Pier Review

Hoboken's piers are collapsing.

The good news (I always like to give the good news first): piers collapsing up and down our waterfront is actually a good thing- a sign that the Hudson is clean. The lack of pollution in the Hudson has created a habitat for microorganisms that are attacking the wood of our waterfront piers. These same microorganisms would not have been able to survive in the Hudson of old. Let's not forget that this is the same river that served as a sewage receptacle for New York City for hundreds of years. This is the same river that used to catch fire. This is the same river that captains of ships used to moor in to use the polluted water to strip their ships of biological debris! (Yes, really!) But today, things have changed. Oysters, fish, crabs, and even the microorganisms that sustain them, are back.

The bad news: this is creating a real problem for the piers built on older wooden structures- many of the piers in our city. Further, repair costs to the infrastructure of our piers are going to skyrocket. As far as I know, this is the third collapse near Stevens parking lot in the last few years. You can see from the picture below that wooden piles support the piers. Note: I took these pictures from the water today.

Who knew something so small can create a problem so big?

Published

Thank you to Hoboken Progress Newspaper for contacting me and publishing my "Capitalism, Conservation, and Kayaking" post as an opinion piece. When I started this blog, I simply wanted to post photos from the waterfront. I never expected Hoboken Paddler to be a blog about waterfront conservation. I am pleased that it is.

Down the River without a Paddle

Everything speeds up at the end of summer. I assume it is because we know we have less time to ourselves. If the waning daylight isn’t reminder enough, we have Labor day to tell us our days spent lying on the beach are over. It is time to get back to work. Sadly for me, this means less time in my boat.

I can’t complain, it has been an amazing summer. I’ve spent a great amount of time with friends and family and took a trip of a lifetime (though I hope it is not my last to New Zealand). I have also spent numerous days on the Hudson.

It can be difficult to get back into our autumnal routines. Paddling against the work-day current (metaphorically speaking) gets harder each year. I can see why some would just drop the paddle and see where the current takes them.

Lucky for me I believe a person did just that - and literally left their paddle for me to find! Thanks- cause I might need it. The current's gettin' rough!

Orange You Gonna Pick Me Up?

Today was a beautiful day to be on the Hudson. It was about 70 degrees, low humidity, and the water was calm.

I felt like a pirate finding treasure. I found, among the usual plastic bags and soda bottles, my fourth soccer ball of the season (which I threw back to the girls practicing on Steven’s field), and one… orange. Does anyone else see the irony of scurvy fighting fruit floating out at sea? If only pirates had been so lucky!

Capitalism, Conservationism, and Kayaking

What struck me most about channel 13's special on the Hudson River the other night was the roll the wealthy played in conserving the waterway. The likes of the Rockefellers and Harrimans were major players in buying and preserving land on the banks of the waterfront. It is an important reminder that capitalism and conservationism do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Harriman, in particular, shared the belief of many people today, that the Hudson should be able to be enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, boating in the Hudson is still a privilege of the rich. It doesn't have to be that way. Kayaking in the Hudson can be a relatively inexpensive way to access the river.

Out on the river, I have met many New Yorkers who buy expensive kayaks, spend hundreds yearly on storage, pay to belong to a club, and spend enormous sums to take group trips to places like sushi restaurants. But kayaking doesn't have to be expensive or elitist. In fact, I have spent exactly zero dollars this year paddling my boat. And my boat cost little more than a new bicycle three years ago.

Kayaking has changed the way I feel about the river. I used to be one of those people who believed the Hudson was too polluted and too busy to be enjoyed - it was something that should only be driven across or tunneled under. Today I feel differently. I can't help but think that if more people kayaked, preserving our great river would be easier. I wonder, if Harriman were alive today, would he build public boathouses?

Our River

It is the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage. I encourage all of you to watch channel 13 tonight at 9pm as Bill Moyers documents the history and importance of the Hudson River. It amazes me that 400 years ago, Henry Hudson found a bay full of whales and dolphins, and just two days ago I was asked by a passer-by, while putting my boat in the river, if it was safe. I hope that person watches tonight as well.