DESTINATION: CITY ISLAND NAUTICAL MUSEUM

After visiting the Pelham Cemetery it was time for lunch. The Crab Shanty was my choice for a reasonably priced lunch. Capt Mike's Tip: Make sure you come hungry. The portions were big and I made another meal with what I took back to the boat. After lunch it was time for the main reason why I came to City Island in the first place. Which was to visit the City Island Nautical Museum run by the City Island Historical Society. The museum is housed in a century old former school building which is still standing no doubt because those people who built those stout boats and ships in the shipyards also participated in it's construction too. It makes an impressive sight when one comes up to it on Fordham Street with it's up pointed arrow like roof making a rather positive architectural statement:

City Island Nautical Museum

Once inside the solidness of the building continues as one wanders around the halls and rooms which contain photos, artifacts and exhibits of City Island's nautical past and also life on City Island through the years.  With an emphasis on boat building that took place on the island.

I wonder how much it would cost for this wooden "yacht tender" today? The Henry B. Nevins shipyard had them in stock years ago. Back then you would be able to "row it away today" no doubt:


I also wonder if any of the ship builders tools on display like those below were used in making some of those yacht tenders?

For those into power boats you'll find also find something of interest too, Like this display of outboards through the years:

While at the museum I ran into a fine old gentleman named Ed Sanders. He was master of a New York City fire boat called the FIREFIGHTER for decades. He also built the model of the boat on display at the museum:

 

He was also a Hell Gate Pilot and I spent and hour or two chatting with him about his life and experiences fighting fires in New York Harbor on the fire boat and his experiences as a Hell Gate Pilot.  I also spent some time in the library of the museum which had shelves of nautical books as well as clippings from newspapers and other historical documents about the island. Including the log books kept on the construction of some of the ships from the various shipyards.

I spent four hours in the museum and I still plan to go back again as I found it a fascinating place and being able to come visit it by boat made it even more special.