By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Vladimir Brezina
At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal: On a sunny weekend in late October, we decided to circumnavigate Manhattan.
We didn’t anticipate, though, that, thanks to Hurricane Sandy, it would be our last circumnavigation of the year, indeed our last major trip in New York waters. And so this trip has a special resonance in our memories.
A Manhattan circumnavigation is usually a pretty predictable trip, though always a treat. It’s not particularly long by our standards, but packed with variety. The scenery ranges from the urban…
In the East River: the Empire State Building, with Vlad in the foreground (photo by Johna)
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to the bucolic…
Fall colors in the Harlem River
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Riding the chop and keeping an eye on the ferries down by the Battery
and the paddling conditions vary nearly as much: The water down by the Battery is often exciting (enhanced by ferry and other shipping traffic)…
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Heading up the Harlem River
but the long glide up the Harlem River is usually tranquil.
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All in all, we looked forward to a lovely, if unexceptional trip.
Unexceptional except for being our last long trip of the year. The following weekend, we toured the Gowanus Canal—a scenic, but short, excursion.
And the Monday after that, Sandy arrived.
Our Manhattan paddling home at Pier 40 was shut down, and the pier itself remains closed (though we’re hopeful it will reopen soon). In addition, there continue to be some restrictions on paddling in New York Harbor. So we haven’t been out (in New York waterways, at least) since.
Which made this “unexceptional” trip rather exceptional, after all.
So our recollection of this circumnavigation is tinged with a bit of melancholy and a sense of loss. As the graffiti has it:
“Alas this bitter life filled with sweet dreams” — Poetic graffiti in the East River
But even an “ordinary” trip has moments of incandescent beauty, which will live on in our memories…
The George Washington Bridge: Yellow and blue nocturne
We hope to be back on the waters around Manhattan in 2013!
The individual photos are here.
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
That is the best view of the GWB- soooo much better than trying to cross it and so pretty in a yellow haze!
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Yes, it’s pretty impressive, isn’t it? Thanks for reading/viewing!
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Yes it looks as though an impressionist painting!
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The Harlem River looks my sorta scene – calm and quiet so you can hear the paddle enter and leave the water. I intend to get a sea-kayak myself so I can get photos from similar perspective to yourself (that is scheduled for mid 2014 so until then I will be watching your blog – happy new year
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Scott–may you get your sea kayak as soon as possible, you don’t want to miss a single day on the water :-). And fair warning, the Harlem isn’t always so benign—on one of my early circumnavs, I got caught by a wind so powerful (compared with my then-feeble paddling skills) that I literally got spun around and couldn’t point myself forward. Luckily that doesn’t happen TOO often!
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Hear you – always respect the water and the weather Happy New Year
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Photography from a sea kayak is very rewarding, but can be a bit tricky. I think you have to decide up front whether you want to (1) use the kayak essentially as a platform from which to shoot with your regular high-end camera, or (2) go for a paddle and take photos while paddling. If (1), there’s the issue of how to protect the camera from the water, which can limit you quite a bit. If (2), the best way to go is with a waterproof camera, even if the quality is not as high, so that you don’t have to worry.
As an example of approach (1), I notice that Chris Mazzarella, for instance, has done quite a bit of his lovely nature photography from a kayak. As an example of approach (2), Marek Uliasz is an expert. I’ve tried (1), but only under very calm conditions. Normally I opt for (2).
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Thanks Vladimir for taking the time to respond in such detail, I have had ago on one previous occasion in th boundary water canoe area, Minnesota. On the whole I took land based shots but on the good days I took them from the inland lakes (shooting back inland) but that was an Open Canadian which on inland water is very stable. But I will have a look at both Chris and Marek – cheers Scott
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Happy New Year! Love the graffiti – like spray-can Shakespeare!
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Happy New Year! Yes, isn’t it amazing what graffiti artists come up with?
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You’ve got a magnificent view!
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We thought so! Thanks for reading!
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beautiful! happy happy new year, and many more intrepid adventures and wondrous views for 2013! plus, peace, joy and good health! xo c!
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And right back atcha, Bowsprite! Happy New Year to you, too!
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I would love to do that some day. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for reading/viewing, Carol! I hope you do–it’s an amazing experience!
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I love reading your adventures, hope you have many more in 2013!
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Thanks, Gingerbread! And you, too–hope your 2013 is mystical!
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I’m hardly saying anything new in pointing out that most graffiti is illiterate (and much of it illegible), so I expected “Alas this bitter life filled with sweet dreams” to be a quotation, but I just did an internet search for that sentence (in quotation marks) and failed to turn up any hits other than your post.
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Wow, thanks for looking, Steve! Pretty amazing, huh! Wonder who the unknown poet is…?
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I just found your beautiful blog and forwarded it to another paddling friend nearer to you – currently I am in Galveston, TX. Gorgeous text and pictures. Beauty and adventure can be found everywhere.
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Why thank you, Marilyn! Your blog is fantastic, too–I read the post about alligators with interest, as we’re soon to embark on some excursions in alligator-territory! Thanks for the kind words, and for forwarding it!
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Happy New Year to both of you!!!!
I love the graffiti and the bridge at night!
Waiting for more adventures this year!
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Happy New Year to you, too, Ilargia! We will do our best to provide more adventures….
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I really, really like the picture of the George Washington bridge! Those colors are amazing! What a wonderful adventure you take us on! Thank you!
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Thanks, Becky! I loved that one, too. I remember when Vlad took it, he was fretting it would be too dark for it to come out. Instead we got those lovely wobbles of light…
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As always, I love being included in the tours of your “wilderness” on water – thank you Johna, and I hope you and Vlad are able to get back on the water soon. Happy New Year!
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Well, with all the difficulties up here, it seems we are fleeing to Florida more and more frequently… some posts from there should be coming soon! Happy New Year, Lynn!
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Thank you for taking us along. I wish to see more of New York now that I’ve seen a small part of it.
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It’s well worth seeing, and we do our small part here in showing it to people from a somewhat different perspective… :-)
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Enjoyed traveling with you in 2012 via your photographs. Looking forward to your 2013 adventures. Thanks for all the likes on my blog.
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Likewise—Happy New Year, Ruth!
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