Maidens hobnobbed with manciples and pirates pressed flesh with pagans on the Gowanus Canal when the Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy presented its annual ferry boat ride to the Red Hook Waterfront Festival aboard the type of shipping canoe once used by local Native Americans.
Mom, dad and the kids put on the dog and joined costumed crewmembers aboard a 32-foot human-powered vessel for the eco-cruise and flotilla masquerade along the famed waterway, affectionately known as the “South Brooklyn Seine.”
The aquatic jaunt helped thrill seekers recreate the experience of 17th century seafarers and coastal traders, who prospered on the natural resources of the oyster-drenched estuary.
The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival at Louis J. Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier, Coffey and Ferris streets, was sponsored by Dance Theatre Etcetera.
