Past Events and Activities in 2025

July 17: Fundraiser-Sailing Social on the AJ Meerwald from the Marina at Atlantic Highlands

This sail was cancelled due to a poor weather forecast, and all passengers who had registered were offered their money back. For those who still wanted to be on the water, NMHA's friends at Classic Boat Rides came to the rescue and 32 souls boarded the Navesink Queen for a music, food, drink, and cruising party! The weather was great and a good time was had by all.

Below center: The AJ Meerwald at anchor in the harbor.

June 7: Rally for the Two Rivers Eco-fest at Victory park, Rumson

This annual event organised by Clean Ocean Action and Rumson Envoronmental Commission is a hit with families and NMHA had an active booth.

May 18: NMHA's Annual Spring Cruise to Sandy Hook Bay & the Navesink Estuary

NMHA’s Annual spring excursion for members and friends took place aboard the NEW Mariner from Classic Boat Rides - a bigger vessel with two decks and more inside space!  A leisurely way to start the summer season with sightseeing, birding, and some information about our waterways.

May 3 and 4: Weekend in Old Monmouth Open House

This was the second year that Grover House was on the Weekend in Old Monmouth Historic houses tour and over the two days.

May 2: Members Reception at Grover House

In anticipation and celebration of Grover House's 2nd appearance on the Weekend on Old Monmouth historic houses tour, Members were invited to celebrate the weekend at Grover House with a party.

April 16: Public Presentation: The John K Shaw - a Maritime Tradegy by Dan Lieb

A desire to visit something new triggered an expedition to identify a wreck and reveal a tragic hit-and-run at sea. Dan Lieb's talk on the John K. Shaw was a compelling look at a maritime disaster. The vessel, a 158ft, 379 ton three-masted schooner, was built locally, owned locally, crewed locally... and they lived - and died - locally.

During the 19th Century, schooners played a pivotal role in maritime transportation and trade. These sailing vessels with their distinctive two or more masts and fore-and-aft rigging proved to be highly efficient and versatile, making them a popular choice among sailors and merchants alike.

View of City Island by Frederick Rondel, 1872.

This painting depicts the Marine Railway at David Carll's Shipyard in 1872, the year the John K. Shaw was built at the shipyard.

April 8: Interpretive Signs Unveiling at Grover House

Mayor Perry of Middletown and NMHA Trustees were on hand to celebrate the formal unveiling of interpretive signs describing Grover House and the history the Grover family, who came to Monmouth County in 1664. The New Jersey Historic Trust for Heritage Tourism provided half the cost and NMHA raised the other half. Mayor Perry was given a tour of the house and the renovations carried out by NMHA volunteers. From left to right: Bob Markoff, Trustee, Mary Gerdes, Treasurer & Trustee, Chuck Abel, Trustee, Lynn Fylak, President & Trustee, Mayor Perry, Michael Humphreys, Secretary and Trustee

March 19: Public Presentation: A Shipboard Museum to Highlight American Commercial Maritime by Rik van Hemmen. 

Rik van Hemmen has been involved in American maritime all his professional life. Maritime strength has created strong beneficial trade boosted to an incredible level by containerization. However, American maritime, both naval and commercial, is suffering from high vacancies and low recruitment. 

His presentation focused on both aspects: the use of an early pioneering container ship as a floating museum to tell the maritime history, spell out maritime career benefits, and attracting recruits to maritime. He described an alternative approach to raising maritime awareness by focusing on the industry as it exists today

Museum ships are an extremely difficult financial proposition and it is unclear if they actually have an effect on the general population’s awareness of maritime. Most museum ships refer to past history and the public is not aware that maritime continues to be a vital, but generally ignored, component of national and New Jersey's wealth, and continues to offer individual opportunities to enter the middle class. 

February 19: Public Presentation: A History of Iceboating on the Navesink & Shrewsbury Rivers by Jeff Smith.

Jeff Smith, a local iceboater, photographer, and historian, presented a brief history of iceboating on the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. He talked about the important role that the historic North Shrewsbury Ice Boat & Yacht Club in Red Bank has played, and the club's great success in restoring the Rocket, a 50-foot Class One Ice boat built in 1888.

He described past and present iceboats and safety on the ice.

He also took some of us on a tour of the club, formed in 1880, and its large collection of historic photos.

January 16: NMHA Annual Members Dinner at Bahrs Landing Restaurant, Highlands, NJ

Bahrs served up a delicious and wide choice of meats, pasta, and fish, with brownise and Key Lime Pie for desert. Martin Ottaway was the corporate sponsor for the before dinner cocktail party, including popcorn shrimp and fried calamari, while the bar servers did their jobs very well.

 

January 11: NMHA's Annual General Meeting & Election of Trustees at Grover House

The Board of Trustees held its Annual General Meeting at Grover House where the 2024 activities were highlighted, plans for 2025 were outlined, and the assembeled Members voted for Trustees for 2025. The current slate was reelected.