TRIP TO DANA'S ISLAND : Weds Oct 19,2005

For the last three years in a row , it has been my pleasure to go out on the boat with Capn' Marty Van Lith. Both previous trips are well photo documented on the site under Boating Anyone and Mo' Boating.... For as bad as the weather was when I first got there, it was more than made up for on the following week. Probably the finest day of all was the one Marty picked to take Kenny Vitellaro and myself out on the bay.... Other than visiting Bill Dana's man made island, he had built in 1926 we had no plans other than to just goof off and relax...still turned out to be quite a full day with a few surprises too.

Approaching from the west side

"Bill's Island" is located just south of Forge River near Fire Island

Bill Dana had this island made by Clarence's Penney & Ross for duck hunting. It's probably larger now than it initialy was

You can see photos of it from 1926 here

Looking north: That is Center Moriches across the bay to the right

Looking east

A COUPLE OF ISLANDERS ?
No Marty (in white) wasn't in the Islanders or any band I was in,,,,,, I don't think he ever played an instrument for that matter .....However Kenny was in the Del Fi's with me in 1963 and we played at the MB Yacht Club that New Years.

BUT WHAT ARE THE ODDS.......

That we go sailing up into the Mastic Beach Lagoon and Kenny says "Look who is there on the dock!" Amazing..... for right in front of the yacht club getting ready to go out on a boat with Ray Farmer was none other than Frankie O'Shea...Frankie & I were in the Islanders in 1962 and I had not seen him since then!!!

Frankie & Me 42 + Years after The Islanders

The Day Continues