The Thames: The River that Shapes Us
The Thames River begins in Norwich and, 15 miles later, empties into Long Island Sound. It's very much a working river. Electricity, latex, paperboard and submarines are produced on its banks. Lumber and copper are offloaded at State Pier, barges deliver coal, and trains chug by with cargo headed for points north and south. But the sailors and stevedores share the river with recreational boaters and sightseers. A dozen marinas and yacht clubs dot the shores. Residents and tourists visit beaches, parks and two forts. Ferries are ready to take you away to three nearby islands. Cadets learn to sail here and, on a weekend every spring, the Thames hosts the country's oldest collegiate athletic competition.
The Thames is a river that helps shape our daily lives, but one we sometimes forget. This series will take you out on the river and introduce you to its people and places.
Stories
Proposal floated to welcome kayakers
December 27, 2010
New London - New London is known as a walkable city, but since it's situated along the Thames River, why couldn't it also be a boatable city?
City Councilor Rob Pero is hoping to highlight the city's close proximity to water by...
Maritime society new owner of NL landmark
October 14, 2010
Years of paperwork, persistence and patience paid off in a formal "deed conveyance" ceremony at the base of the New London Harbor Light.
'A beautiful distraction' on the 17th hole
October 4, 2010
On a recent sunny fall afternoon, a cool breeze and sight of the sparkling Thames River greeted golfers emerging from the cart path tunnel that crosses under Eastern Point Road.
Millions of gallons of wastewater is not what you think
September 6, 2010
For most of southeastern Connecticut, every flush of the toilet, drain of the shower and final rinse of the laundry is destined for the Thames River. Between its beginnings in Norwich and its mouth in New London, the 16-mile estuary serves as the...
Kayaking the Thames
August 22, 2010
While preparing to launch our kayaks not long ago below the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in New London on the third and final leg of a paddling voyage down the Thames River, I waited for a workboat to move from a floating pier.
Hidden coves offer serenity
August 22, 2010
From most vantage points, Clark Cove is all but invisible. "Unless you've been to the backyard, you wouldn't even know it's there," said Terri Isenburg, whose Chapman Lane house overlooks the cove. "We've had friends come over and they'll say,...
Paddling the Thames, part 3
August 22, 2010
Steve Fagin completes his three part journey down the Thames River, launching from beneath the Gold Star Bridge and paddling to Ledge Light and back.
OpSail 2012 eyes New London
August 20, 2010
Following OpSail 2000, a three-day festival on the Thames River in July 2000 that featured dozens of tall ships from around the world, people marveled that it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. But history can repeat itself if the city follows through...
Beautiful summer's on the run; better catch some fish before it's gone
August 20, 2010
What absolutely gorgeous summer weather outside my window as I start this column, a great time to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, catching some fish for the table or just for the heck of it. Our big fish this week was a 64-pound bass caught by...
Dining along the Thames
August 18, 2010
When it comes to a waterfront dining experience, "Don't underestimate the Thames River," says Stash Schiavone.
International sailing competition on the Thames
August 6, 2010
The Coast Guard Academy plays host for the fifth Biennial William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup and sailors worldwide, ages 14 to 21.
Wow! A Bank Street condo sells for $681,400
August 6, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised, in reading a recent selection of deed transactions in The Day's real estate section, to see that something in New London had sold for $681,400. Not bad, I thought, given the state of the economy and the real estate market.
Hot tales, cool sails on waterfront
July 25, 2010
Amid all the children's authors, singers and mighty ships to tour, the most popular attraction at this year's Fish Tales, Tugs and Sails held Saturday in the Waterfront Park was perhaps a firehose sprinkler set up on City Pier by the fire department.
Sub's first trip home is short but important
July 25, 2010
The submarine's black hull slid along the surface, past New London Ledge Light and into the mouth of the Thames River. A tugboat was waiting there to help escort the newest member of the Virginia class, the Missouri, to the Naval Submarine Base for...
Kayaking the Thames
July 18, 2010
What is the recommended procedure for aiding a fellow kayaker who has flipped over? A) Paddle perpendicular to his vessel and help him re-enter the overturned boat after pumping it out.
At academy, basic training means learning to sail
July 18, 2010
Michael Vitrano thought he could get to the buoy, turn around and return to the dock, even though he had never sailed before. The 30-second maneuver was part of his first sailing lesson at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Coast Guard Academy swabs sail
July 18, 2010
The Coast Guard Academy's newest recruits take to the Thames River for their first sailing lesson.
