Who Owns the "578 Miles" of Waterfront, and How Are They Being Used?

I open up our blog for a topic of interest...please use the blog to add comments,
internet links and photos ....starting with quotes for this website:

"NYC's waterfront is roughly 600 miles long. Include metropolitan New Jersey and Westchester, and the total increases to over 1000 miles. This metropolitan waterfront is as diverse as it is long. Its uses range from oil depots, cruise ship terminals and modern container ports to marinas, recreational esplanades, and bathing beaches. Contrary to reputation and expectation, the harbor, its shores and its waterways are integral to the region's economy and quality of life."

Internet resources for what you need to know on the NYC Waterfront
Five Favorite Sites For Beginners

Please continue and add to this topic...

origin of the name sebago

webster's 2nd int. ed. (1939): sebago salmon [from sebago lake, maine, fr. the pennacook name, lit., it spreads or extends.]  (just like our lake sebago does; nc) the landlocked salmon (salmo sebago)

New York Times Article

City Hall is considering regulating kayaking for the first time, an idea being met with both optimism and alarm by New York’s close-knit community of kayakers. Click here

More on Sebago....

The first written account of a Sebago salmon is in the 1825 diary of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne who wrote, “On the way home from Frye’s Island, Mr. Ring caught a black-spotted trout that was almost a whale. It weighed, before it was cut open, eighteen and one-half pounds.” Another account from a few years later states, “Acres of water were boiling with smelts and salmon but a boat’s length away, and very ordinary and everyday fishermen were reeling in from twelve to eighteen pound fish.” Salmon up to 20 pounds continued to be taken from Sebago through the early 1900’s. But by 1950, the size of the average fish had dropped to below 4 pounds.

for the rest of the article click here




Is this the new logo for Canoe Club?

Officer of the Day

Officer of the day, that's me! Well, it was Marty in the morning, but it was me in the afternoon. I set up my office on the set of benches near the front gate--the "membership office" sign was there waiting for me, and I propped my feet on a stump, set up my brochures and my club phone, and there I was, doing my work. Really, I mostly watched a sparrow take a dip in the blue birdbath, and I listened in on a domestic disturbance in the parrot nest--very heated discussion. I think a saw another bird later in the day try to slip into the parrots' front door, but he was shortly shown the way out.

Customers? Just one. A lovely lady from Prospect Heights, who had seen us on the internet. I gave her the grand tour, with Pete's help. She hopes to come back on Wednesday night for an open paddle. A few club regulars visited, but mostly, I marked final exams that were overdue to be graded. I anticipated a hot day, but the ocean breeze was blowing, as delightful a day as can be.

Five o' clock, lock the gates, head off to a BBQ and now home. But I have some concerns: so far I have not had any comments on my blog postings--is anyone reading me? And does everyone know about brooklynparrots.com? You got to love the parrots--a true NYC immigrant story. I am writing a children's book about them....in my free time....

Remembering our armed forces this Memorial Day.......Shari

William Converse Kendall of Freeport, Maine holds a 16 pound native Sebago Salmon (Salmo salar sebago) captured at Sebago Lake in August 1, 1907. That the same day the world rod and reel record for lake-dwelling (landlocked salmon) was set at Sebago with a 22 pound 8 ounce salmon. Sebago Salmon of this size have not been recorded in the lake for over 75 years; few if any Sebago Salmon over 10 pounds have been recorded at the lake in the past 50 years.

In the 1700s, European settlers in Maine noticed that in addition to the sea-run Atlantic salmon which ascended more than 20 Maine rivers each spring, a small number of these salmon rivers contained Atlantic salmon which appeared to stay in upriver lakes all year-round. These lake-dwelling Atlantic salmon were called by many names: silver trout, Schoodic salmon, Sebago salmon, silver salmon, etc.

for more Sebago history, click here

How Sebago Got it name.....maybe.....

(from Maine today, by Marc Gilbert)

The great Landlocked Salmon is scientifically known as Salmo Salar Sebago. Salmo Salar is the scientific name for Atlantic Salmon. Salmo Salar Sebago is named for the Atlantic Salmon found land locked in Sebago Lake.

