Not exactly a Montgomery topic, but it was none the less a great boating adventure. Last Saturday I paddled my kayak 28.5 miles, escorting a swimmer circumnavigating Manhattan Island. My job was to protect the swimmer, monitor his condition and provide encouragement. There was also a power boat escorting the swimmer from which he was fed and coached. They generally kept a considerable distance from the swimmer, giving me directions to convey, for I was mostly within 20 feet of him the entire race. The weather was heavy rain at times, but no wind. I was well protected with rain gear and a spray skirt. Like the Manhattan Island Foundation (the folks who organize the race) say, "It's all about the swimmers". And it is. I was in awe for 28 1/2 miles that this 62 year old man kept going stroke after stroke, breath after breath and never even came close to giving up. Jim Meier of New York City is my hero. Well, yes he was in shape, but for me this was a new definition of being is shape. I've run marathons, but if you need to stop, you can. If you need to stop while swimming around Manhattan, you sink. Jim finished the race in a little over 9 hours. For me, the event was a great experience. I've always wanted to circumnavigate Manhattan in a sailboat, but couldn't do it because of the twenty bridges involved, many not passable with even an M15. This was my opportunity and it was a great group of people to do it with. I've lived here all my life, but now that I've circumnavigated that island, well now it's mine. Here's a link to the event; http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.aspx?Event_ID=1635 Rick Langer Folbot Aleut "North River Rat"