About one o'clock Sunday, the seventh of March, your reporters drove down to the waterfront. Waves were crashing against the bulkhead and the dock. The sky was blue with clouds speckled all over the sky. A pair of ducks struggled through the waves to reach the dock. Arriving at their destination, they shook off excess water, looked for a few morsels of food to eat, and then settled down for a nice Sunday afternoon sunbath. Of course, no dinghies were in sight. It was noted, upon leaving the waterfront, that a flock of assorted fowl were also enjoying the dock, which otherwise would have been occupied by the frostbiters and their dinghies.

The New York Times Sports Sunday, dated March 7, contains an article entitled "The Sailors of Winter: In the Cold, Cold Sea." Many of us were pleased to witness frostbiting's earning so much attention. But several readers of On The Bay have challenged the first sentence that starts "Larchmont Yacht Club, which began its frostbiting program in 1932, has the oldest winter fleet in the Northeast..." It is generally accepted here that the Annual Regatta of the Frostbite Yacht Club was sailed in our own bay and the first annual meeting was held at Knickerbocker YC on Jan. 2, 1932.

The Geller Family of Port made available an outstanding book named Ocean Classics. It contains photos taken by Richard Bennett with text by Bob Ross. It is a souvenir brought home by Bill Geller who went to Australia to visit a college buddy, now a linguistics professor there. While there, Bill received a scuba certificate. Bennett's recognition is in part due to his development of techniques with light aircraft to capture photos.

Another book that readers may be interested in is The World's Great Sailing Ships by Ollivier Puget, which presents the cream of today's sailing fleet in brilliant photographs. Sixty-two tall ships, Cape Horners, coastal craft, fishing boats, training ships and racing yachts, were selected for their beauty as well as historical significance. The magnificent photos of these restored ships are a visual delight, capturing a range of beauty, from the opulence of a salon with stained glass windows and an abundance of mahogany, to photos of seemingly endless numbers of cadets honing their skills on the high seas. Scenes of ships backlit with a bright red setting sun, water spraying the side of a ship as it travels through rough seas, brilliant sunlight casting shadows on billowing sails - each photo highlights the ships in all their sailing glory.

Accompanying each photo are short essays, which offer the reader a historical perspective. For example, in 1851, the schooner of the New York Yacht Club, America, challenged 17 English yachts in a regatta around the Isle of Wight, which marked the opening of the World's Fair in London. America's victory that year was the origin of the America's Cup. The text also underscores the fact that many of these ships have hit upon hard times, been restored, sold to a new owner, sailed to a new country and restored again. For some ships, this cycle is repeated for many years. The author pays tribute to these men who have preserved our maritime history for all of us who are drawn to these marvelous wind-powered machines of an earlier time.

On Sunday, April 18, rowers are getting together to row around Sands Point from Manhasset Bay to Hempstead Harbor (seven nautical miles). The event, which is sponsored by the Alden Ocean Shell Association, will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Manorhaven Beach ramp, with a departure time of 11 a.m. Participants will end their cruise on the beach of the Village Club of Sands Point where they will enjoy a lunch at the Solomon Guggenheim mansion. If you would like to join in the fun, please call Monika Dorman at 944-9511.

Your reporters, Louise Haney and Andrea Watson, would like the readers to know what fun they are having writing this column together.