Sailboats in Newtown Creek

Our good friends at Gage & Desoto Design sent us a shot of two sailboats docked against a bulkhead on the Brooklyn side of Newtown Creek. The small sloop looks to be under 20 feet with the other in the 29-to-33 foot range.

Of course we don't have any information about these vessels, their captains or the sailing scene along the Brooklyn/Queens border, but we're happy to see more sailboats in unusual spots in Brooklyn.

The Lonely Waterfall

We really like Olfar Eliasson's "The Waterfalls"particularly because it is bringing so many people to New York City's Upper Harbor and the installation brings the entire landscape of the waterfront, from Governor's Island up the East River to the Manhattan Bridge. And the waterfall that is installed underneath the Brooklyn Bridge is particularly spectacular, not only from the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, but also from the Manhattan side.

We do, however feel sorry for the lonely, unappreciated waterfall, that sits off the Montague St. entrance of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. First, from the promenade, the viewer sees more structure than it does waterfall, and it is virtually impossible to hear because of the noise from the BQE. To its credit, however, it does make the viewer pay attention to Governor's Island and its waterfall. And its site on Furman Street, while accessible by bicycle and on foot is rarely trafficked, surrounded by fences and barbed wire, but there are spots where the view is priceless.

U-Boat in Red Hook

New York's waterways are full of surprises: Sludgie the whale, and sharks are among the unique sea creatures spotted; and we've read about dead bodies in the East River and seen sailboats along the Gowanus Canal. Today's find was no exception. Birthed in the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal lies what appears to be a submarine.

We're very thin on facts regarding this diver. Perhaps its part of George Bush's war on terror. Or perhaps it is birthed in Brooklyn as a means to close the border. We're just not sure.

Update:

Our friends at Gowanus Lounge just ran a post with the history of the sub. It is the USS Growler, and it has been looking for a home for a little while.

Gowanus Canal Boat Yard?

Along the Gowanus Canal, on the hard behind the Tom Ottterness studio, lies a 20-something foot sloop. While not the first sailboat we've seen along the Gowanus, this is much more peculiar because a crane was needed to pull her out of the water. From our vantage point, we could see that the boat is fully rigged with a mainsail and a relatively new outboard. She appeared to have decent bottom paint. We know the boat has been out of the water for at least six months.

In the water is what appears to be a Boston Whaler. It is conceivable that this Whaler is used to commute and for pleasure or even a run to Fairway.

Perhaps Otterness knows the story of the boats.