By Vladimir Brezina
We are constantly racking our brains trying to come up with new things for people who visit us in NYC to do.
Empire State Building? They’ve been there. Statue of Liberty? They’ve done that.
But how about… a round-Manhattan paddle!
Here are some photos from last Saturday’s Manhattan circumnavigation on which we took our friend R.
And I think she got all the excitement, as well as the unexpected quiet beauty, that she could have wished for.
(click on any photo to start slideshow)
Launching at Pier 40
We paddle down to the Battery
The Freedom Tower towers above…
Off North Cove
The Statue, as always, across the harbor
We wait for the Staten Island Ferry to depart
Goodbye!
Now it’s safe to go on…
In the East River
East River traffic
In sync
In sync, too
We pass South Street Seaport
Downtown skyline
We leave Downtown behind
Williamsburg Bridge
Having fun!
Coming up to Midtown
One tower…
Two towers…
Traffic…
… safely met
Roosevelt Island tram overhead
WTF??!
It’s the Staten Island Ferry!!
An apparition in the East River… (photo by Johna)
But the wake is real
On top of the wave
We bounce up and down
Synchronized diving
The wakes slosh…
… back and forth
At Mill Rock, in the domain of the gulls
They REALLY want us to leave
Mulberries
Spuyten Duyvil
Under the George Washington Bridge
Paddling to Manhattan
Somber sky
Hello to Midtown
Intrepid with Concorde
The Beast
BIG traffic
We pass Chelsea Piers
… with the Empire State Building behind
Goal in sight
The Statue once more
Back at Pier 40 before sunset
Freedom Tower
.
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Amazing as ever! Back to Pier 40 is just brilliant …literally
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:-) It was!
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That’s a great way to see NYC from a completely different perspective! Some of that water looks a little rough- your guest was not a first-time paddler I’m guessing….
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Most definitely not a first-time paddler ;-)
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What a very nice idea from you and again with exiting photos ! :)
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Glad you enjoyed them—thanks, Karen!
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Exhilarating for sure! I enjoyed the slideshow. The water glistens like mirrors. I don’t see that effect of the water from land…or is that your photographic magic? Do you think I can see the mulberries from the path on Randall’s Island?
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HI Allyson!
That effect is natural, not photographic magic. It just happens at times!
My best guess as to why: close to land, there are often plenty of reflections, which darken the water. Out on the open water, the only thing that’s reflected is (glistening, luminous) sky….
As for the mulberries, you can certainly reach them from land, but I’m not sure if you can see them from the path. They’re pretty tiny!
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(I see Johna was replying at the same time as I was. Here’s my reply anyway—)
I think it appears that way more often when, as in a kayak, you are very close to the water, so the water surface acts more as a reflecting mirror and less as a transparent pane…
And yes, you can definitely see the mulberries from the path. Climb from the path a few steps down to the water at the locations indicated in the map. There are several trees. However, because the trees lean out over the water, whether you will actually be able to pick any mulberries from land is another matter…
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You guys are so in sync sweet! Thanks for the water explanations. Viewing your slideshow I wanted to be in the water and feel those glistening ripples around me. And thanks for the map of the mulberries. I loved your water adventure in your post picking mulberries from your kayaks (Johna was having a snack). I’ll take a walk and have some curious fun on Randall’s Island :)
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What a great thing!
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Indeed!
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Great photos! It is great to have a different perspective.
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And this trip certainly does provide it :-)
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Good Evening: You know, people might pay for this…
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They do, actually :-). There are several commercial outfitters in the city, including the best (in my estimation): NY Kayak Company, which takes folks out on the water, after suitable training, for a fee. I have a huge amount of respect for the folks who run those businesses!
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What a wonderful ride with the excitement of going over and through the waves. I felt my stomach turning at that point. I loved your advantage point of seeing the city.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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When you are actually paddling through those waves, your stomach isn’t turning, fortunately (there are exceptions, a few people who do get seasick)—it’s like the difference between driving a car and trying to read in a moving car (which I absolutely cannot do without getting sick). Or, at least, you have no time to think about your stomach… ;-)
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Now that’s a tour not everyone has taken.
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A lot of people have… well, probably just a few hundred. So it still is a bit special ;-)
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You know how to treat your friends, don’t you – giving them a trip they will never forget. And now we can join you – at least in spirit. Lovely.
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Thanks, Tish!
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I see a business opportunity….
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See Johna’s answer to Vonn Scott Bair above…
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:-) See above… there are several commercial outfitters who train paddlers and take them on guided tours. I have a huge amount of respect for the individuals that operate those businesses, and no desire to become one!
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Very nice paddle. Jeanie and I are planning a visit to NYC, for the sole purpose of paddling around Manhattan, the last weekend in August (24,25). This was a nice preview. Our plans will put our launch at the Englewood, NJ boat basin. It seems like the simplest access for out of towners with a canoe. We plan a sunrise launch on Sunday.
You don’t regularly see the SI ferry in he river?
Thanks,
George
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Take a look at some of our other Manhattan circumnavigation on Wind Against Current to complete the preview :-)
We do see the Staten Island Ferry regularly, but not in the East River! :-)
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Nice paddle. Thanks for sharing. Jeanie and I are planning a trip to NYC in late August for the sole purpose of paddling around Manhattan. We needed friends like you guys! Ha!
