season! This remarkable achievement comes after many years of effort on both sides. A special thanks to all of our supporters who have donated their time, money and support to get us to this point. It will be well worth the wait.

Here’s a quick update on how it’s shaping up:
1. Building #215 in Riis Landing (on the west side of the parking lot opposite the ferry) has been renovated to serve as our boathouse
2. 26 kayaks, singles and doubles, sit in and sit on, have been purchased by NPS through a grant by Coke-a-Cola
3. NPS has asked the Gateway Bike & Boathouse to assist them in running a kayaking program in Riis Landing
4. Programming for 2011 will consist of “walk-up” kayaking for people wanting to try kayaking for first time and organized tours for those with some experience
5. The boathouse being opened to the public during the months of July and August with weekends having set hours and weekday events as scheduled
6. Gateway Bike & Boathouse volunteers who help run the kayak program will earn the privilege of using the boats individually when available
7. There is no room in this facility for any private boats owned by individual GBB supporters at this time
8. There will be no bicycle component this season. We want to focus exclusively on developing a smooth kayaking operation first.

********************************************
Blogger's side note: That covers the info that the general public who's interested in trying kayaking there needs to know. Website & directions can be found at the end of the post. The initiation of their program means that the Gateway Bike & Boathouse is actively looking for volunteers - the email continued with specific info for people who are interested in that angle. If you are interested in helping out, please read the following, and then contact Rick at RickHoran"at-sign"GatewayBoathouse"dot"org . It's terribly short notice, but if you can't make it, contact him anyways - these walk-up programs always need lots of people & I'm sure Rick would be happy to hear from anyone who can't make it. If you can, tell Rick & John that Bonnie said "Hi" - they are both great guys!
********************************************
Train the Trainer
The first training session for Gateway Bike & Boathouse volunteers has been scheduled by Park Ranger John Daskalakis, who has been operating NPS’ successful kayaking program in Canarsie. Rita Mullally and Unit Supervisor Dave Taft have also been instrumental in bringing this kayaking program to Rockaway.

John has invited us to participate in a special training session this Thursday, June 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Bring your bathing suits as this will be an on-water training session. John will review safety procedures, paddling techniques, the topography of the Riis Landing coastline, current/tide information, procedures for checking out boats and dealing with the public among other topics. The weather is supposed to be beautiful.

Gateway National Recreation Area – Riis Landing. The Boathouse, (Building # 215) is on the left side of the parking lot, just behind Building #217.



Please let me know if you can make it so we know how many folks to expect. If you cannot make this session, there should be other opportunities soon. Hope to see you there!

Rick

http://www.gatewayboathouse.org/
The Gateway Bike & Boathouse is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization

Congratulations to Rick & the rest of the gang behind the Gateway Bike & Boathouse. It's been a long trail with some ups & downs for them and it is WONDERFUL to see all their hard work finally coming to fruition.

ACA Quick Start in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, 6/4/2011

The Brooklyn Bridge Boathouse ran an ACA Quick Start class for boathouse volunteers on Saturday. They were looking for help & I'm glad I volunteered - what a spectacular spot, and what a nice bunch of people to spend the day with.

More later, I hope. I feel like I've had a bit of blogger's block of late -- almost have had too much going on, should've had a dozen good posts out of the ICE/IDW, season opener, NYS Safe Boating certification class, and preparations for the Sebago season - but noooo, I get home from all of those, sit down in front of the computer, try to thing of something to write & end up going "humannahummanahummana". When do I finally find myself feeling like I might be able to write something that is at least coherent? Oh, usually an hour or so into a work day the following week, when I can't. Anybody else get that? :D

Anyways, for now, I just couldn't resist tossing up this slideshow of one of the more spectacular venues in which I have ever had the pleasure of teaching.

Public kayaking at the Brooklyn Bridge Boathouse begins next weekend (June 11). For more information, visit their website, bbpboathouse.org

Blue Drinks, Tonight at Pier 66:

From the NYC Watertrail Association:

Blue Drinks at Pier 66 Maritime
Tuesday May 10, 6:30-9:30pm
$5 drink specials and light refreshments served

Tuesday May 10 from 6:30 - 9:30pm will be the first in what we hope becomes a series of harbor-related networking events. Modeled on the Green Drinks series and sponsored by the NYC Water Trail Association, "Blue Drinks" is for the human-powered boating and water access advocacy community- the boaters, the swimmers, the organizers, the teachers, and of course, the volunteers.