At one time the, Sebago Lake was quite an out post. It was a thriving wilderness area servicing "gents" from Boston and New York. The trip by rail was made conveniently to Portland, then to Sebago Lake Station. The station is still referred to in the 2007 fishing laws handbook.

When rail visitors would arrive in Portland, a fountain bubbling with fresh Sebago lake water would greet them. Its cool refreshing taste called out to the wild boy resting in every man. Sebago Lake Station was a place where a man could find comfort in luxury surroundings. He could let go, find the little boy in himself and be Thoreau.

Things have changed from then to now. The motor car has taken place of the rail car. Airplanes are for travel not just delivering mail. And, Sebago has become a refuge for cigarette boats not for fisherman. But, the little boy in all men still seeks out a place of refuge. A place were a man can be a little boy again, a boy with his own destiny, a boy seeking out a place to chop wood, fire a gun, hunt and fish.

I satisfy the child in me by fishing for the Salmo Salar Sebago at this time of year. It races to the surface when feeding on its preferred forage, the Rainbow smelt, which is coincidentally another landlocked species. I prefer to fish the Rangeley Lake Region. It calls out to the boy in me.

Several years ago, I had taken my friends on a fall fishing expedition to Rangeley Lake. We based ourselves at the famous Sam-O-Set cabins, not to be confused with the resort. The Sam-O-Set Cabins cater to families with outdoor interest. A marina is present on site, boats and jet skies are available for rental. It is a place where the little boy can roar and the little girl can grow wings and fly.

One evening while tending our lines during a slow troll, the release clip popped on one of our lines. A Salmo Salar Sebago had taken one of the dead sewn on rainbow smelt we were using to troll with. As Richard began to reel the fish in, it broke water seventy five feet behind the boat. It broke water again and again, and on it last run we were able to make a pass on the Salmon with the net.

The pass with the net was in vain. The salmon broke the line, the salmon was free. As three of us looked at each other, sadness filled our faces. Then, the fish jumped out of the water not more than fifteen feet from the side of the boat. It was as if the Salmon was bidding us farewell. I think not!

My eyes were much keener several years ago. And, when the fish jumped, I noticed a fly line in its mouth. It was dark green. We had been fishing a dark green line on top of the water. It was still out and showed no tension. I quickly grabbed it and reeled. I felt tension. I set the hook and another battle ensued. This time it ended with a three and a half pond Salmo Salar Sebago on the end of a Boga Grip. Who needs a net? I can see why Leon Bean loved this lake. It is full of Landlocked Salmon. LL Bean still maintains a compound on Rangeley for its employees.

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Garden Fest

With all the hard work of patient gardeners, we have beautiful garden ready for the Memorial Day.

Check out this slide show

Authentic Chinook Salmon Feast

Authentic
Chinook Salmon Feast (hand- caught -wild- salmon)
at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden SW Corner of 9th St and Ave C, East Village
$20/plate

Wednesday, May 30, 6 pm-9 pm

Join us for a unique dinner to benefit the tk-mile cross-country journey of
Sgt. Ordway¹s First Squad, following the Lewis and Clarke National History
Trail. Dressed in period costume, Sgt. Ordway and Sgt. Willow will recount
their "discovery" of the West and their interactions with Native American
peoples.

http://friendsofbrookpark.org/

Micro Yacht

Micro yacht! Anyone? Micro yacht is like Mini. It is tiny but packed with power. Hmm, here are links introducing micro yachts named like Swamp Thing and Micro Cruiser. Micro yacht enthusiasts have been sailing up and down the eastern seaboard.

There is a Russian man who is circumnavigating. But he is stuck somewhere with an expired passport.

Check it out. Anyone wants to build it?

Micro making

Micro yacht links

Microcruising.com

Other famous small boats

Trip reports of cruising to Bahamas

Bifocal Sunglasses

This was posted to connyak.org .

For those of us that need reading glasses for reading maps and stuff while paddling. But also break and/or loose glasses quite regularly.

Cheap bifocal sunglasses are the answer:
peeperspecs.com

Open House

We had our annual open house on Saturday, May 19. The weather was grey only part of the time; the rest of the time was gloomy. Despite the drizzle, we had a good turn-out, and quite a few new members were enrolled! Allan from EMS had a table of kayak swag, and was generously giving out water bottles and coupons all day (I think I linked you to the B'way and Houston Street store just now...my first blog link). At 3 pm, he held a drawing for all the goodies, and I got the most coveted item--the blue hat. Now, I am not really a hat person, but the blue hat may just be the thing to get me past that! I have a list going of all the women who want to borrow it--I better put my name in that hat, and fast.

