By Vladimir Brezina
On Sunday, the weather broke. After weeks of hot humid weather, there was suddenly a chill in the air. Morning mist shrouded the higher towers of Manhattan, and later when the sun broke through, the air remained crisp and cool. Here and there, leaves were already turning. Fall had unmistakably arrived.
Perfect weather for a Manhattan circumnavigation!
Here are some photos:
(Click on any photo for slideshow)
We leave Pier 40
The top of the new World Trade Center tower disappears in mist
We paddle down the Hudson
Art or shantytown?
The Nantucket lightship
Across the river, Jersey City
Johna passes North Cove
… and Vlad (photo by Johna)
The Statue and Staten Island in the distance (photo by Johna)
Round the Battery
Dramatic clouds over Brooklyn
In the East River
We head toward the East River bridges
The sun breaks through the clouds over the Brooklyn Bridge…
Can’t resist another shot
… and another
Under the Brooklyn Bridge
Downtown Manhattan behind
Manhattan Bridge ahead
Looking back
We continue up the East River (photo by Johna)
Under the Williamsburg Bridge
Midtown Manhattan in sight!
Kayak model posing
Midtown now closer
Let’s go!
We follow a slow-moving tug
Midtown panorama
We pass the UN
Under the Queensboro (Ed Koch) Bridge
… just in time for the Roosevelt Island tram
Black and white
One of Tom Otterness’s series of sculptures, “The Marriage of Real Estate and Money”, off Roosevelt Island
Lunch, such as it is, at Mill Rock
Triborough (RFK) Bridge
Onward up the Harlem River
Willis Avenue Bridge
The Bronx is no longer burning!
We pass under the Park Avenue Bridge
… and look up
Macombs Dam Bridge
High Bridge, recently reopened as a pedestrian walkway
The trio of mid-Harlem bridges
Under High Bridge
University Heights Bridge
Sun and shade in Spuyten Duyvil
First glimpse of the exit into the Hudson and Palisades behind
The Columbia “C”
Under the Henry Hudson Bridge
Spuyten Duyvil Bridge
… and we are out in the Hudson again!
Under the George Washington Bridge, with the towers of Manhattan coming into sight in the distance
There’s always a little tide rip under the George Washington Bridge…
Riding a strong ebb current, we approach the 79th Street Boat Basin
A beauty (photo by Johna)
Luxury yachts at 79th Street
Cruise ship trio
Water wheel
Chelsea Piers
Last couple of miles
Back at Pier 40!
More photos are here.
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Jeanne and I have circumnavigated Manhattan a number of times, both commercially and with our boat, based at one time both in Havistraw, and Barnegat Bay. But it’s been a few years since tha last, and the changes are plentiful! Beautiful pictures, thanks for the ride. M :-)
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Thanks! Yes, change is constant—we are always noticing new things, big and small, on the trips we do often, such as the Manhattan circumnavigation :-)
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Some great pics here. Thanks for the visual feast…
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Very glad to supply it, Raj!
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What an assortment of excellent photos! I especially like the angles of the bridges.
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Passing under them certainly offers a new perspective :-)
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Always interesting photos ! My Pals also did their annual circ Sunday , I had to work :( . They launched at the quarters of FDNY Marine 1 ( 343 ) which I seen in one of your pics on your way home . They were scheduled to be on water by 7am . What time did you two launch ?
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We left just after 8 AM. As it turned out, that was still too early for the time of slack in Hell Gate, so we loitered there quite a bit… We did see a group of kayakers heading up the Harlem River, who might have been your friends.
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Oh by the way did you know the French navy is in town lol .http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2015/09/french_warship_monge_docked_at.html
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No, we didn’t know—thanks for the heads-up! Peculiar-looking ship with all those satellite dishes on deck…
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Nice bridges !!!.Like an alien landscape…well to me anyway
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And I didn’t even get all 20½ bridges into this post…
Yes, urban kayaking is different. But—especially with the thousands of boats that cruise the harbor in the summer—it offers its own excitement :-)
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enjoyed your awesome pictures! thanks for sharing :)
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You are most welcome! :-)
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Vlad,
It is tempting to come down for another “rounding” this fall. Your encouragement and beautiful photos are nagging reminders of one of the most memorable paddles Jeanie and I have enjoyed in recent years. Keep the “pressure” on. Thanks!
George
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Will do, George. Come on down! :-)
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Hurray!!!! Awesome!! See you soon, xo… Jean & Alex
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