Volunteers build 1890 Whitehall rowboat at Brooklyn Bridge Park
A boat grows in Brooklyn ...
“If life becomes unlivable in Brooklyn, we plan to evacuate by water,” joked Rob Buchanan, one of the leaders of community boat building sessions taking place this month at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Volunteers are constructing an authentic 14-foot wooden Whitehall rowboat, which, when completed, will be transported to Prospect Park and used in the free summer program, hosted by the Village Community Boathouse (VCB).
People interested in working on the boat can drop by 99 Plymouth St. in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon until May 15. (It gets crowded on Saturdays, so it’s best to reserve your slot by contacting [email protected].)
“Our mission is to expand public access to the waterways,” Buchanan said. “This is our way of luring the public into our mission and getting on board.” Buchanan and fellow builder Marcel Dejean are both board members at VCB.