1 Shinnecock and Peconic Bays Boat Tour

Shinnecock & Peconic Bays Boat Tour
by Aelish Mullaney
 

Figure 1. Eastern Shinnecock Bay taken from the starboard side of Stony Brook Southampton's “R/V Peconic”. Students went along for a tour of Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay with Dr.’s Tara Rider and Kurt Bretsch for the first class of MAR 355: Coastal Cultural Experience. MAR 355 is a field class designed to allow students to introduce students to the rich culture and environments of the Long Island region. Many different types of trips are included, such as museums, beaches, barrier islands, and so much more. 

Figure 2: Dr. Kurt Bretsch standing on a jetty in the Hampton Bays. Jetties were built in the early 1900’s to stabilize the foundation for Canals. Most jetties are made from rocks left over from glacial movement and in some cases, old mislabeled or defective tombstones. If tombstones are used, they tend to be in the bottom layer out of eyesight out of respect for the dead. 

Figure 3: Dr. Tara Rider giving a lecture on the history of the Hamptons Bays to MAR 355 students sitting on a jetty. Topics covered range from early settlement in the area going up to the development of canals, jetties, and locks. Also covered are the rights of the people to waterways for survival. Given by the Dongen Patent published in 1686.

Figure 4: Dr. Tara Rider (left) and Dr. Kurt Bretsch (right) onboard Stony Brook Southampton’s research vessel “R/V Peconic” showing students a map of Shinnecock Bay. Due to differences in inlets, the western side of Shinnecock Bay does not experience the amount of water exchange the east side does, leading to somewhat stagnant lower quality waters. For this reason, the majority of the field class MAR 355 “Coastal Cultural Experience” does not spend much time out on the western side of the bay.

The history and importance of the Shinnecock Canal

by Rocco Maner

The creation of the Shinnecock canal played an important role in not only providing a way between the Shinnecock and Great Peconic bays but also leading to a booming economy. The canal receives its name's sake from the local Shinnecock nation, one of the few Algonquin nations in New York. Shinnecock bay is directly connected to the open Atlantic Ocean through inlets while the Peconic bay is trapped between the southern forks of Long Island. As Long Island continued to be settled by the English, the need for a connection between the two bays grew due to increased population size and therefore a greater need for goods. Additionally, settlers had been discussing the need for a canal since the 1600’s. Construction of the canal began in 1884, and the canal officially opened in 1892. The Shinnecock Canal helped streamline and develop the local fishing industry by providing direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Shinnecock Canal, being the first of its kind in New York state, is one of the primary reasons that the settlements on Long Island were able to sustain themselves economically. Both the Shinnecock and Peconic bays are home to many species of fishes, clams, and oysters that are highly prized as a food source. This being the case, the canal created easier access to the Atlantic Ocean, and therefore increased trade opportunities with the world. This has led to Long Island housing the Montauk fishing port, the largest in New York state. I really enjoyed the boat trip through Shinnecock bay and the canal. It was an experience I’ve never had and learning the history and development of the Hamptons was a great opportunity.

 

Featured in the photograph is the Shinnecock bay side canal lock as it is closing to begin dropping water level. The canal lock assists in dropping or raising the vessel around three feet to match the elevation of either the Shinnecock or Peconic bays. The Shinnecock Canal was the first of its kind and now the only canal of its size left with a locking mechanism in New York state. 

Featured in the photograph is one of the paired jetties facing out towards the Peconic bay. The jetties were put into place to prevent sand from depositing into the canal way. The jetties were created using glacial erratics left over from the receding glacier that created Long Island. An interesting fact about the jetties, is that buried under the erratics are tombstones that had mistakes carved into them nicknamed oops stones. 

The evolution of Shinnecock Bays

by Jade Salas

  
Adaptability isn’t linear, nor is the concept rigidly structured. It’s defined by the ability to adjust to changes. And, its a defining characteristic of the environment and socioeconomic structure of Shinnecock and Peconic Bays. This past Friday as part of the introduction to the MAR 355, we toured various locations within both Bays. During this visit we learned the intricate ways various groups had inhabited the space, and how the atmosphere shifted with the economy down to the waterways themselves.

Originally serving the Shinnecock Indian Nation in the 1800s. These waters have been utilized for generations as a means of trade and transportation. But as the culture shifted around the world, so did the bays. Glacial movement formed natural jetties with rocks pushed along the way. Pivotal inlets were carved by the Long Island Express Hurricane. Buried oysters paved the way for the infamous clams to be harvested.

 
The land surrounding the waters had its fair share of changes throughout history. The town has seen various subcultures throughout its historic life thus far; from fishermen, to famous writers, to bootleggers and celebrities. Various housing options have been around for decades to accommodate the growing desire for tourism. Including the historical landmark that is the Canoe Place Inn, which is an acknowledgement of the Shinnecock Nation who originally utilized the space to transport their canoes between bays.

 
Beyond the excitement of being on the boat, it was remarkable to learn the history of the town I call home!

The Inlets and Jetties of Eastern Long Island

by Lawrence Pak

On the many shores of the eastern Long Island and its moraines, you’ll be able to find many inlets that lead our shores to the Atlantic Ocean, the Great Peconic Bay, the Shinnecock Bay, and the Long Island Sound. These geographical formations can act as a landmark and an entryway to our shorelines of Long Island. Inlets could be man-made or naturally occurring, such as the Shinnecock Inlet, which was naturally formed by a hurricane in 1938 called the Long Island Express.

 
Man-made inlets are consisted of a structure called a jetty, which extrudes outwards from the land into water. Individual jetties are spread around Long Island to protect the shore and the land around it waves and tides that could cause erosion. Jetties also serve to break up intense wave actions that can be formed from weather events such as hurricanes. Some of the inlets found around Shinnecock Bay may even have old cars built into them from cars that were damaged during the Long Island Express.

 

These are man-made inlets leading to the Great Peconic Bay on the north opening of the Shinnecock Canal. These inlets are man-made by two jetties and were built from glacial erratics (boulders deposited from glacial movement) found around the shores around that north side of the canal. If you get lucky and check out these jetties after a big storm, you might be able to see tombstones hidden underneath all the layers! Called “oops” tombstones, these were defect tombstones, such as having the date of death and date of birth switched around during carving.

Like cars, boats also have gas stations! These gas stations are lined up along the Shinnecock Canal and offer fuel for the boats that are parked there (albeit at a very pricey cost compared to car fuel). These stations also have lifts that allow for transfer onto a vehicle for transport or into storage for the upcoming winter season.