Deer Island

Boston's waterfront has exploded in the public consciousness. It feels like the newest, coolest, and most vibrant part of the city, pulsating with activity, suddenly crammed with tourists — and even longtime Boston residents — who marvel at newly discovered delights around every corner of its 47 miles.  That's right: 47 miles. The waterfront stretches from the southernmost tip of Dorchester through South Boston, to downtown, the North End, Charlestown, and finally to East Boston.

Boston’s waterfront has exploded in the public consciousness. It feels like the newest, coolest, and most vibrant part of the city, pulsating with activity, suddenly crammed with tourists — and even longtime Boston residents — who marvel at newly discovered delights around every corner of its 47 miles.  That’s right: 47 miles. The waterfront stretches from the southernmost tip of Dorchester through South Boston, to downtown, the North End, Charlestown, and finally to East Boston.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s wastewater treatment facility on Deer Island in Boston Harbor is installing two large wind turbines. At 190 feet tall, they will have the capacity to generate a combined 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The electricity will be used on-site, reducing the amount of power purchased from the electric grid and saving the authority an estimated $250,000 per year. Deer Island already gets 23 percent of its energy from on-site renewable resources, including solar panels and a steam turbine fueled by methane gas that’s recaptured...

Swimming long distances in open waters, James Jackson Doty braved Boston Harbor's filthiest tides in the 1970s. He also swam 23 miles around Cape Ann, raced across New Hampshire lakes, and inspired scores to match themselves against the sea. A burly insurance salesman, he launched the New England Marathon Swimming Association in 1978. Powering through bone-numbing cold in polluted water, he gasped for air amid the stench from burning garbage scows while enduring curious sharks, sea lice, and jellyfish.

You could spend much of your life in greater Boston and never venture into this small town dangling off Eastie into the harbor. Just over 1.6 square miles, it has no glitzy shopping complex, nor the orderly quaintness of Newburyport or even downtown Salem. Unless you live there, it’s out of the way, which is precisely its charm. Getting here is a deliberate act. With just two roads leading in and out (one from East Boston, the other from Revere), chances are you won’t arrive by accident.

DEER ISLAND, New Brunswick -- "It's not what you usually think of as a ferry," says Velma Lord about the shape of the two vessels her family operates in summer to Campobello Island and Eastport, Maine. Bay of Fundy and Island Hopper are tugs with long, hydraulically operated steel arms linked to barges. Passengers and bicycles, cars, and even buses board on ramps lowered to the beach. Once the vessel is back in deeper water, the arm reverses the tug's direction. These are the East Coast Ferries , a little-known, hassle-free shortcut and a relaxing way to cross...

Two fishermen were rescued off Winthrop yesterday after getting lost in heavy fog, officials said. The Winthrop Fire Department received a call around 2:45 p.m. from a relative of the fishermen, saying they got lost in the fog. The two unidentified individuals were located by the harbormaster about a half-mile out, behind Deer Island, around 3:20 p.m. They did not suffer any injuries, and their boat was not damaged.

AN ELDERLY gentleman hurried along the shoreline path of Deer Island on Sunday, pausing just long enough to tell a lolling couple that in just a few minutes the Norwegian Majesty cruise ship would be "so close you can reach out and touch it" as it passes by the southern tip of the peninsula bound for Bermuda. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but a grand view nonetheless. The 1983 guidebook "All About the Boston Harbor Islands" describes Deer Island, then the site of a dilapidated jail and smelly sewage plant, as "not exactly a typical pleasant Sunday excursion.

Swimming long distances in open waters, James Jackson Doty braved Boston Harbor's filthiest tides in the 1970s. He also swam 23 miles around Cape Ann, raced across New Hampshire lakes, and inspired scores to match themselves against the sea. A burly insurance salesman, he launched the New England Marathon Swimming Association in 1978. Powering through bone-numbing cold in polluted water, he gasped for air amid the stench from burning garbage scows while enduring curious sharks, sea lice, and jellyfish.

