Setting the topping lift on the schooner Adirondack. Last day of the '08 season - 10/27. I'm just out for a ride today.
Captain Peter milking the mainsail! No, actually there's a reef in, and it had poured all morning, and although the crew would've raised the sails at the dock to empty the rainwater that gets trapped in the folds of the flaked sails, there was a lot trapped in the reef & once the main was raised, the water all started running out - on the passengers! Captain Peter's trying to help it along & keep folks from getting drenched.
Close-hauled & booming along down the harbor, Manhattan in the background. Captain Peter's pointing out some site of interest over on Governer's Island.
Statue of Liberty, of course!
Coast Guard standing guard over the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. Their mooring ball can be a bit nervewracking at night - it's very big & very unlit & if you're on watch on a speeding schooner, as you come into the area where you know it is, you're straining your eyes trying to catch sight of the thing & get a light trained on it long before there's any question of running into it. Much easier when there's a cutter on it!
Downtown Manhattan with schooner Pioneer.
Hello, Pioneer!
World Financial Center
Pier 25 & 26 area. This is where the Downtown Boathouse used to be. Looks like the Hudson River Park Trust is really moving along on it - will be interesting to see how this area ends up, it's been the bone of much contention as plans appeared to give less priority than the community hoped to boating & more to a restaurant.
Another Coast Guard cutter, this one at Pier 40, another spot the development of which has been interesting to watch. There's a proposal which would turn it into a large & glitzy theatre housing a Cirque du Soleil show. Again, much community concern as it currently houses sports fields that a lot of the neighborhood kids use - also New York Kayak, a branch of the Downtown Boathouse, and a Floating the Apple group that builds & rows classic Whitehall dories (great great GREAT intro to boating for kids who really want to get out to see the harbor)!
John B. McKeane, if memory serves, active-duty fireboat at the Gaansevort Peninsula. Oh, yes, and the Empire State Building's in there too. Almost forgot!
Sail's over. Back at Pier 59. That's the motor yacht Manhattan, by the same builders that built the Adirondack, and the mast in the background is the Adirondack's sister ship, the Adirondack II, back from the Newport, R.I. season. The schooners both headed back to Albany for winter maintenance at the Scarano yard on the Monday after I took this ride. Wish I could have gone. Used to love doing that delivery.
I was invited to go out on the Manhattan's evening sail, but I wasn't feeling great, so decided to pass & go home. But first, I had to go see how things were looking at my old home base, the Lackawanna Railroad Barge (fka Pier 63 Maritime). Here's Pier 62. Lots of work going on. They can only drive pilings until I think November, so looks like they are trying to get as much done as possible. At least the Trust didn't shut down the barge & then just have nothing happen for a couple of years!
Pretty sunset at Chelsea Piers.
Here's the barge. What's the sign say? Let's take a look...
Lackawanna Railroad Barge at sunset.
too bad it's empty...
Walking on up to pier 66, home of a waterwheel that's really Art.
Art. It says so.
Good art always has a sign that tells you exactly what it means. Otherwise you might get confused and come up with your own impressions. Like...hey, a waterwheel. That's neat.
just in case you missed the point. Long Time is about TIME. Long periods of it.
like, until the river changes course, or the wheel breaks down.
I know which of the above my money's on. Sorry, I'm being snarky - but I'm just not crazy about being beaten over the head with This IS What This Art Means statements. Like it when an artist has enough confidence in their work to let it speak for itself. Although in this case I would've just thought it was a nifty big waterwheel. Oh well. Anyways, onward -
I think this was meant to be a marina. Does not look sheltered enough for the small craft that were supposed to be kept there.
At least the boathouse is open. Pretty deserted, but do remember it had poured all morning & the forecast had been pretty iffy for the afternoon too.
Time to head for home.
