A number of years ago Sam Huber, an amateur boatbuilder and a longtime friend of Rocking the Boat’s offered to restore an old rowing skiff for a family friend. The boat, a Spurling Skiff, was the native craft of Little Cranberry Island (also known as Islesford) on the Maine coast and was designed by the island’s last full time boatbuilder Arthur “Chummy” Spurling. Once Sam got into the project, he quickly realized it was far bigger than he had originally anticipated.
Rocking the Boat students are industriously helping to monitor and maintain a 3.5 acre salt marsh, an oyster reef, and a tree swallow sanctuary, all on the site that was destined some 80 years ago to become Soundview Park.
September saw 12 out of 13 members of the class of 2017 enroll as freshmen in college while scores more returned to school to continue their educations. Altogether, 33 graduates and alumni received scholarships from Rocking the Boat thanks to generous donations
Every year in the early fall, over 100 people from all around the city and beyond join together to row 30 miles around the island of Manhattan and raise money for Rocking the Boat. Rocking the Boat volunteer Oliver Ryan is returning for his seventh Rocking Manhattan this year. Read his first person account of past rows:
Eight years ago, Rocking the Boat took a bold step toward anchoring its place in the South Bronx by bringing all of its activities together in one location at 812 Edgewater Road.
