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A Nassau Point Upper-Cut!

April 9th, 2007 category: North Fork Neighborhoods, People and Places, Southold Real Estate

A number of years ago, in the late 50’s & early 60’s, my father was part owner and manager of a small boat yard in the hamlet of New Suffolk on the North Fork of Long Island in the Town of Southold. The New Suffolk Ship Yard sold, serviced and repaired pleasure boats, renting dock space and providing both indoor & outdoor storage.

One summer evening , Dad received a call at home from one of his customers, Mr. James D. Norris. Jim Norris was the famous (infamous?) president of the International Boxing Club of New York and owner of the Chicago Black Hawks hockey team. He owned a 26ft. Chris Craft run-about that he stored at the ship yard off- season, using it in the summer. Jim owned a lovely waterfront home on Nassau Point about two miles east of the boat yard across Peconic Bay.

In his phone call, Jim asked Dad if he had any kind of towing service. The yard had no designated towing service (no SeaTow back then) so Dad asked him what the problem was. He said his boat had hit a submerged rock out in the bay, and before the boat sank, he had managed to beach it in front of his house. Dad said that he would be right over to take a look. He called the mechanic Cal Grathwohl, and they drove over to Nassau Point. The boat was beached, flooded with a big hole in the bow area. From the looks of the damage, he probably hit the rock at full speed. Rumor had it that Jim used only two throttle positions, stop and full ahead! With a 200 HP Chrysler engine, the boat was likely doing 40 MPH.
Cal and Dad pumped the boat out & installed a temporary hull patch. They drove back to the boat yard also towing Jim’s boat back to New Suffolk. Repairs were MAJOR, both hull and engine.

For the rest of this NASSAU POINT bit of lore, please come back…comment…my dinner ( I hear, in a loud call), is getting COLD, so I will return to relay the tale!