Release Date 6/2/2008

I went paddling on 6/1/2008, but it was in the river and I was too busy doing dtbh stuff to do a message in a bottle.... Today 6/2 I went surfing out on Breezy Point. I rode my bike over to my friend's house and he drove. This was a very long bike ride from Greenpoint to Park Slope with a very heavy bag on my back. I was pooped by the time I got there. We launched from Plum Beach around 11:30, and got out to the sandbar around 12:15. The water was very low, but low water for the Battery wasn't until 13:40. The low water there must be about 1 hour ahead of the Battery. There were sea gulls standing on the spot where we usually surf about 500 yards from the beach off the breakwater.

For Surfing it seems like the best on a medium to light day is a bit earlier, say 2 to 3 hours before low water at the Battery. Truth: Vacation Houses are a state of mind.

There wasn't much swell, but the current was still running out so it caused some decent waves to build up. We caught a number of them, and surfed for over an hour before the water got too high and the waves got too irregular to catch easily.

I only got knocked over once, and that was because I was screwing around trying to ride a wave to the absolute end, and I tripped over the paddle.

Release Date 5/2/2008

Whitewater Kayaking on the Famington River in Ct.
First at Collinsville, then at Tariffville Gorge close to the Hartford Airport.

It took 2 hours 15 minutes to drive there from Brooklyn.

This was a basic whitewater class on Class 2 River. With Atlantic Kayak Tours.

My first time whitewater paddling in over a year. Air and Water temperature were both in the 50's.

The morning session went well and we practiced surfing and eddy hopping along the river for a few hours.

In the afternoon we went over the Gorge where the rapids were larger and harder to handle. The picture at the end is of a large broken dam. I did not go over it.

Truth:
If you have never been there it's hard to know how long it will take to get there.

Release Date 4/14/2008

Released this message off of Breezy Pt. in Brooklyn. It was a beautiful spring day. A bit cold with light West wind that shifted to the South as the day progressed.

We launched around 9:45, and got off the water around 13:00. Air and water temp in the high 40s. We wanted to go surfing, but there was almost no surf on the sandbar. We did chase some waves around, but there was nothing to speak of.

There had been some storms that exposed more of the rocks on the jetty, and made a huge sand cliff. If you get close to it, and look you would think you are in the desert, not Brooklyn. See the picture.

I borrowed a friends Romany since I still don't have access to my boat. Truth: Something about spring...

Release Date 3/29/2008

Photo Elizabeth Powers.

Today as we were paddling right in front of the DTBH 72nd Street dock we spotted a small seal in the water.

It was very curious and followed us popping up, first behind, then in front again. It seemed very interested and was getting closer and closer.

So I made the classic keetch keetch noise and held my hand out like I had some food. It always works with dogs, so I figured it might work with a seal too.

The seal swam closer and closer, and then put it's paws up on my front hatch. It looked at me once more, then hauled itself up ONTO MY FRONT HATCH COVER.

It sat up there for about 30 seconds while I carefully balanced, then it jumped back in the water on the other side of my boat.

Really incredible!!!
A friend from the DTBH got a picture of it a few hours earlier on the DTBH dock at 72nd St.

Truth: It's important to get along with your neighbors.

Release Date 3/22/2008

Released this message while paddling in the Hudson River.

Air started just above freezing, but warmed-up into the forties. Very light wind from the NW, bright bright sun. The flood was slightly diminished, from snow-melt, but still significant.

It was a cool spring morning, but the sun came out, and it really warmed up. We went North up to the GW Bridge, then back to the Mitswa complex for a Japanese lunch.

Lunch was great.

We then did a bit of shopping, and I got the idea to finish my weekly shopping at Trader Joe's to the North, and then Fairway on NY side.

Trader Joe's was very nice compared to the branch in the city. Wide aisles, fresh produce, and NO CROWDS. I loaded-up with staples, then went over to Fairway for some fresh bread and cheese.

Release Date 3/13/2008

I released this message 1/2 way between and Cuba and Florida while I was on the last night of a cruise through the Panama canal.

It was wacky being on such a large ship. The picture above shows the bottle heading into the prop wash. It is just barely visible in the bottom right, and shown in a close-up.

It was a nice trip, the Panama canal is very interesting.

Truth:
The sea is always different.

Release Date 3/2/2008

Released this message off the coast of Key Largo Fla. I was kayaking.

It was sunny about 75 degrees with a 10-15kt wind coming from the North East, basically right from offshore to onshore.

I was paddling a large plastic double kayak. I have only been in a double a few times in my kayaking career, I thought it would be difficult, but it wasn't too bad, and it was definitely better for efficiency.

We went along the mangroves and found some crab trap floats.

We stopped for lunch near a really cool raft. It was made of styrofoam that was encased in welded re-rod. It may well have been used to get people from Cuba to shore, it was definitely home made, but a LOT of work was put into building it.

Truth:
Tide doesn't stop.