The event will be a great chance to catch up with friends and colleagues as the boating season gets underway, meet new paddling partners, learn about new boating groups, launch sites, and volunteer opportunities, and hear what the NYCWTA has been up to and what we hope to accomplish this season and in the future. Bring your group's flyers, cards, and announcements to share and pick up the newest NYC Water Trail Map and a free laminated NYCWTA Tide Wheel which is very useful for planning harbor outings and Manhattan circumnavigations.

The venue is Pier 66 Maritime, aka the Barge, on West 26th Street and the Hudson River--the fabulous multi-use public access space created by the late, great John Krevey (special thanks to Angela Krevey for helping to arrange this). We hope this gathering of people committed to free public water access in some small way honors his memory and celebrates his contributions to the waterfront. The Barge will be offering $5 drink specials to NYCWTA folks all night.

Please consider making a $10 donation to support our work!

*********************
Blue Hawaiian picture lifted from the Cabana Bob's recipe page.
*********************

Friends don't let friends paddle drunk!

Turn In Poachers & Polluters Online

Time for a break from all the hunka hunka burnin' silly. Them as guessed it was a long week at work, guessed right. Last week was long, the entire month of November was long, I felt like I hit the ground sprinting when we got back from Cape Cod & haven't been able to slow down once. Hunk Week was pure blowing off steam.

ok, so maybe "pure" isn't exactly the word... :D

Anyhoo -- finally getting back to a more normal topic, I just wanted to do a quick re-post of a note sent out by Nancy at http://www.nycwatertrailweb.blogspot.com/ . Thanks, Nancy!

Somebody polluting your park? Now you can report them either by phone or on the web, anonymously if you prefer.


DEC “TIPP” PROGRAM GOES ONLINE
Once Telephone Only, “Turn in Poachers and Polluters” Now Available via Web

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the launch of an online form for citizens to report environmental violations.

Located at www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/67751.html, the new web page assists those who can provide thorough and relevant information about an alleged violation. The form prompts the complainant to describe what occurred, when it happened and where the violation was witnessed. Complainants may remain anonymous or confidential. Detailed initial complaints assist DEC Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) in a timely and complete investigation of complaints and potential arrests against those who are violating environmental laws.

“This is an expansion of DEC’s successful ‘Turn in Poachers and Polluters’ (TIPP) Hotline,” said Peter Fanelli, DEC Director of Law Enforcement, referring to the long-established telephone tip system. “Citizens have always played a vital role in helping DEC enforce state environmental laws and regulations. This new web tool gives them one more option for alerting us to potential problems.”

Persons can still make a complaint by phone using the DEC hotline at 1-800-TIPP-DEC (1-800-847-7332). In fact, if an emergency situation exists and or an immediate response is needed, calling the hotline is the best option. Director Fanelli emphasized that a person should never put himself or herself at risk to obtain information. Instead, one should gather whatever details possible without trespassing or exposing themselves to harmful materials or situations.

To find the new web form without typing in the URL, log into the DEC website main page at http://www.dec.ny.gov/ and type “TIPP” in the search box at the top right hand side of the page, then click on the first document, “Report an Environmental Violation Online”.

Sincerely,

Thomas V. Panzone
Citizen Participation Specialist
Division of Public Affairs and Education
NYSDEC - Region 2

Just in on NYCKayaker - How to Vote for a New Boathouse

This just in on one of my favorite local paddling email lists, nyckayaker. Good luck, Dewey & company - always exciting to have a potential new boathouse in the works! I've actually been meaning to post about these guys for months now & I'm glad to pass this along:

How To Vote for a New Boathouse on Newtown Creek

The City Parks Foundation is now soliciting "community support" for proposals for the 7 million in Environmental Benefit Project (EBP) funds they received from the EC as compensation to the community affected by delays and violations in the Construction (still ongoing) of the Newtown Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant.

The Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks & Planning, in coordination with the North Brooklyn Boat Club (and 40 other local organizations) has proposed the Greenpoint Boathouse and Environmental Education Center. It would refurbish the (currently broken and off-limits) bulkhead and renovate the (currently empty) ground floor space of the GMDC (Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center) building on the Newtown Creek, right where Manhattan Avenue starts. For more information about the proposal, check out: NorthBrooklynBoatClub.Org.

