Oyster Boat S.W. Sheppard

On a hazy, windless, August morning, I spotted the S.W. Sheppard oyster boat working the beds just south of New Haven. Operated by the Norman Bloom Shellfish Company, she was built at the Stowman Shipyard of Dorchester, New Jersey in 1922. Searching for information about her on the internet, I stumbled across some photos of a restoration project that looked to be from the early 1980's. Unsure if these pictures were of the same boat, I emailed the Flanigan Brothers Boatyard. They were kind enough to respond and confirm that it is indeed her.

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Flanigan Brothers: S.W. Sheppard Restoration

Stowman Shipyard: Ship Registry

Norman Bloom & Son

Soundbounder: Oyster Boat Columbia

Smyth Sanctuary & Pratt Cove Preserve

On a winding road connecting Essex and Deep River are two protected areas, side by side. Smyth Sanctuary and Pratt Cove Preserve both overlook the freshwater marshes here that feed the Connecticut River. They are areas best explored by a kayak or canoe.

Pratt Cove Preserve was donated by Susan Haig and is managed by the Nature Conservancy. The preserve includes a short trail, along with a launch area. Despite being freshwater, the cove is tidal, with a current that looked fairly strong when I visited.

Across the street and slightly south, is the Smyth Sanctuary. This is a wooded area maintained by the Deep River Land Trust. There did not appear to be any trails, but a viewing platform provides an attractive view overlooking the marshlands that make their way to the Connecticut River.

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Nature Conservancy: Pratt Cove

CT Coastal Access Guide: Pratt Cove

Map

Deep River Land Trust

Our River.org

Wildwood State Park

The 25 mile shoreline between Port Jefferson and Mattituck is often an overlooked stretch of Long Island Sound. Other than Mt Sinai (just east of Port Jefferson), there are no harbors to be found here. The deep, curved, bays to the west, give way to an uninterupted shoreline of bluffs and beaches. It is a region that is east of the suburban sprawl, yet west of the North Fork's wineries and tourist destinations. If Long Island had a flyover region, this would be it.
It is along this section of the Sound that Wildwood State Park is located. Until October, I had never visited, and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The 600 acre park includes camp sites, a large picnic area, a playground, as well as numerous hiking trails. This portion of the park is heavily wooded, and despite the thinning foliage of autumn, there was little indication that a body of water was nearby. Only by following a walkway descending a narrow ravine did the beach and Sound come into view.

I walked east of the deck and concession stand, and was amazed at how beautiful a spot this is. The shoreline seemed infinite, with very few landmarks to distinguish one area from another. A water tower and a distant antenna were all that broke the endless shore. I thought to myself how different this view would be if the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal had been built. It is the flyover location I described above that has made this area vulnerable to several bad ideas.The Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant and Broadwater proposals are both located within view from this area.

With the late season sun low in the sky, some sections of the beach were shaded by the trees atop the bluffs to my south (It gets late early there). Along those stretches, I walked below the high tide mark, and weaved my way between the large rocks that were wet from the waist down. What I like most about Wildwood is the beach has been left in its natural state. In order to accommodate large crowds, state parks often groom the beaches, making them more user friendly, but less authentic. Wildwood has left in place the large glacial erratics and boulders strewn along the mile-and-a-half beach. And for now at least, it's views are undisturbed.

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Wildwood State Park

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Sphere: Compilation Of Broadwater Posts

Return Of The Osprey

The Osprey IV returning to Port Jefferson Harbor, August 2009

Osprey IV
Soundbounder: Party Boat Fishing

Orchard Beach Lagoon

Directly across the parking lot from Orchard Beach is a protected body of water known as The Lagoon. While not a true lagoon, these waters became nearly landlocked with the creation of Orchard Beach in the 1930's. Once known as LeRoy's Bay, the lagoon served as the site for the 1964 Olympic Rowing Trials.

Along the southwestern shore is a neglected judging stand that resembles a relic from the 1964 Worlds Fair (Barbie Townhouse meets Soviet housing project). For years, I had thought this was one of those fake buildings that firemen use for training. A chain-link fence along with some rare common sense stopped me from entering.

The lagoon itself is attractive, and it is very easy to forget that you are in the Bronx. The surrounding land is all part of the massive Pelham Bay Park, maintained by the City of New York. It is still common to see rowing teams from Fordham, Sarah Lawrence, and Iona gliding across the water, with the only audience now being some egrets and herons.

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Andrew Cusack: Rowing In Pelham Bay Park (photos from tower)

Iolani: 1964 Olympic Rowing Trials

Soundbounder: Shore Park In Pelham Manor

Yale Bulldogs: Connell Cup

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Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve

Approximately three miles north of the Block Island ferry dock sits the Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve also known as Hodge Farm. This is 25 acres of mostly-meadow, that slopes to the west, providing spectacular views of Block Island Sound. Created in 2002, the preserve is the result of a 20 year effort by the Nature Conservancy, Block Island Land Trust, Block Island Conservancy, the town of New Shoreham (Block Island), and individuals.

Over 40% of Block Island is publicly accessible, protected land. Opposition to a proposed 1971 housing development in Rodman's Hollow is often credited as the beginning of the preservation movement on the island. The partnership and commitment between conservation groups and individuals has led the Nature Conservancy to list Block Island as one of the Last Great Places in the Western Hemisphere.

On a beautiful, late summer day this September, I spent a good portion of the morning walking out to North Light, and then following a portion of the Clay Head Trail. Reaching the Hodge Preserve, I could have continued on to West Beach, but I instead chose to stay right here. The meadow of goldenrod, with it's views of ponds and ocean in the distance was all too apealing.

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Providence Journal: Saving Block Island

Nature Conservancy: Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve

Block Island Conservancy

Block Island Land Trust

The Baymen

Baymen is a regional term that refers to the small, independent, fishermen who make their living on the bays of Long Island. Usually associated with the shellfishermen of Great South Bay on the south shore of Long Island, they are also a common sight on the larger bays of Long Island Sound; Oyster and Huntington Bay in particular.
Using only manual tools, these two shellfisherman worked the West Harbor section of Oyster Bay last week. This photo was taken while looking south from Centre Island Village Beach.

Back To Baysics
Loving Long Island: Boating With The Baymen
NY Times: Proud Baymen Scraping Bottom
Keeping The Oyster In Oyster Bay
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