by Isaac Santner, Onboard Educator
Last week the sloop Clearwater spent some time at the new Brooklyn Bridge Park dock, a part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park construction. Our transit into the park was amazing; we traveled the full length of Manhattan through periodic showers and spots of rain and as we passed the new “Freedom Tower” which seems to be at the very end of construction. The sky cleared, and we all watched not one, but two rainbows form arcs above the new tower and the city skyline. Seeing a rainbow so close up is always a treat. This sight reminded me of how lucky we are to live in such a diverse environment.
The day before, we docked at the Alpine Boat Basin, home to one of the best views of the towering Palisades along the Hudson. As we passed the remarkable riverside view of New York City — a City I have grown up around — I imagined this city throughout history, and how the ever-growing metropolis continues to change and shift.
The day after, we docked in Brooklyn and had a very successful session of deck tours, cycling through 160 people, the vast majority had never even heard of us before and were excited to learn about Clearwater. I hope that we can do a Public Sail there, and become a larger part of the impressive revitalization process occurring along that park. For more information about this ongoing project, check out http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/.
On the evening of the Fourth of July, we had a very special sail. I was very excited to meet Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary and a singer whom I have listened to since I was a kid. We got underway, and were able to get some great sailing in while Peter Yarrow and Linda Richards serenaded our passengers as we watched the sunset behind the Statue of Liberty.
After an exciting firework show, we pulled into the dock singing “America the Beautiful”. I enjoyed our second annual Fourth of July Firework sail, and I hope we can continue and expand this fun sail next year.