Paddling the Thames, part two
July 18, 2010
Steve Fagin embarks on part two of his journey down the Thames River, paddling his kayak from Gales Ferry to the Gold Star Bridge and back. Once again, Betsy and Bob Graham join him, along with Ian Frenkel, as they explore Smith Cove, Long Cove and...
Thames River has been a constant for this family
July 11, 2010
Vinnie Silvester was taking advantage of the gas grills that customers can use at Burr's Marina, cooking up five London broil steaks to share over the next few days with whoever stops by his boat.
A summer tradition: Race night on the Thames
July 4, 2010
Industry may dominate its banks, with ferries, barges and submarines plowing through its waters with purpose. But on Wednesday evenings in the summer, the Thames River shows its fun side.
Sailing on the Thames River
July 4, 2010
Thames Yacht Club sailors race on the river on Wednesday nights during the summer.
Kayaking the Thames
June 27, 2010
A conservation success story
June 27, 2010
At Poquetanuck Cove, the working estuary known as the Thames River steps away from its industrial life of submarines, coal-fired power plants, ferry traffic and sewage plant discharges for an interlude with nature.
Paddling the Thames, part one
June 27, 2010
Steve Fagin starts his journey down the Thames River, paddling his kayak from Norwich Harbor to Poquetanuck Cove in Ledyard. His friends Rabbi Carl Astor and Betsy and Bob Graham come along for the trip, paddling past Mohegan Sun casino in Trading...
Preliminary research shows Thames tainted by chemicals
June 26, 2010
Taking the pulse of the Thames
June 20, 2010
To the fishermen dangling poles from the docks at Norwich's waterfront park, the small craft making loops in the harbor all day with Howard "Mickey" Weiss at the wheel might have seemed to be on a very curious kind of cruise.
Testing water quality in Norwich Harbor
June 20, 2010
UConn's Michael Whitney and Project Oceanology's Howard Weiss test the oxygen levels of the Thames River in Norwich Harbor.
Making a Splash
June 14, 2010
The secrets of the Academy
June 6, 2010
Perhaps the strangest thing about the latest episode in our Behind the Scenes series is that the subject, the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, is open to the public.
Wanted: Good home for Arctic Seal
June 1, 2010
For four years, State Pier has been home to the Arctic Seal, a trawler whose owner wants it to have a new lease on life at sea. James Sheehy of Gloucester, Mass., brought the Arctic Seal here in 2006 to have it overhauled at the Thames Shipyard &...
Historic rivalry on the river
May 31, 2010
They travel an hour away from campus, but when members of the Yale University heavyweight crew team drive down Hurlbutt Road and onto Riverside Place, they know they're home.
The Thames and its rivers: 'A narrow arm of the sea'
May 30, 2010
If the Thames River can be said to have a source, it would be the brown and shallow weed-choked pond tucked behind the Traveler Restaurant just off Interstate 84 in Union.
Harvard's steady cadence enough to beat Yale
May 30, 2010
During the first mile, the same thought kept going through the mind of Harvard sophomore Michael DiSanto. "'Should I be pulling harder?'" DiSanto said he couldn't help wondering, as Yale's varsity heavyweight crew led the Crimson initially, then...
These days, regatta is a bit less romantic
May 30, 2010
It would be easy to slip into sappy romanticism, to hold up the Thames River as a place where blood rivals do battle and dreams come true - an actual destination, for crying out loud, for the kings and queens of the Ivy League.
About the series
May 30, 2010
Editorial: Appreciate and preserve the Thames
May 30, 2010
Few short rivers are more varied and have such a lengthy history as the Thames, and because the 15-mile waterway flows through the heart of southeastern Connecticut many of us see it, drive over and alongside it, or take boats on it every day.
SLIDESHOWS
PHOTO GALLERIES
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Sea Scouts compete on the Thames
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Sailing lessons for Coast Guard swabs
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The family on the Thames
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Thames Yacht Club
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145th Harvard-Yale Regatta
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Harvard in Gales Ferry
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Yale in Gales Ferry
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Thames River Aerials
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VIDEOS
YOUR PHOTOS »
Share your Thames River photos by posting them to www.zip06.com or e-mailing them to j.sammons@theday.com and we'll add them to this page.
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Sub - June 11, 2010
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Parking a submarine
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Cruise ships in New London
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Thames River
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