With the age of sailing ships only a whisper of memory and waterfront high-rises blocking sea views, we easily forget that Boston was once a haven for salty sailors with tales to tell. These days, you don't even need a ship to experience the allure of Boston Harbor. In fact, you can visit some of its so-called islands without setting foot on a boat. Landfill and development have connected these once and former islands to the mainland along Boston Harbor, Quincy Bay, and Hingham Bay, so, like a Gilligan on wheels, you can set sail in your car for a three-hour - or all-day - tour.

Two fishermen were rescued off Winthrop yesterday after getting lost in heavy fog, officials said. The Winthrop Fire Department received a call around 2:45 p.m. from a relative of the fishermen, saying they got lost in the fog. The two unidentified individuals were located by the harbormaster about a half-mile out, behind Deer Island, around 3:20 p.m. They did not suffer any injuries, and their boat was not damaged.

The new Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion had been beckoning me for weeks. Before its lovely wave canopies were unveiled in June, I hadn't thought of the islands in years. Now I was intrigued. Which is just the effect island fans had in mind when they built the $6 million kiosks, staffing them with sweet National Park rangers who are eager to tell of the joys to be had minutes from shore. They're right - mostly. On Thursday, I paid a visit to the pavilion, where a ranger recommended Georges and Spectacle Islands, and directed me to the ferry center at Long Wharf.

Q. How does one go from music composition - which gives me immediate visions of John Williams hidden away, writing the scores for "Star Wars" - to recording any and all sounds? A. Well, you know my background's in music composition, but I also have a fine arts degree, and these days would be considered a crossover artist. But back then, 35 years ago when Canadian composer and soundscape philosopher R. Murray Schafer coined the phrase "soundscape," crossing over wasn't so common.

You could spend much of your life in greater Boston and never venture into this small town dangling off Eastie into the harbor. Just over 1.6 square miles, it has no glitzy shopping complex, nor the orderly quaintness of Newburyport or even downtown Salem. Unless you live there, it’s out of the way, which is precisely its charm. Getting here is a deliberate act. With just two roads leading in and out (one from East Boston, the other from Revere), chances are you won’t arrive by accident.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s wastewater treatment facility on Deer Island in Boston Harbor is installing two large wind turbines. At 190 feet tall, they will have the capacity to generate a combined 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The electricity will be used on-site, reducing the amount of power purchased from the electric grid and saving the authority an estimated $250,000 per year. Deer Island already gets 23 percent of its energy from on-site renewable resources, including solar panels and a steam turbine fueled by...

With the age of sailing ships only a whisper of memory and waterfront high-rises blocking sea views, we easily forget that Boston was once a haven for salty sailors with tales to tell. These days, you don't even need a ship to experience the allure of Boston Harbor. In fact, you can visit some of its so-called islands without setting foot on a boat. Landfill and development have connected these once and former islands to the mainland along Boston Harbor, Quincy Bay, and Hingham Bay, so, like a Gilligan on wheels, you can set sail in your car for a three-hour - or all-day - tour.

Q. How does one go from music composition - which gives me immediate visions of John Williams hidden away, writing the scores for "Star Wars" - to recording any and all sounds? A. Well, you know my background's in music composition, but I also have a fine arts degree, and these days would be considered a crossover artist. But back then, 35 years ago when Canadian composer and soundscape philosopher R. Murray Schafer coined the phrase "soundscape," crossing over wasn't so common.

DEER ISLAND, New Brunswick -- "It's not what you usually think of as a ferry," says Velma Lord about the shape of the two vessels her family operates in summer to Campobello Island and Eastport, Maine. Bay of Fundy and Island Hopper are tugs with long, hydraulically operated steel arms linked to barges. Passengers and bicycles, cars, and even buses board on ramps lowered to the beach. Once the vessel is back in deeper water, the arm reverses the tug's direction. These are the East Coast Ferries , a little-known, hassle-free shortcut and a relaxing way to cross Passamaquoddy Bay . From Deer...