We plan a sunrise, Sunday launch from Englewood, NJ. It seems like the easiest way for out of towners to launch a canoe and park for the day.
The SI ferry was a surprise!
George
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Yes, Englewood is probably a good place to launch, certainly from the point of view of parking. Have fun!!
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Hi George! We are (alas) paddling on the Sound that weekend, or we’d see you on the water!
I’m sure you’re aware of all this, but I’m linking here to Vlad’s most excellent (and underrated) post about trip planing: https://windagainstcurrent.com/2011/12/17/planning-kayak-trips-in-new-york-harbor-tide-or-current/
I’m not sure if the currents are right for a sunrise Sunday launch, but I’m assuming you’ve already checked all that. If not, the post contains some really useful links.
Best of luck, and thanks for posting!
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Thanks for these great photos! What a perfect preview of the paddle Jeanie and I have planned for the last week in August. Very helpful. SI Ferry was a surprise!
We will launch in Englewood, NJ. Unloading a canoe and parking for the day looks simple from there.
Friends like you guys are real treasures! Perhaps we will see you no the 25th.
George
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Yes, the Staten Island Ferry was very surprising to see in the East River. We were joking about how, with a new captain perhaps, it must have gotten lost…
But actually I’ve seen it there a couple of times before (and even more often up the Hudson River). It’s usually VIPs—or perhaps, I’d like to think, just regular city employees—going on a festive boat cruise and picnic outside the city…
On August 24th, we will be paddling with another round-Manhattan swim, so if you go that day, we might indeed see you. On the 25th, we’ll be paddling out in Long Island Sound, and so we won’t.
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Thanks again to both of you. Sorry about the multiple posts. My account seemed to be rejecting my attempts. Sorry we will miss you on the 25th. In Gloucester, MA today for tomorrow’s paddle around Cape Ann.
George
George
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We are heading up there today too, so we’ll hopefully see you, if not on the water, then on the beach afterwards!
But first, we have to survive today’s brutal heat :-(
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The amount of effort, thought, and time that you and Johna put in to your posts here is impressive. From my own small blog entries – usually with only a single photo – I know how much work it is, but you take things to a whole other level with these outstanding slide shows. Thanks for taking your audience along with you around Manhattan!
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You are most welcome!! :-)
What takes the most time is processing the photos—but I would do that anyway, blog or no blog. Then posting them on the blog is relatively quick and easy… the operative word being relatively ;-)
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Yes, exactly so. I know how long it takes me to go through a day’s worth of photos and get just one blog-ready, and you always do a complete and marvelous suite of photos! Keep up the good and voluminous work!
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I have it more automated, probably :-)
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And you probably have more reliable hardware not running Win8. :-)
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Indeed. I’ve tried hard to avoid Win 8. Still have Win 7 :-)
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Smart man! I needed a new laptop just after Win8 became the only thing available. I rue the day, and so still do all posts from iPad. Lol.
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Thanks! Actually Vlad puts in most of the time–Wordpress is not the most photo-friendly blog platform. Plus he provides a meticulous edit of my writing (and I return the favor, when I can—we both take well to editing and enjoy debating the meaning and placement of words!). It’s wonderful to have a partner…
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Yes, and your partnership works every well in your blog, it seems so balanced. I think you and I both come from professional media company backgrounds, so the importance of editing is ingrained. Me, I could sure use a second pair of eyes when it comes to proofing, so I envy you both.
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magnifico blog
saluti dall’Italia
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Mille grazie! Ci piace scriverlo moltissimo. E grazie per la visita!
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A wonderful idea!
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:-)
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A wonderful presentation; I loved coming with you all!
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Glad to have you along, Dina! :-)
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Good for her! Where did all those waves come from? And truly strange to see the ferry in the East River, but in NY one always expects the unexpected, part of its beauty.
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There is some natural turbulence in that part of the East River just from the fast flow of current. But the larger waves are mostly wakes that get trapped and amplified and then bounce across the narrow channel from the seawall from one side to the seawall on the other side. As the photos show in part, there was a barge, the Staten Island Ferry, and several smaller boats that had gone through that spot in the minutes before we got there. All in all, the water is much rougher in the summer when there is a lot of boat traffic. In winter, it’s very quiet :-)
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Oh!!! That is a wonderful way of visiting the city!!! Your friends are lucky!!!
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But we make them work hard! :-)
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You are gracious hosts. I’d say, “I want to party with you!” but that’s way too scary for me.
I really like all the red in the shots. Pops!!!
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Why do you think we all have red boats? It’s just to look cool :-)
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Haha. It works. :-)
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How wonderful. They type of trip to NYC that a visitor would not forget. :-)
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It’s hard to forget. After more than two hundred times round (I think—I’ve lost track), I still remember my first time ;-)
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I grew up in NYC and not once was aware you could do this. My hubby woulda loved it. Wait….here:
This might amuse you…
https://aholisticjourney.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/east-meets-west-a-literal-translation/
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Having lived both in Southern California and in New York, I very much appreciate your charming story :-) Thanks so much!!
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!! =) Thanks!
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