On Saturday, a short crew of VCB rowers delivered Whitehall Gig JML to Sebago Canoe Club in Jamaica Bay, a 25 mile voyage. The combination of the Northwind and the ebb tide made for a great sail. At several points, our speed was clocked at 8+ knots. After passing Coney Island beach, we turned north into the wind, which was blowing at 15 mph, Ingo appeared with the chase boat and towed us the rest of the way north through Jamaica Bay to Sebago. Thanks to our intrepid crew, Dave Clayton, Marcel Dejean, Rob Buchanan, Sally Curtis. Special thanks to Ingo Gunther for saving the day!
Set to sail from Pier 40Leaving ManhattanGig Sailing under the Mill Basin Bridge
Saturday was our third annual row from Pier 40 to the famous Mitsuwa Market in Edgewater. The row north was challenging with a contrary breeze and the start of the ebb tide, but the crews persevered. After securing the boats on the rocky beach it was time for well-deserved ramen and lychee ice cream and assorted snacks, and stocking up on some Japanese grocery essentials that can be hard to find in the city.
After eating and shopping were done, the team lingered on the beach, enjoying the fantastic view across to Riverside Park under a pure blue sky. We then pushed off for the trip home. The row back was a breeze on the strong ebb tide, taking half the time of the northward leg.
Great job, rowers! Kudos to senior coxswains Mackie and Frank for keeping everyone safe and organized. Congrats to new(ish) rowers Jing, Ryan, Dee, and Yoko. Thanks to unofficial junior coxswains Phoebe, Wenjie, Dorian, Dhruv, and Jim for sharing some boat driving.
This is a great longish row — we should do it more often! Next time maybe we’ll try landing on the beach by the old golf driving range that Frank scopes out — it’s a bit steep but without the rocks and old pilings by Mitsuwa.thatbFrank scopes out — it’s a bit steep but without the rocks and old pilings by Mitsuwa.
This mural on the south side of Pier 40 is the work of street artist Stephen (ESPO) Powers who was commissioned by the (RED) foundation and TheGlobal Fund as part of the campaign to eradicate AIDS worldwide.
On Memorial Day, May 27th four gigs and Joe Fung in the Wherry launched from Pier 40 at 10:00 AM riding the ebb south to the Battery. The flotilla passed to the north and east of Governors Island traversing Buttermilk Channel and then around the bend to Valentino Pier in Red Hook.
The crews spent a couple of hours exploring Red Hook – Steve’s Key Lime Pie, Swedish meatballs at Ikea and Hometown BBQ. The rowers came close to a mutiny when they heard that Steve’s Key Lime Pie was closed. Fortunately, that was a false rumor. A headwind made the row north a bit of a challenge but all arrived safely back at Pier 40.
Special thanks to Paul for doing such a great job coordinating and bringing along his Dragon Boat buddies.
It was an impressive little flotilla that took over Valentino Beach in Red Hook. VCB invaded Hometown BBQ and Steve’s Key Lime Pies, chilled out for a while, and then went to visit the Statue. We also got to see a bit of the sailing regatta going on off Ellis Island on the homeward leg, while being guarded by the Coast Guard (see photos).
The post row chit chat at the boathouse included discussion of a possible row up to Misawa in Edgewater for poke and tempura (yes, we go where the food is!). More to follow on that front.
Thanks again to the experienced rowers for being good hosts and role models for the newbie paddlers.
Thanks to all the VCB rowers and coxswains without whom we couldn’t have run such an outing — 4 boats and 22 rowers evenly split between VCB regulars and the Morgan Stanley dragon boat team.
On May 20, Joe Fung and Teresa Wang rowed the Feather to Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island from the Village Community Boathouse for an overnight encampment in the national park. Invited by Sebago Canoe Club and the National Park Service, the two rowers were joined by paddlers from local area clubs including Yonkers Rowing & Paddling Club, Inwood Canoe Club, Long Island City Community Boathouse, North Brooklyn Boat Club, Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse, and the Red Hook Boaters. While the weather was chilly and damp, the 10-mile journey marked by interchanging periods of rowing and bilge pumping was ultimately successful and the long day concluded with a joint BBQ and drinks at the campfire, a night tour of the colonial fort, and well-deserved rest in the tents.
The next day saw the boaters separate and undergo the reverse trip to return to their respective homes; the weather was noticeably much sunnier and at the trip’s end, everyone was safe and sound. Although the day began with everyone disjoining and dividing amongst their clubs, it was understood that unity would return on the little plot of land next year for fun and merriment once again.