Fran and her sous-chef (I don't know his name, sorry) were working double-time on the grill, cranking out delicious hot dogs, burgers and chicken. There was plenty to eat and drink all day. The stove was kept stoked and was a place to meet and greet throughout the afternoon.

All told, we had parks people, politicians, families with little kids, sailors, kayakers, and assorted happy visitors. It was good to visit with old friends and make some new connections. In true Sebago fashion, those without cars were ferried off to wherever they needed to end up at the end of the day.

And the water? Well, I did not go near it myself, but it looked like many people got some good time out on the water early in the day, before the weather really got raw. Thankfully, we always manage to have fun, by sea or by land.

For those who did not make it to the open house but still would like to see what Sebago is all about, we have open paddles on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings starting after Memorial Day...or just wander down any weekend to see what's going on. Check out the website for more info on open paddles.
I look forward to seeing all our visitors back at Sebago soon!

------------Shari with the blue hat

Top paddlers tough it out Molokai Results...

A relatively flat ocean and a stiff headwind made the race from Molokai to Oahu across the Kaiwi Channel especially difficult. In addition, about 5 more miles were added to the course this year to make the race that is considered the world championship of solo surfski and canoe paddling now a 37-mile marathon.

For the complete article go to this article

Epic makes a $6,500 kayak for race.....

What does a $6,500 surfski look like?

Oscar Chalupsky - looking for his 12th Molokai title

News from Hawaii.....Molokai World Surfski Championship

Video taken by Oscar Chalupsky of Rene Appel and Joe Glickman, playing in the waters around Maui Island, Hawaii, a few days before the 2007 Molokai World Surf Ski Championship.
Oscar is on the black Epic V10E. Joe is in the white Epic.These guys are doing 16km/h on the waves - Oscar is keeping up with them while filming!

The Fishing Is Canceled, but Kayakers Are Buoyant
By DARYL KHAN

The New York Times
May 7, 2007

Kayak fishing is a sport still obscure enough that just about anyone who shows up for a tournament quickly finds that there are no strangers.

Yet it is also a sport that can inspire someone like Richard Court to drive the 560 miles from Toronto to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn for the fourth annual Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament, which raises money for women who have breast cancer.

Mr. Court and other fishermen will convey the thrill of whispering over the water, without motors or heavy oars, and of the particularly scrappy blue fish or striper that can drag you and your slip of a boat on a “Nantucket sleigh ride.”

Then, of course, there is the Manhattan skyline on the horizon as the fishermen haul their kayaks down a jagged concrete ramp past the husks of derelict boats with names fading into a ghostly blur and a beach littered with everything from a tire and beer bottles to a designer Italian pump.

“Where else in New York City can you go to camp for three days and fish for three days,” asked Carl Schneider, 37, an electrician from Farmingdale, N.Y. “This isn’t about the tournament. It’s more about camaraderie. That’s why I’m here. I’m not here to win.”

That turned out to be fortunate, because the cold 25-knot winds that blew in yesterday morning forced the cancellation of the tournament.

Yet many of the 200 or so contestants who had paid a $75 entry fee and had camped along a patch of weeds at the edge of a large parking lot did not seem to mind; they had already been fishing, some as early as Thursday.

“Just to be among the guys who do the same thing that I do, you know?” said Mr. Court, 62. “No hard feelings at all.”

One group, calling itself the Wolf Pack, set up quarters under a canopy with a banner showing a wolf howling at the moon. The Wolf Pack has two rules — no rules and no meetings — and its members sat along a rickety cafeteria-style table covered with bags of Doritos and pretzels. The drinks were on another table, along with a soldier’s helmet topped with a carved wood kayak and a sticker identifying the owner as the Grand Supreme Ruler.

“That’s mine because I’m the oldest,” said Artie Wehrhahn, 60, of Greentown, Pa.