To vote for this terrific project, here's how the CPF explains how to do it:

"You will be able to express your preferences about which projects you would like funded in one of two ways. If you attended one of the three public meetings on the project (and were therefore added to our e-mail list by October 26th), you will be able to communicate your preferences via e-mail. More information about the process will be sent to you within a few weeks.

Others may go to one of two locations to express your preferences:

On Wednesday, December 1st, from 3pm to 8pm, we will be at Queens Library (Court Square) at 25-01 Jackson Avenue

On Thursday, December 2nd, from 3pm to 8pm, we will be at PS34 in Brooklyn, at 131 Norman Avenue (near McGuinness Boulevard)

City Parks Foundation staff will be at both locations to answer questions about the projects and the process. You may only vote once."

And thanks for your support!


Dewey Thompson
North Brooklyn Boat Club
www.northbrooklynboatclub.org

Public Meetings re: The Future of Floyd Bennett Field.

Just a quick copy & paste from my email to spread the word.

Hello,
Please find attached, and below, the information for two upcoming public meetings on the future of Floyd Bennett Field. Please distribute the flyer and this information to your contacts and anyone you think might be interested in attending.
Best,
Maya Borgenicht
Regional Plan Association
Governors Island Alliance
4 Irving Place, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10003
maya@rpa.org
Phone: 917.652.6359
Fax: 212.253.5666
www.rpa.org
www.governorsislandalliance.org
twitter: @govisalliance
PUBLIC MEETING
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall invite you to join a conversation on the future of Floyd Bennett Field.
Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Anthony Weiner have formed a Blue Ribbon Panel to provide recommendations on possible improvements to Floyd Bennett Field.

The 1400 acre Floyd Bennett Field, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, is one of New York City’s largest public spaces. It provides many environmental, recreational, and cultural benefits to the people of Brooklyn and Queens and visitors from the rest of the City and beyond. The National Park Service is now drafting a plan to shape the Field’s future. Please share your thoughts on the Field’s current use and potential with the Borough Presidents and other Blue Ribbon Panel members as they develop recommendations for the Field’s plan for the Senator and Congressman.

For more information go to:
www.rpa.org/FloydBennett

Queens Meeting:
September 27th, 2010, 6-8 PM,
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,
Queens, N.Y.

Brooklyn Meeting:
September 21st, 2010, 6-8 PM,
Aviator Sports, Hangar 5,
Floyd Bennett Field,
3159 Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y.

For more information please contact Maya Borgenicht
maya@rpa.org or at (917) 652-6359.

VISION 2020 - LAST WORKSHOP TONIGHT 6/24 - PLUS Waterfront Book Festival Saturday 6/26 in Red Hook.

Click here for ALL DETAILS.

This is the last in the series of development workshops for the NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. I managed to miss the Brooklyn one. I was hoping to go check on my garden tonight, it's hot hot hot and I should have gone & watered this morning but I didn't get up early enough, but I think I may cross my fingers, hope that my wonderful gardening clubmates are once again going to save my garden from my horrible neglect, and go to the Blue Network meeting.

Can't believe they haven't heard that the proper name is "The 6th Boro".

Thanks Nancy at the NYC Watertrail Association for spreading the word.

PLUS...oh Scheiße! Scheiße! Scheiße! Here I had my weekend all kinda planned out nice. A day at the club, gardening and a nice long paddle, and a day at home, housework and errands so it's all nice for when my guy visits next weekend, la la la, relaxed...but then that dreadful, horrid, beastly David Sharps at the Waterfront Museum went and sent THIS around. Drat him all to heck anyways.

Sounds absolutely fantastic. I see 2 total favorites on there & a bunch more that sound incredibly interesting. I think I need to go!

Theoretically I could, tides & weather permitting, paddle there, leaving Sunday free. note, slightly later...oh man. no fair. Tides are almost PERFECT... And if this were on the other end of the summer, I probably would. Problem is, that would be a mighty long jaunt for somebody whose longest paddle of the year so far has been to Manhattan Beach & back. Sort of like running a marathon when you haven't done anything longer than a 5K in months & months. Good way to foul yourself up for the rest of the season.

Ah well, one very nice thing about living quarters of less than a thousand square feet is they really don't take all day to clean!

