By Vladimir Brezina
This morning at 12:30 a.m. EST, as most of us on the East Coast slumbered, we passed the winter solstice. So from now on, days will be getting longer! On the other hand, winter is here. And it’s predicted to be cold and snowy.
In anticipation, here are some photos from last winter, taken on January 27, 2011, in New York City’s Central Park just after the nor’easter that dumped a record 19 inches of snow there…
More photos from that day are here.
Posted in Nature, New York City
Tagged Central Park, Ducks, Manhattan, New York City, Photography, Seasons, Snow, Solstice, Winter
By Vladimir Brezina
From no direction is it as obvious that Manhattan is an island as from the south.
Clear across the Upper Bay the ramparts of Manhattan draw the eye.
.
Sometimes Manhattan is a fantastical mirage that we paddle toward again and again…
… sometimes it shimmers in the sunset and is gone as the last light fades.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Kayaking, Manhattan, New York City, New York Harbor, Photography
By Vladimir Brezina
I’ve paddled in New York Harbor quite a bit, and other kayakers often ask my advice on the timing of their trips through this tidal waterway. They say things like, “We are planning a trip from Pier 40 down to Swinburne Island to see the seals, like you did last year, and we are thinking that January 8 might be a good day to go. High tide at the Battery is at 7:13 a.m. that day. So, when do you think we should leave?” And I have to reply, “I have no idea.”
I have no idea because the time of high tide at the Battery does not immediately tell me much. I think in terms of current, not tide.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Kayak Navigation, Kayak Trip Planning, Kayaking, Marine Charts, New York Harbor, Tidal Current, Tide
By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Vladimir Brezina
Do you ever have those days where you just don’t feel like finishing what you start? I do, but not usually when it comes to kayaking.
But that’s how I felt on a recent Saturday afternoon. It was a warm autumn day, and we’d planned a fast Manhattan circumnavigation, heading around the island clockwise, rather than the more usual counterclockwise. Starting from Pier 40, a clockwise circumnavigation is usually faster than a counterclockwise one because you can catch faster current in all three main legs of the trip—up the Hudson River (about 11 miles), down the Harlem river (about 8), and down the East River (another 8), leaving you fighting the current only at the very tail end (from the Battery back up to Pier 40).
If the stars align right—and wind and currents fall into place—a reasonably fast paddler can finish a clockwise circumnavigation in under five hours. Racers can do it in three-and-change.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Kayaking, Manhattan Circumnavigation, New York City, New York Harbor
By Vladimir Brezina
Ice skating on the lakes and ponds of New York City’s Central Park was popular in the 19th century. But that was a more robust time. These days, the ice that forms on these bodies of water is thin and insubstantial…
But there is the Wollman Rink! We walked past it on Saturday as the day was drawing to a close.
The lines were just a bit too long, and we too impatient (and cold!), to actually go skating on this occasion. But the skaters’ movements in the fading light did create some intriguing photos…
We’ll be back another time. At the northern end of Central Park, there is also the Lasker Rink, which is less crowded.
More photos from that day, and other New York Cityscapes, are here.
Posted in New York City
Tagged Central Park, Ice Skating, Manhattan, New York City, Photography
By Vladimir Brezina
Here are three images captured by the Statue of Liberty webcams in the foggy weather we’ve been having recently in New York City.
(All three images are from December 5, 2011.)
Posted in New York City
Tagged EarthCam, Fog, Manhattan, New York City, New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty, Webcam
By Vladimir Brezina
A week ago, on the last Sunday of November, the weather promised to be clear and mild—perfect for a late-fall paddle. We looked up the current predictions. In the morning, the current was flooding north. So we paddled north—from Pier 40 up the Hudson River along the West Side of Manhattan, under the George Washington Bridge and along the Palisades up to Tonetti Gardens, then returning with the ebb current in the afternoon…
It was a peaceful paddle. There were no exciting conditions, no incidents to report. But it was a beautiful day for a few photos…
Posted in Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Hudson River, Italian Gardens, Kayaking, Manhattan, New York City, Palisades
By Vladimir Brezina
Now that New York City is once again embracing its waterways, all manner of the city’s activities are spilling over into the harbor—and that includes the city’s art. As I kayak around the harbor, I can’t help but notice the number of works of art that don’t stop at the water’s edge, but plunge right in…
Here are a few examples. In some cases, they use for their effect their location at the interface between land and water. In more extreme cases, they can only be appreciated, indeed can only have been created, from a boat on the water…
Posted in Art, Culture, Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Art, Columbia C, Graffiti, Marine Art, New York City, New York Harbor, Olafur Eliasson, Robert Smithson, Sculpture, Statue of Liberty, Tom Otterness
By Johna Till Johnson and Vladimir Brezina
We couldn’t possibly write about this topic without first referencing Bowsprite’s prior posts here and here. Not only did she accurately (and highly entertainingly) capture the lingo, her whimsical drawings are one-of-a kind!
Negotiating ferry traffic in New York Harbor
When out kayaking in New York Harbor, we carry marine radios for several reasons: To call for help if something goes wiggy; to stay abreast of developments on the water; and, where appropriate, to advise larger vessels of our intentions.
But one of the more captivating aspects of kayaking with a radio in the harbor is simply the opportunity to listen to exchanges between the captains of commercial vessels.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City
Tagged Kayaking, Marine Radio, Marine Traffic, New York Harbor, Radio Calls, Shipping, VHF Radio
By Vladimir Brezina
Despite the hiccup of the Halloween snowstorm, Fall has had a long run this year. The colors in New York City’s Central Park have been glorious. But now, in late November, they are finally coming to an end. It’s raining, dark, gray, and the trees are rapidly losing their last leaves.
So, as farewell, here are some highlights of the Fall colors of 2011. Happy Thanksgiving!
The individual photos, and many others, are here, here, and here.
Posted in Nature, New York City
Tagged Central Park, Fall, Fall Foliage Colors, Manhattan, New York City, Photography
... kayaked the waters around New York for more than 15 years in his red Feathercraft folding kayak. He was originally from (the former) Czechoslovakia and lived in the U.K. and California before settling down in New York. He was a neuroscientist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He died in 2016.
... is a kayaker and technology researcher at Nemertes Research. She's an erstwhile engineer, particle physicist, and science fiction writer. She was born in California and has lived in Italy, Norway, Hawaii, and a few other places. She currently resides in New York City.
 | Johna Till Johnson on Where We Like to Land on Sandy… |
| Canada to Key West P… on “A Bizarre Boating … | |
 | Eunice Miller on A Meditation on Gratitude |
 | Harry on A Meditation on Gratitude |
| Johna Till Johnson on A Meditation on Gratitude |
| Harry Itagaki on A Meditation on Gratitude |
 | Love is still the an… on Travel Theme: Signs |
 | David McLean on Where We Like to Land on Sandy… |
 | davidloh24 on Endless Reflection |
| Paddle Log: North Mo… on Circumnavigating Monomoy | |
 | Brian on Long Island Kayak Circumnaviga… |
 | Andi the Slime on Yellow |
 | Mark S on The Dry Salvages |
 | Dudi on Everglades Challenge, the Days… |
 | Francie Chew on The First Leg! |
Wind Against Current 