The Frying Pan

There appears to be no end to ingenuity and appropriation in this city, particularly when it comes to business. The Frying Pan was unknown to me until Sunday when I photographed it on a neighborhood boat ride. This historic boat, built in 1929, was used as a lightship at Frying Pan shoals off the coast of Cape Fear in North Carolina - a notoriously hazardous area for ships (lightships or lightvessels are used in place of lighthouses where the water is too deep for a lighthouse). The Frying Pan was finally decommissioned in 1967 - it then served a number of uses at various locations until it capsized and sunk in Chesapeake Bay in 1984. The ship remained underwater until 1987, when she was raised, restored and moved to NYC's Pier 63 and docked to a Lackawanna railcar barge. The pair of ships served a number of maritime functions over the years (Manhattan Kayak Company, New York Outriggers, New York Polo and the Hudson River Paddler’s Guild). Their lease was lost in 2006 and on April 9, 2007 they relocated a few blocks north at Pier 66 (26th-27th Streets). The barge and the Frying Pan are available for rental for functions, parties, etc. Check out their website and learn more about the boat and its uses. Please note: their website is not up to date. I called this morning to confirm their location at Pier 66, which conflicts with their site ...