Yes, boys and girls, it’s that time of year again: Jerry & Steve’s Annual Manhattan Circumnavigation. For over a decade, these two members of the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club have generously organized and led the willing (and usually able) on a 30+-mile, all-day tour around the Big Apple. This year, we began and ended at Tubby Hook Beach at Dyckman Street in Inwood (about a mile north of the George Washington Bridge, on the Hudson River).
5:57 a.m. Looking south towards the GW Bridge
Paddling around Manhattan is easier than it sounds…if you do it right. That means calculating the currents down the Hudson, around the Battery, then up the East and Harlem Rivers, always “going with the flow” literally. In fact, the currents act as a giant conveyor belt, often reducing your paddling efforts by half. (The commercial boat traffic, however, should raise your alertness antennae five-fold.)
The view north, up the Hudson
We got up at 4:00 a.m. to join KALM (Kayakers Alliance of Larchmont and Mamaroneck) friends—Rick, David and Andrew…the usual suspects—for a day of fun in the sun.
Click on first image to begin fullscreen slideshow.
5:58 a.m. Jerry B launches
6:13 a.m. Earlybird group gets a head start
Whose whitewater boat?! Rick waits, NJ Palisades behind him
Launching at last from Tubby Hook Beach
7:26 a.m. Heading south to GWB
8:02 a.m. Andrew near Riverside Church and Grant’s Tomb
The wind picked up, creating some chop against the current
8:45 a.m. Taking a break at Pier 96
8:49 a.m. View from the uptown Downtown Boathouse
9:04 Alex passes cruise ships and the Concorde, now aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid
9:21 a.m. Passing Chelsea Piers, the new Freedom Tower further south
9:34 a.m. Mares tails over Financial District
9:45 a.m. Jean and Andrew at Pier 40 embayment, at Houston Street
Jean rests her feet, Holland Tunnel ventilator in the background
10:12 a.m. David at World Trade Center
David approaching New York Harbor
10:25 a.m. New York Harbor
10:28 a.m. Rafting up as Lady Liberty looks AWAY from the U.S., back towards France…
Andrew and Rick
10:29 a.m. Waiting for the Staten Island Ferry to leave
10:29 a.m. We assume that’s water, right Rick?
10:38 Staten Island and Governor’s Island ferry terminals
10:38 Helicopter over NY Harbor
Quick, everybody to the Brooklyn Bridge!
East River, NYC. July 28, 2013
11:34 a.m. The 1936 Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City; new hi-rises are replacing the bottling plant
12:32 p.m. We landed for a 2-hour lunch at Hallets Cove in Long Island City, to wait for the slack current at Hell Gate
Andrew, David and Rick lunching in the Socrates Sculpture Garden
12:45 p.m. Alex snoozes
1:16 p.m. Maybe the current isn’t slack yet, but we sure are
Works of art at Socrates Sculpture Garden
1:44 p.m. The Venus de Milo
1:42 p.m. Returning to our boats, we met a furry art connoisseur
1:54 p.m. Preparing to launch from Hallets Cove
2:04 p.m. Rick and Andrew facing the Upper East Side
3:01 p.m. After navigating eddies and whirlpools in the East River, we approached the calm Harlem River
3:05 p.m. Hey, isn’t that our train?
3:05 p.m. MetroNorth commuter train
3:32 p.m. Seeking some shade on the Harlem River
Yankee Stadium
4:05 p.m. Break time at the Peter Jay Sharpe boathouse
4:15 p.m. View south from the balcony
4:18 p.m. Rowing shells may be even sexier than kayaks
KALM group: Alex, Jean, David, Andrew, Rick
Five of the Kayakers Alliance of Larchmont and Mamaroneck
4:48 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil, where the Harlem meets the Hudson; the “C” means “Columbia”
5:03 p.m. Homeward bound, the GW Bridge once again south of us
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
2 Geeks @ 3 Knots 
Looks like a fun trip! 🙂
Very. A sunny one, too!
Looks like you had a great day for the trip. So much to see! I like the view north up the Hudson at that very early hour – peaceful!
The weather couldn’t have been better, though I’m a fan of overcast — not “good” weather, in the typical sense, but lots easier on the bod and eyes. It was amazing how quickly the scenery moved by… Andrew clocked 10+ knots at one point. Slowest (and dullest scenery, unfortunately!) is the Harlem River. Guess that helps the rowing crews to stay focused 🙂
I remember seeing them there many times as I drove down from Westchester (Hastings), where I lived at one time. That’s funny – I think you’re right, far less distracting than the Hudson or East R might be! What yo said about overcast makes sense – I think my eyes would be killing me even with strong sunglasses on the water in the sun.
Great Photos! Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks, Toni! And thanks for visiting 🙂
wow! how cool! that really looks like fun!