EVENT - Paddle Smart, TONIGHT 5/13 at Pier 66 in Manhattan

I should've realized I wouldn't need to stop blogging this month. It is perfectly easy to blog without actually writing. You can link, you can post funny videos, and hey, you can re-post things you got from other people! Here's one from my friend Nancy. I had posted it earlier but this sounds like a really good event for all us NYC paddlers to attend (especially with this troubling recent resurgence of horse/bike/highway language) so I thought a reminder would be good.

The New York City Water Trail Association and NYRiverSports/pier66nyc.org invite you to join us for:

Paddle Smart in the NY Harbor

Presented by the North River Power Squadron (http://www.northriversquadron.org/)

We won't be covering any paddling or rowing technique or skills because we know that excellent sources for that training already exist throughout the area. Instead we will be focusing on topics that address how we, as human-powered boaters, operate as mariners in a shared harbor.

As the boating season gets underway, now is the perfect time to learn or refresh your knowledge of:

Aids to Navigation
Rules of the Road
Marine Radio Use
Assessing the weather
Nautical Charts
How to read the Hudson River .

Date: Thursday, May 13
Time: 7:30pm

Locations: Pier 66 Boathouse classroom (for directions see www.pier66nyc.org/directions.html)
The event is free and open to the public. Feel free to bring friends and refreshments to share!
For more information contact info@nycwatertrail.org

We look forward to seeing you there.

Another New Yorker Who Wants To Get To The Water!

Interesting article in this week's Villager about yet another New Yorker who's working hard to get access to the water - actual access, not just another promenade - in his community.

Thanks for the heads-up, Soundbounder!

Ralph Diaz's brief history of paddling access in NYC since the mid 80's

Ralph Diaz, author of The Complete Folding Kayaker is one of the paddling pioneers of NYC (with 9 years under my belt, I've been around for a while but I came into a scene that had really begun to take shape years before I first set backside in boat on the Hudson). He's retired now & has left NYC, but he does still follow the fun on the NYCKayaker list & every now & then we're lucky enough to see a post from him. I always find it interesting to be given an insight from the point of view of one of the folks who were around right from the start. When he heard about the watertrail, he responded with a quick timeline that goes back to when I was still in high school in Seattle, desperately wanting to be back in Hawaii and in blissful ignorance of my NY future. I loved the post, asked him if he'd mind if I posted it here, he said sure! It does include references to various groups & people & I don't have time to find links for those now - I'm just squeezing this in because I had to take a quick breather between projects & I'd wanted to post this anyways - but I think you can get a good idea of just how long this has been going on & how much patience with setbacks the paddling & rowing community has had to have (especially the early folks back in the 80's!)

I must say that this development is breathtaking. Here is some early history:

Around 1984 or '85 there was an initiative to create Parks launch sites spurred on by Chuck Sutherland but it languished. Then about 1988 Parks created the office of Waterfront Planning with Ann Buttenweiser as director and with an assistant (the office was located in one of the turrets atop the Arsenal HQ building in Central Park near the zoo). Joe Borker and I (both of the MCKC club) were approached to help identify potential sites, answer questions of what kayakers would want in the sites, etc. We even toured with Ann and her assistant to some potential spots.

In the Parks Dept each boro has its own head who is quite autonomous. Some were keen on the idea such as Brooklyn and the Bronx which improved sites with gravel paths to the water, bulkheading and even a kayak dock in one case. Others boros were lukewarm. Still, we had initial success in getting at least one in each boro (some cases we got 2).

Parks wanted to monitor usage and reduce liability. So, it started the permit program ($2) that included a waiver to make Parks feel happier about liability. I wrote a one page description sheet on particulars of each site (location, how to get there, parking, nearby amenities, possible paddle trips from location, local water hazards etc.) and there was also a good writeup on safety and equipment that Parks had (with information mainly from Chuck Sutherland, I believe) All this printed information was then photocopied and attached to each permit.

Then internal Park politics killed off sites. We lost the two in Staten Island for example and sites in Brooklyn and the Bronx, mainly because of local opposition. The one at the far end of Staten Island was scratched because the curator at the Conference House feared fleets of kayaks would be dragged across the lawns; the SI one at Alice Austen park was killed by the Sandy Hook Pilots Association (their office was within sight of the site) that maintained kayakers would roam into the nearby anchorage and be hit by a ship as it swung around with the change of current (did you ever see how slowly that process takes?). One in Brooklyn had its floating dock cut by locals and pushed out to sea and the wooden ramp to it set ablaze. In
Manhattan, 79th St was on and off again like a yo-yo. Then, the Waterfront Planning office was eliminated because of a severe budget crisis in the City under Dinkins.

