Red Hook captain recalls weathering Sandy on historic barge which operates as a Waterfront Museum
NEW YORK - We just marked the 10th anniversary since Superstorm Sandy hit our shores. The storm didn't just damage thousands of homes and businesses; it also affected New York's thriving historic maritime community.
In Red Hook, Brooklyn, Captain David Sharps weathered the storm from his historic barge, the Lehigh Valley No. 79.
Sharps had previously worked as a juggler on a Carnival Cruise ship, but in 1985, he became the owner of the historic barge, built in 1914.
For decades, he has both lived in and operated the Waterfront Museum from the beloved structure, which he restored from tons of mud and disrepair.
At 108 years old, the vessel serves as a floating homage to vintage maritime culture.
"The purpose... was to shuttle goods from the ships that docked in the all island ports of New York City," he tells CBS2's Hannah Kliger.
Two days a week, the museum is free and open to the public. The rest of the time is by appointment only. Sharps says he gets a lot of groups, school trips and researchers coming by to learn more about the history of the place.
"We also do a series showboat programs where the barge becomes a floating theater," he says.
It wasn't always smooth sailing. While Red Hook was decimated by Superstorm Sandy, he stayed on the barge, trying to preserve his home and life's work.
"Old Devil Sea kind of reared her head when Sandy came," he recalls.
A mark outside shows how high the water rose, and Sharps points to an arch high over his head, which he remembers was eye-level during the peak of the surge.
"We're very fortunate that we float, I imagine a lot of people wish they had an establishment that floated that day," he says.
Still, the barge was damaged when she crashed down on the dock several times with the tide. Thankfully, he was able to maneuver her off the dock as the water level began to drop.
It took nearly three years to finally get the barge into dry dock and see the extent of the damage, which cost about a quarter of a million dollars. All this time later, fully recovered, the marine museum and her devoted captain look toward many more years of service.
"This is the only one of its kind left," he says fondly.
Preserving New York's nautical history, Sharps says, is worth it.
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