July and August Mystery Harbor: Oyster Bay, N.Y.

A “bully” place indeed

July’s Mystery Harbor [no one guessed it, so we posted clues in the August issue] is Oyster Bay, N.Y. I’m guessing, since he certainly spent time there, Teddy Roosevelt would have described Oyster Bay as a “bully” place . . . and I concur! I was very fortunate to grow up there. The photo shows the Frank M. Flower & Sons shellfish fleet at its dock at the north end of town. I worked on the various boats upon which we fished for clams, mussels, and of course, oysters. The story goes that when the Dutch sailors first visited the area, they called it Oyster Bay after all the numerous tasty bivalves found there. Oyster Bay is in northeast Nassau County on the Island of Long, as I call it. In fact, I went swimming in the mouth of the harbor this morning as I try to do each day during the warmer months. I was also a bayman for a few years in the late ’70s and taught sailing at the Oyster Bay Sailing School. If you like history, Sagamore Hill, President Teddy Roosevelt’s summer White House, is close by in Cove Neck. Fishing, swimming, sailing – all manner of water sports are available in good olde historic beautiful Oyster Bay. It’s a great, convenient port to spend a day or two while sailing Long Island Sound.

Capt. Vic Walsh
Huntington, N.Y.

It’s a frequent destination

I just got the August issue of Points East, so I am late in answering. We have cruised from our home base in Huntington to West Harbor in Oyster Bay many times. In addition, I regularly rowed there in a scull from the boathouse on Beekman Beach.

June Kendrick
Huntington, N.Y.

Billy Joel lives there (for now)

I picked up a copy of the August issue of Points East at Maine Coast Book Shop & Cafe in Damariscotta and was intrigued by the description of July’s mystery harbor. Most of the description could describe a number of harbors but the last sentence gave it away. It’s Oyster Bay, Long Island – where Billy Joel lives – though it could also be Bayville Long Island, which is adjacent to Oyster Bay and has a restaurant where you can eat not just outdoors but literally on the sand. As an aside, my brother-in-law still occasionally sees Billy Joel at the local watering hole in their shared hometown of Hicksville, Long Island – which is totally landlocked and has no harbor at all.

Marissa Martino Golden
Boothbay Harbor, Maine