Now, we have this enormous evidence of a new page being turned with the Parks Dept creating more sites and incorporating non-Park sites into the great interactive map on the Web and on waterproof paper.

Congratulations to all the kayakers and groups that have helped made this delirious development possible in New York City.

BTW, we have something positive happening in Highland NY where I now live. The town is located on the West shore of the Hudson across from Poughkeepsie. On this side of the river there has shamefully been no public access to the river for some 16 miles of shore line from Esopus down to Newburgh. Our town will now have the first such access in a new public park, the Bob Shepard Highland Landing Park. Closing on the property is April 11th and one of the first developments will be a simple kayak launch site with funding from Greenway.

ralph diaz

New York City Watertrail Map - and I Finally Saw a Seal!

Well, this is a pretty neat day for paddling in NYC - after a lot of work by a lot of very dedicated Parks folks, paddling organizations & paddlers, there's now a real live, official New York City Watertrail Map!

update - Gallery's up!

I joined a whole bunch of friends from all over to attend the ribbon-cutting - yes, a lot of us DO have jobs, but y'know, this is for us - totally worth taking a vacation day to attend. It was a nice ribbon-cutting despite the dreary day, and after the ribbon was cut, the paddlers who'd brought boats inaugurated the watertrail launch with a mad rush for the water & a lot of rolling (wooo, that water's still chilly!). I think we had paddlers there on the water from at least 4 of the 5 boroughs - I'm not sure about the Bronx, but we had people on the water from Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan and Queens - good turnout!

The Sebago contingent decided to make a day of it - timing was perfect for a trip up to the Manhattan Bridge & back, and it was great to be back on the Upper Harbor.

And guess what, I finally saw a seal! Stevie spotted one hanging out on a little beach on Governor's Island. Wonderful! I'm always made philosophical noises about my failure to ever see see a seal or a dolphin or a manatee in NY Harbor when just about everyone I paddle with has seen at least one of those (INCLUDING the manatee, there was an adventurous one exploring the Hudson a season or two ago & I think it was some of the outrigger paddlers at Pier 63 who were among the earliest spotters, before a positive ID had even been made). Somehow I was just never on the right trip to catch one, I've always gone "Well, it's just nice to know they're here" - but really, I really did think it would be amazing to see one. And it was!

The seals seem to be getting more & more comfortable in the upper harbor - it wasn't that many years ago that people started spotting them on Swinburne & Hoffman Islands, two small islands just south of the Verranzano Narrows Bridge - but this winter there were 2 different sightings that made the news at 79th street, and this one was on a little beach on Governor's Island looking right across the water at Brooklyn Heights. I wonder if eventually they'll be as frequently sighted here as they are in San Francisco Bay. At any rate, it's a good sign that the area water is getting healthier and healthier - if the seals are moving into the upper harbor more frequently, that means that they are finding plenty of fish, and that's just good stuff.

Anyways - I did take some pictures, which I'll sort through & post the best of after I go wash the salt out of my hair & tend to the big bag of soggy gear.

Not of the seal, actually, er, I tried & it left, I think I scared it in a moment of OH MY GOSH A SEAL insanity, that's bad 'cause I know better than that - when we went by again on our return, though, it was back on the beach, so we didn't spook it too badly. We gave it a wider berth that time & it was happy to stay on the beach. I just have to classify seals as "neat things I can't photograph too well with the current camera", same as pretty much all the birds in Jamaica Bay.

Great day. Way more fun than work!

Brooklyn Bridge Park Meeting Monday 11/26!

Updating - just to make sure it's clear, that's NEXT week Monday, the 26th.
***********

I wonder what the New York City waterfront is going to look like in 50 years. All these waterfront parks initiatives...

The Hudson River Park is well on the way.

