A man who fell off the back of a boat he was working on Friday afternoon in Greenport Harbor had to swim about 100 yards in frigid waters back to shore, according to Southold Town police at the scene. READ
Tag: Greenport Harbor
Mike Twohig remembers summer Sundays when he’d take his grandchildren out in Greenport Harbor in the little red tugboat he built himself using bits and pieces found in neighbors’ yards or donated by friends. READ
It’s Thursday night in Greenport Village and something that could be mistaken for a sea monster is lying on the Railroad Dock behind the East End Seaport Museum.
The crimson beast was pulled, fighting and squealing, from the 45-degree water and laid on the dock, where it eventually turned white and met its demise.
It’s squid season in Greenport Harbor. READ
El Galéon, a replica of a 16th century Spanish galleon, is expected to dock in Greenport Harbor on Monday, according to village officials.
The tall ship is currently docked in Oyster Bay, according to its Facebook page, and its home port is Saint Augustine, Fla. READ
Greenport Village Mayor Hubbard said PSEG is exploring the idea of digging a tunnel from the southern end of Fifth Street in the village under the harbor to a site in Shelter Island Heights. READ
Congressman Tim Bishop cuts the ribbon at Widow’s Hole Oysters on Saturday morning. (Credit: Joseph Pinciaro)
It was a fitting day for a commercial dock to open up in Greenport, albeit a rare occasion these days.
Widow’s Hole Oysters cut the ribbon at its new 140-foot dock on Saturday morning on the opening morning of the village’s annual Maritime Festival, celebrating the company’s expansion after the project was delayed due to opposition from neighbors and a clerical error by the village.
Mike and Isabel Osinski had proposed the new dock as well as expanding part of their operation in a creek on the west side of their property that abuts Fourth Street homes. The company owners ultimately scaled back the expansion to please neighbors who voiced opposition to the plan. However, plans to build the dock heading into Greenport Harbor, on the east side, were stalled after the Greenport Village board said a clerical error required a second public hearing on the plan.
Eventually, the Osinskis filed suit against the village over an “arbitrary and capricious” amendment it made when issuing the company’s tidal wetlands permit. Last month, a state Supreme Court judge ruled in the company’s favor.
Mr. Osinski had some choice words for those who opposed the expansion, as well as the village, though summed it up on Saturday morning by saying, ”It was an ordeal.”
While the celebration for Widow’s Hole fit in with the theme of the day in Greenport, dockbuilder John Costello of Costello Marine said opening a new commercial dock isn’t something that happens too frequently anymore in the village, which originally grew due to its commercial fishing success in the mid-1800s.
In fact, Mr. Costello — who’s been building docks for 51 years — couldn’t recall the last time he built a working commercial dock in Greenport, noting that most of his work in the village comes through repairs.
“We’ve seen them disappear as more condos took the prime real estate,” he said.
The dock was completed on Thursday and took about five weeks from start to finish.
As supporters of Widow’s Hole hoisted a “Working Waterfront Greenport” sign, Congressman Tim Bishop was on hand to cut the ribbon at the new dock after helping Widow’s Hole secure permits from the Army Corps of Engineers needed to get the expansion up and running.
Mr. Osinski said that in addition to growing in Greenport Harbor, Widow’s Hole is now leasing 10 acres near Gardiner’s Island from Suffolk County, and the added dock space and stronger winches will permit the company to keep up with growing demand for local oysters in New York City.
“I’d like to grow the oysters to three years old, but the demand is too much. Everybody wants them,” he said.
Widow’s Hole Oysters’ new dock opened up this past week in Greenport. (Credit: Joseph Pinciaro)
Patrick O’Halloran (left) and Garrett Moore met for the first time Tuesday evening in the Mitchell Park marina, hours after a joint effort to rescue six boaters and bring an out-of-control cigarette boat to a halt in the waters of Greenport Harbor. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
No, a scene from a dramatic action movie wasn’t being filmed in Greenport Harbor on Monday. What happened was this: After six people were flung from a speeding powerboat that had turned sideways, two strangers who live on opposite sides of the bay played integral roles in rescuing the victims and ensuring safety in the harbor by bringing the runaway boat to a halt. (more…)
COURTESY PHOTO | The Peconic Water Sports company plans to offer a number of aquatic recreational opportunities, such as wakeboarding, out of Greenport beginning this summer.
Joey Flotteron of Greenport began working for Global Boarding in Sag Harbor when he was 17. Robb Reid, the company’s owner, taught him how to coach watersports.
“I’ve been riding these bays my whole life,” said Mr. Flotteron, now 23. “Growing up, I used to watch my dad water ski. As soon as I was old enough to, I started trying.”
Taking the skills he developed, he has now launched Peconic Water Sports LLC, the North Fork’s first water sports company, which will moor its boats at Preston’s Dock overlooking Greenport Harbor.
