If you read our post about kayaking in Manhattan and thought, I'd like that, but with a greater chance of falling in the Hudson, then kayak polo is for you.
The sport is just what it sounds like--a take on water polo where players paddle around on boats instead of swimming. You can use your paddles to take a hold of the ball, and while bumper car-style attacks are frowned upon, there are plenty of grade-A crashes. It's popular throughout much of Europe, but is only just taking off in the United States.
On July 2 and 8, New York Kayak Polo is offering introductory classes to the sport, held at the Pier 66 Boathouse at the Hudson River and 26th Street. Classes are free, but there's a $5 insurance fee.
Sound the alarms! The Chinese city of Qingdao has come under algal attack--and the Olympics could be at risk! More than 30 percent of the waters designated for sailing contests off the coast of the city are inundated with thick enteromorpha prolifera. But the Chinese authorities have a way with getting people to "volunteer," and a reported 20,000 citizens have pitched in to clean up the Yellow Sea.
Agricultural run off is often the culprit when it comes to algal blooms, but Chinese officials told the state news agency that isn't the case this time. And they may not be lying! Blooms fueled by nitrates from fertilizers are usually red, and the stuff on the shores of Qingdao is bright green.
As the clean-up continues, the local Olympics Sailing Committee is planning a 30-mile-long fence to help keep the bloom at bay. The group says everything should be sorted by July 15; the games start on August 8.
If you're over hot dogs, burgers and beer for the Fourth of July, go all out this year and jet to Paris for Gastronomy by the Seine, which kicks off Friday on various yachts dotting the river.
The festival is brand new, and this year's theme is New American Cuisine. Each day of the weekend offers roundtables with industry bigwigs like Gael Greene, Michael Batterberry and Jean-Luc Naret, as well as cooking demos, tastings and tours of related Parisian museums (like the Musée Baccarat) and outdoor food markets (like rue Mouffetard and Place Monge). On the 4th, you can toast to the US with an evening cruise down the Seine aboard Le Paquebot, with a five-course menu celebrating American food.
As you might have guessed, gastromony isn't cheap: Day passes start at about $221, and the dinner cruise will set you back $379. Still, five amazing courses while floating down the Seine sounds like the perfect excuse for a summer splurge.
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
The villages along the Mekong River from Cambodia's Phnom Penh to Vietnam's Chau Doc contain unspoiled culture, authentic food and kind, welcoming people willing to take in travelers. We remembered the film "Apocalypse Now," where a boat ride up the Mekong is a trip to the depths of hell. On the contrary: Often times it quite literally felt like heaven on earth.
A German family was recently kidnapped aboard their yacht near Yemen by pirates who took them to the quasi-official Republic of Somaliland. A local man who described himself as an elder to the BBC told reporters that a mother, father and child had been captured and taken hostage in the mountains. The elder said he was doing his best to negotiate with the pirates.
Piracy is a major problem in the waterways surrounding the Horn of Africa, but it's usually freighters that come under attack. As for Somaliland, it's one of several disputed territories in Somalia. The area is plagued by lawlessness and has become a popular haven for pirates. Maybe soon it'll be the setting for the Hollywood blockbuster "Black Yacht Down."
We've already told you about kayaking in the Hudson, but what about those of us who'd like to explore Manhattan's waters at a faster pace? Add yachting to the list of unexpected activities you can try without leaving New York.
Manhattan Sailing School operates a fleet of boats based out of North Cove, a mini-marina set in Battery Park behind the World Financial Center. Basic sailing classes start at $590, or if you're already a serious skipper, you can become a member of the affiliated Manhattan Sailing Club and sail out on one of their 30 boats whenever you're in the mood. While it's a bargain compared to owning your own boat in NYC, membership will set you back a pretty penny at $1,110 a year.
If you're looking for a less strenuous way to hit the water, the club also has the Hudson's best kept secret: the harbor clubhouse, a floating barge docked just off Ellis Island. Think summertime drinks outdoors with stunning downtown views--and not a tourist in sight. The clubhouse is open Tuesday through Saturday evenings, and access is via a motor boat from North Cove; round-trip tickets are $10.
There is no better way to visit Capri than by boat. So when Jaunted was handed a boat rental brochure that read, "Capri Boat: You Drive It. Lowest Prices and No Stress," we thought it was too good to be true.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie is not what you'll be singing, our mother warned us. "The gondolas in Venice are dirty and unromantic!" But the New York Times offers a sporting alternative: kayaking Venice, where you're your own gondolier.
Motorized boating for nonresidents is technically illegal, but as far as writer David Kocieniewski could tell, people-powered skiffs are free to cruise the canals even with a foreign tourist at the helm. (Given all the rules in Venice, we're sort of amazed.)
Sure, you have to check an inflatable boat (or rent one there) and spend a few days practicing on back canals, but exploring the city by kayak gives you a resident's glimpse of Venice. And after the gondolas are moored for the night, the waterways are all yours.
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by BS