An East River Park downtown is in the most preliminary planning stages (and I still wish I'd been able to attend the CB1 meeting where the nut job who wants to fill in the Harlem River if they won't let him do another Battery Park City downtown was going to speak, with Marcy Behnstock, aka "the woman who stopped Westway" in the same room...),

Halfway between the two lies the Brooklyn Bridge Park. This one's contentious issue involves the luxury apartment buildings that planned as income-generators. Of course me being me, what I'm really interested in is water access there. What a great put-in that would be for journeys in the upper harbor, East River, or North River! To see where that's gone (the conservancy had some weird ideas about how to accomodate kayakers at one point, seemed to think kayaking was all Downtown Boathouse type free sitatops between a couple of piers - that's a nice thing if you can get enough people to make it work, but there are SO many more levels of human-powered boating than that going on in NYC!) I'll probably go to the meeting they're having on Monday evening. Know it's Thanksgiving week, and people are busy, but anyone interested in the future of that stretch of waterfront should try to attend!

Thanks, Tim, for the heads up!

Wanna see a few pictures of the park in question, at least as it was a couple of years ago? Here's a post from a gorgeous December day when Pia of Courting Destiny and I did a little urban hiking.

Very Interesting Press Release.

WOOHOO! Know how I'd mentioned there was some cool stuff going on on NYCKayaker?

Well, this just in today from the Hudson River Watertrail Association's Metropolitan Coordinator. Sounds like a good project. Glad I'm not coordinating, but I hope I'll be able to help 'em out some!

Later today I will also be posting the documents from my other favorite project, the Tribeca boathouse project spearheaded by Julie Nadel of CB1 with major input from the Downtown Boathouse later today - no time now BUT the Monday 3/12 meeting WILL be at 6, in the CB-1 office at 49-59 Chambers Street.

But this is just a fast cut & paste so I'm gonna go ahead & throw it out there.

The following is a press release from the NYC Parks Department.With this initiative, the Parks Department is expressing a commitment to maintain, enhance, and expand human-powered boating in NYC.The guide will be posted online to facilitate updates, and will be a free service. If you are interested in helping to collect information, survey conditions at sites, photograph area launches, submit day-trip ideas, and/or write narratives on the history, geology and points of interest along the trail, please see the contact information at the end.We will be getting started in the next few weeks and this project cannot happen without the input from our vibrant local paddling community. Please spread the word!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.nyc.gov/parks
PADDLING FROM PARK TO PARK Parks & Recreation Plans to Create a NYC Water Trail—Volunteers Wanted!

Before planes, trains and automobiles…it was boats that carried people from one place to another by way of rivers, lakes and oceans. New York City is surrounded by such bodies of water, yet its shorelines have been largely dominated by commerce and industry for centuries. One of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's highest priorities is to restore access to the City's waterfronts and interpret the rich history of its shoreline. "Throughout the city, parks along the shoreline are being built and renovated to reconnect the public with the water—Baretto Point Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Hudson River Park, Fort Totten Park and Fresh Kills Park to name just a few," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Among the amenities available at these parks, many have or plan to have canoe and kayak launches. To connect these sites and enhance the users' experience and safety, I have asked our Queens Borough Commissioner, Dorothy Lewandowski—a water sports enthusiast and an accomplished kayaker—to spearhead the initiative to create a NYC Water Trail." "As an avid kayaker, I am delighted that the opportunities for kayaking right in my own backyard are expanding," said Queens Borough Park Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. "And am thrilled to be working to create a comprehensive guide that will enable people to safely travel throughout the City via its waterways and to thoroughly enjoy their day at sea."

The NYC Water Trail will provide information on safe and legal access to the waters surrounding all five boroughs of New York City. The project will identify park launch sites, as well as connect those to non-park launch sites. The guide will also provide recreational, educational and scenic opportunities on each leg of the trail.

This spring and summer, Parks will be collecting information, surveying conditions, photographing, and writing narratives. There are currently 18 existing public canoe and kayak launch sites on parkland with an additional 11 sites in planning and nearly 20 identified as potential sites. Borough Commissioner Lewandowski plans to travel each leg, along with project volunteers, to document the trail. Once all of the information is gathered, work on the website development of the guide will begin—with hopes to launch in the spring of 2008. Parks will be working with the Hudson River Watertrail Association, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and American Canoe Association.

This project will rely on volunteers who understand and use the waters of New York City, as well as those who can provide information on the history, geology and points of interest along the trail. If you are interested in becoming involved in this project please contact Borough Commissioner Lewandowski's office at 718-520-5905.

For more information on existing canoe and kayak launch sites in New York City parks, visit www.nyc.gov/parks or call 311.Contact: Warner Johnston / Abigail Lootens (212) 360-1311