Daily Archives: December 8, 2013

By Vladimir Brezina

The calendar says that winter hasn’t started yet.

But what does the calendar know? Paddling-wise, it’s already deep winter here in the US Northeast. The days are short, and once the sun sets, the temperature plummets dramatically. It’s not the season for loitering on the water after dark, and even more so, for landing after dark, unavoidable as that often is. Putting away the boats in the dark, with wet fingers frozen by the cold wind, can be a distinctly unpleasant experience.

So, it’s the season for shorter trips suited to the shorter days—such as the old standby, the Manhattan circumnavigation.

Here are some photos from Saturday’s circumnavigation (click on any photo to start slideshow).

We leave the Pier 40 embayment

… and paddle south down the Hudson

Wind against current waves

… fun!

We turn the corner of the Battery into the East River

The heliport is busy today

Helicopters take off over our heads

We are in full winter gear

Past the South Street Seaport

… toward the East River bridges

This section of the East River is placid compared to the Hudson

Under the Brooklyn Bridge

… and the Manhattan Bridge

Looking back at Downtown Manhattan

… and across the river

Under the Williamsburg Bridge

We continue up the East River

Midtown Manhattan is in sight

East River traffic

One of the classic views

Looking back into the sun

We pass Midtown

A Long Island City icon

“Halie & Matthew” from Eastport, Maine

Under the Queensboro Bridge

We paddle up the Queens-side channel past Roosevelt Island, close to shore, because the current has already turned against us

We skirt the barges that are always docked at the power plant

Industrial scene

A couple more barges…

… and the Roosevelt Island Bridge

Socrates Sculpture Park

After crossing Hell Gate, we approach the Wards Island Bridge

We arrive at our favorite barge

… our shelter from the wind…

… where we raft up for some tea

Afterward, we paddle on… under the Triborough (RFK) Bridge

Under the Third Avenue Bridge

Looking back at the Third Avenue Bridge

The Park Avenue Bridge

More of the Harlem River bridges come into view

Toward the Madison Avenue Bridge

The Padded Wagon

Under the Madison Avenue Bridge

The Macombs Dam Bridge

High Bridge and tower

Alexander Hamilton Bridge and Washington Bridge

Looking back at the trio of mid-Harlem bridges silhouetted against the declining sun

The University Heights Bridge

… still lit by the sun

Almost at the top of the Harlem River

… and almost sunset

Looking back at the University Heights Bridge

The Broadway Bridge

The Henry Hudson Bridge

And finally the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge

… just in time for the last of the sun

We pass under the bridge out into the Hudson

The view north

But we paddle south

… toward the George Washington Bridge

Sunset colors across the river

Under the George Washington Bridge, the Manhattan skyline comes once more into view

The George Washington Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse

Above the bridge, a crescent quarter moon

It’s getting dark

Last sunset color

A look back

… and forward toward home

The individual photos are here.