Monday, July 31, 2006

Red Hook Yacht Club?

During a recent visit to the Fairway Market in Red Hook, we noticed a sailboat docked adjacent to the parking lot, or right next to the Red Hook Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge.

According to our sources in The Hook, this is property private owned by Greg O'Connell, who's been reported to be the largest property owner in Red Hook. And while there may be a few boats rafted or moored in this area, it is, unfortunately, not a burgeoning boating scene or nascent yacht club.

Locals in the know about this spot, particularly the owners keeping their boats in the lee of Fairway, are very hush-hush when asked how they obtained these coveted moorings, particularly in light of the fact that there is a battle for the future of Red Hook where private developers are planning to displace the local shipping industry and a part of Brooklyn's storied waterfront history.

Our sources tell us that part of the silence around theses coveted boat slips is the fact that these Red Hook-based boat owners know they are on borrowed time. Its inevitable that this spot will be re-developed for different use, perhaps public use like a marina (we would champion that idea).

Regardless, we're still giving props to these renegade sailors, who are continuing more than 300 years Red Hook maritime tradition.

1 Comments:

At Wednesday, August 02, 2006 9:41:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just biked over there two weeks ago and when I saw the little 23 footer (looking none the better for wear and tear, I have to say) I had an immediate rush of adrenaline "maybe, just maybe, there is a way I can get a mooring or slip here, a convenient 15 minutes walk from home", I thought. But not really. I have been asking around for months how exactly does one get to rent a few feet of he crumbling dock inside Erie Basin. Very elusive answers "oh, it's temporary, it'll be gone next year". I sailed into the Basin last year a couple of times and there was a J24 tied up at the dock. The guy at the gate said they will put in 15 slips or so next year, right where the Water Taxis dock, inside the Basin. By the way, Fat Cat, the cruising boat that sat for a while in the Gowanus is now gone. At least it wasnt there when I checked last Saturday. Cheers,

 

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