“It’s a strange paradox,” said Joe Cambria, 42, the tournament organizer, who was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in New Rochelle. “Here you have this amazing resource. Some of the best fishing, kayaking, birding around. And yet you still have garbage and trash and all kinds of stuff floating in the water.”

Nevertheless, the fishermen say they feel like they are immersed in nature. And they say that this time of year, with fish swimming north, it is some of the best fishing in the Northeast.

“This is like church,” said Frank Stoner, 48. “You come here in the morning, you have no impure thoughts. You’re about to go fishing. It’s beautiful out here. It’s as close you can get to God without visiting him.”

And then he added, “It’s a little slice of heaven in the middle of a concrete cesspool.”

SpiderCrab seen in Jamaica Bay!
Thats right! See SpiderCrab for free in Jamaica Bay. There are hundreds of spider crabs living on the bottom of Jamaica Bay and you can catch one at The Kayak Fishing Tournament this weekend at Floyd Bennett Field. Free Fishing demos, free demo kayaks and see SpiderCrab for free, no long lines! http://www.kayakfish4conservation.com/

Google map

May 19, Saturday, Open House

The Open House is on Saturday May 19 from 10am to 5pm RAIN OR SHINE. Water activities will be weather permitting.

KAYAK TRIPS  11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm

War Canoe Trips 11am -noon, noon -1pm, 1pm -2pm,3pm -4pm

SAILING Trips 11am -noon, 1pm -2pm, 3pm -4pm

ROWING Trip 11am -noon,  1pm -2pm,3pm -4pm

RACING Demonstration 11am-noon and 1pm-2pm

Come and join us at the open house. There will be lots of interesting equipment to look and you can get out to the water. There will be members you can ask questions and test the water so to speak.

See the flyer!

Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament May 5th and 6th

The Fourth Annual Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament will be held on Sunday, May 6th, 2007. Last year's tournament was a great success. Not only did the event raise money for a worthy charity, but 202 kayak anglers enjoyed great fishing with hundreds of fish caught and released. The three targeted species - bluefish, striped bass and weakfish - all made an appearance. More than 60 people attended the kayak fishing demo and learned about this great sport. This year will be a 2 day event with the Saturday being the pre-fishing day and also a free fishing kayak demo. The Saturday will also be a chance for meeting others as well as going fishing to prepare for the tournament. There will be a Captain's meeting Saturday evening(location to be named later). Sunday will be the actual tournament as well as a chance for people to try out all the best fishing kayaks. ESPN Outdoors covered the event for Bass Center and we are hoping for similar media coverage this year.

For more information, go to http://www.kayakfish4conservation.com/

I have attended some of the environemental action sessions recently, and the Bronx River folks make a particularly strong presentation. You can check in with them at:

"It takes less than 1/10 of an inch of hard rain for sewage to enter our waterways." --plaNYC 2030

Storm Water Infrastructure Matters (S.W.I.M.)
www.swimmablenyc.org

John Wright

Hi Joe,
How are you? We're holding our 9th Annual Mayday On The Bay Kayak Race Sat May 5. I know you're not usually around but I thought I would extend an invitation again to be a guest at our race this year. It's a fun fast 3 mile race. Starting and ending in the waters behind Empire Kayaks. If you can't make maybe you could pass the word along to anybody you think might be interested.
Thanks

Mike
Empire Kayaks
4 Empire Blvd.
Island Park, NY 11558
516 889 8300
www.empirekayaks.com

PDF brochure

The second an announcement from The Dinghy Shop about their Kayak Test Drive, April 28 and 29, and a Sailboat Showcase to follow, May 5. Contact dinghyshop.com

Andy said...

Good luck....here is a video about urban kayaking to kick off your blog..

youtube movie

Google Calendar of the schedule

Here is the calendar of the club's events. You can go to Google calendar and search sebago canoe club and find this schedule!

SailCom Club Sailboat Repair/Sailhouse Work

May 5 and 6 - Saturday and Sunday SailCom Club Sailboat Repair/Sailhouse Work, Brooklyn clubhouse. Contact Chris Sears, squantch@aol.com, if you can help with boat repair. Contact John Phillips, jrp_nyc@yahoo.com, if you can help with Sailhouse work (he needs one other person with

carpentry experience). Other work days to be scheduled.