“A big part of this is that there’s a market over here we weren’t touching,” Mr. Flotteron said. “My hope is that there’s enough room for both of us to operate.”
His former boss agrees.
“It’s only going to help the East End out here; it will help all of us,” said Mr. Reid, who sees water sports growing in popularity.
Mr. Flotteron said he spent about eight months working on Wall Street before deciding an office wasn’t where he belonged.
“I knew it wasn’t for me,” he said. “It was sort of an epiphany.”
Whenever he had free time he’d be out on the water. “There is absolutely nothing better than that for me,” Mr. Flotteron said.
Peconic Water Sports will offer lessons in tubing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, wake surfing, knee boarding and more. Lessons start at $295 for the one hour, or $495 for two hours, for a boat carrying up to six people. Additional hours are $245. He will also offer a five-day RIDE camp for youths age 7 to 15 for $1,100 per person.
“It sort of teaches kids confidence building and persistence,” said Mr. Flotteron.
His old boss said he knows his stuff.
“He learned from some of the very best wakeboarders on the East Coast,” Mr. Reid said. “He’s right up there in the top ranks of coaches.”
Safety will be a priority, Mr. Flotteron said, with instructors focusing on proper form and equipment handling. Peconic Water Sports will also offer lessons how to safely operate a boat safely. He and his other two coaches are all first aid and CPR certified.
Mr. Flotteron said that when he injured his back performing tricks last summer he gained firsthand knowledge of the importance of safety.
“Growing up we didn’t have anyone to teach us,” he said. “Changing that and giving a people a place to learn safely — there’s none of that over here — is what we are hoping to become.”
His landlord sees promise in the new business.
“He’s a really, really smart and very responsible young man and I think that if anyone is going to do well at that business it would be him,” said Andrew Rowsom, vice-president of Preston’s. “I think it will bring a little bit of activity to the waterfront that we really haven’t seen at all.”
“I’m very comfortable out here. I have very good experience on the water out here so it seems and feels like good fit,” said Mr. Flotteron.
Information on Peconic Water Sports is available at peconicwatersports.com.
KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTOS | A performance by a troupe of pirates was one of the highlights of the first day of Greenport’s Maritime Festival.
Hundreds of people flocked to Greenport for the first full day of the annual Maritime Festival. After the kick-off parade and the traditional blessing of the waters, visitors enjoyed tours of the U.S. Coast Guard barque Eagle and the privateer Lynx, a display of classic, ice and small boats, a pirate show and children’s activities.
The festival continues on Sunday with a dory race, a snapper fishing contest and the popular chowder contest.
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JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Crew members on the 125-foot Milk & Honey charter boat said they visited Greenport this month because they’d heard about the village’s quaintness and believed it would be a good place to wind down from the busy season.
This has been the year of big boats in Greenport Harbor. Very big boats.
At the beginning of summer six of the country’s largest sailing vessels tied up for the Tall Ships of America Challenge. Since then, a number of mega-yachts have found berths at Mitchell Park Marina.
Village administrator Dave Abatelli said more boats 90 feet or longer docked in Greenport this season than in previous years. And big boats mean big bucks for the village.
So far, the village has collected nearly $73,000 in docking fees from about 25 different yachts at the municipal pier.
“It has definitely been the best season in recent years,” Mr. Abatelli said. “We even had to turn away some big boats.”
Mr. Abatelli attributes Greenport’s success to marina manager Jeff Goubeaud, who advertised in various boating magazines and spread the word about Mitchell Park Marina while vacationing in Florida earlier this year.
Mr. Abatelli said some of the village’s luck stemmed from the fact that Sag Harbor’s private docks filled up fast this summer. The difference in permit fees between Greenport and Sag Harbor’s docks helped, too, he said.
Sag Harbor charges boaters about $6.50 per foot per night, Mr. Abatelli said, while Greenport charges $3 to $4.50 per foot per night. The village charges more for peak times, such as weekends and holidays.
Some boaters said they chose Greenport over the Hamptons because they wanted some rest and relaxation.
William Yingling, first officer of the 125-foot Milk & Honey charter boat, said his crew decided to visit Greenport this month because they’d heard about the village’s quaintness and believed it would be a good place to wind down from the busy season.
“We wanted to find someplace quiet,” Mr. Yingling said.
Judy Borten, who owns an 83-foot yacht named Jubilee with her husband, Bill, said her family has tied up in Greenport for the past several years.
“We have very dear friends who live here,” Ms. Borten said. “I like how Greenport is the quiet side of the Hamptons.”
Mr. Abatelli believes the Peconic Bay Water Jitney, the Greenport-Sag Harbor passenger ferry now in the final weeks of its first season, also added appeal for yacht owners.
“Most of the boaters have a Sag Harbor connection and like that they can kind of just scoot over there,” he said.
As the season wraps up, Mr. Abatelli said the village is planning to upgrade the marina’s electrical system to better accommodate more yachts next summer.