Saltwater memories:

[Jayb123]

just wanted to share

I have some very fond memories 30 years later - late 70's.....of going out with Grandpa on his boat as he was an ole' salt.... (think it was a cabin cruiser chris-craft set up for fishing?) Anyway, we used to go out into the Peconic Bay on Long Island to pull lobster pots and fish for flounder. I also remember dredging for scallops. I was always fascinated at what the dredge dug up from the bottom. After dredging I helped him shuck them into a bucket, he would always pop a few in his mouth raw.... and take a few sips of coffee from his thermos. I think he did that usually during lunchtime . As a young kid we always ate seafood.... and chowders and fish. Good times and good memories

(Not sure if this is in the right section...)

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Saltwater memories:

Thanks for sharing, Jay. I grew up in Brooklyn. Spent a lot of time on (and off) the Island!!! I didn't come from a boating family. Had a close neighbor with a really nice Chris Craft, whom introduced me to my 1st dive partner when I was 13 years old. He also had a really nice Chris Craft. Fished and dove all over New York and out in international waters. I was a regular on several of the fishing boats in Sheepshead Bay.

Anyway, good talking to you... And thanks again for sharing.

 

[Jayb123]

Re: Saltwater memories:

...... Fished and dove all over New York and out in international waters.

Its strange now that you mention it..I actually have never been diving, not sure why. My guess never had access to diving equipment. I have been snorkeling in FL and Guam before.... Guam waters were beautiful....but never diving. Again I digress. I figured since I was new to the community and continue to stay (getting a boat soon) that I would throw that memory out there.

Were you ever nervous boating in such busy waters?

And good talking to you too Veritas

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Saltwater memories:

Its strange now that you mention it..I actually have never been diving, not sure why. My guess never had access to diving equipment. I have been snorkeling in FL and Guam before.... Guam waters were beautiful....but never diving. Again I digress. I figured since I was new to the community and continue to stay (getting a boat soon) that I would throw that memory out there.

Were you ever nervous boating in such busy waters?

And good talking to you too Veritas

I was a kid when I started boating. Don't know that much of anything made me nervous, but hey, I'm just a dumb kid from Brooklyn... The waters weren't all that busy, though. Today, boating is much more accessible to people. When I was a kid, it was as though boaters were an elite few. I was very fortunate to get to know some boaters. When I was 12 years old, I had inadvertently discovered that scuba diving was not just for people on television. Again... Dumb kid from Brooklyn. One of my favorite neighbors, a boater, had a friend who was a diver, but rarely had anyone he trusted enough to dive with. I was 13 years old when I started diving and my neighbor brought me to his marina and introduced me to his friend (with a 28' Chris Craft). We hit it off, and became dive buddies for many years, until I went into the military. His name was Robert. He died while I was in the military. He had taught me a lot about boating. I operated his boat like it was mine. When we were together, as far as Robert was concerned, it was. He had an older friend named Lou, who would fish and tend the boat while Robert and I dove. Lou would always have a pot of water boiling, ready for lobster to be thrown in, and a grill fired up and ready for fish to be gutted, scaled, and thrown on. By the time Robert and I had geared down, food was ready!!! You've brought back some really terrific memories for me. Thank you So much!!!

 

[lonnie t]

Re: Saltwater memories:

thats awesome

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Saltwater memories:

thats awesome

Kinda funny how people hit it off sometimes, huh, lonnie?

 

[lonnie t]

Re: Saltwater memories:

it certainly is , i had mate rite threw school that i met when we had a disagreement in the play ground , he had punch me square in the face lol but after that we became good mates

 

[Jayb123]

Re: Saltwater memories:

Veritas.... cant say I've ever had a lobster while still out in the waters. That would have to be some of the freshest seafood ever
Thanks for serving the country...... because of people like you I get the chance to go boating and live free.

Lonnie.... maybe it was his way of saying "HI" would you like to be my friend

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Saltwater memories:

I was among a group of divers. We called ourselves "Manhattan Beach Divers". We did a lot of shore diving. Our "diving home" was, you guessed it... Manhattan Beach. There is a shallow reef 180 degrees off Dover Street. 8-20 feet in depth, depending upon the tide. Lots of decent size lobster and blackfish. We had another favorite spot which you may be familiar with. Far Rockaway. The Atlantic Beach Bridge was loaded with lobster, Blackfish, sea bass, and at times, stripers. Got all the spider crabs we wanted!!! This was before they became known as snow crabs. They were always plentiful, huge, and delicious!!! They simply were not on the market back then. Anyway, the reason I'm telling you all of this is, Far Rockaway was where we'd get in from Beach 8th or 13th St. 1/2 hour prior to slack before high. The current would whip us right to the bridge. We'd grab on to one of the pilings and wait until the current was weak enough to fight. Drop down and grab lobsters, and spear fish for more than a 1/2 hour. When slack tide ended, and we tired of fighting the current to stay, we simply drift dove right back to where we entered the water where we'd grab a bunch of spider crabs. We'd get out, and the married members of our group had their wives waiting on shore with grills fired up and ready for lobster, fish, and crab. I was the youngest member of our little club. I was 16 when I met them. They were all in their late thirties to mid forties. The grills were my idea, taken from Robert, who never dove from shore. Never could get him to join Manhattan Beach Divers. He would have no part of sand in his gear. Robert was my oldest friend (in his early to mid fifties when we were introduced). I was thirteen. Who digresses now??? Anyway, the point is, when you get your boat, get a grill for it. My wife's Christmas gift to me this past year was a Magma Combo 2 Party size kettle grill. Grilling on the boat is pretty much indescribable. Can you think of a better place to enjoy great grilled food? I'm starved, and my mouth is watering!!!

In so far as thanking me for "serving the country", it was, of course, my honor. I'm very proud to be a Veteran United States Army Ranger.

Just curious, Lonnie, did you ever return the favor?

 

[Jayb123]

Re: Saltwater memories:

Yes, I remember hauling in spider crabs from nets, pots etc... I was scared of those as a kid. Those were so ugly, maybe why I hate spiders to this day LOL . I also remember later in my youth - early adulthood going out with 3 or 4 friends and diggin for clams with a rake and waders... We would get say 1/2 - 1 bushel of clams then go back to someones house fire up the grill and have a few beers. Usually by the end of eating 30 clams... and some raw cherrystones we all had our fill. It was fun until someone always dared another to swallow one of the largest raw quahogs left... YUMMY

 

[lonnie t]

Re: Saltwater memories:

i think it was more my response i gave him(go suck on a ****ty nappy) when he wanted the swing i was on lol but no i never got 2 return the favor sadly he was killed in a hit and run one nite after leaving my place afew year ago