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I grew up in Boston and actually did some sailing on the river as a kid - we coasted around in Sunfishes for the most part. Unlike literally every other sailin

by munk-a 5y ago

I grew up in Boston and actually did some sailing on the river as a kid - we coasted around in Sunfishes for the most part. Unlike literally every other sailing instruction course I ever took there was no forced capsizing tutorial to learn how to uncapisize a Sunfish - mostly because nobody's parents would ever sign onto a waiver that said "Oh btw, we're going to briefly dunk your kid into the Charles". I love the Charles River and spent a lot of time growing up around it in Cambridge and city-side on the Esplanade. I've got great memories from both Pops and pop concerts in the Hatch Shell - but yea, no where in those memories is anything about voluntarily going into the river - avoiding even dipping a toe into that was ingrained into us at a young age.

foobarian 5y ago
Anecdata time. I am from elsewhere so I didn't have that sort of context. I had a chance to be rowing on the Charles at some point but forgot to bring water with me so I just drank from the river with no ill effect. Water seemed pretty clear and fresh. I also remember around that time there would be periodic news praising the river cleanup success so I probably never got to see it dirty.
- munk-a 5y ago
  And you're saying you're currently not a Zombie? Oh vanish the thought! Actually, yea, I think the river is quite clean. Especially now that I've seen bodies of water that have an oily sheen on them - and ones that sting if you get them on your skin. I think I'd probably be pretty adverse to swimming in the Charles - but I'd definitely prefer it any day over False Creek in Vancouver. My biggest concern with questionable water these days is always the bed they rest on - usually the water tends to be pretty clear even in heavily polluted areas (though oil floats so some forms of pollution are quite contrary to that) - but all the really dangerous stuff tends to slowly separate out and settle on the bottom. It's when kids get in and kick up the muck at the bottom of one of these rivers that I get most concerned. Also yea - this is pretty much all anecdotal as well.
- cossatot 5y ago
  Some forms of environmental pollution or toxicity, like bacteria, can result in an infection that makes you sick, or not. Other forms, like heavy metals (common in industrial sites), can cause serious chronic problems through prolonged or repeated exposure, but are not necessarily going to cause much harm from a single low-ish dose.
selimthegrim 5y ago
I capsized in the Charles one summer around 2007 or so (and swallowed some water) with the MIT Sailing Club. I didn't have any immediate ill effects but about 5 minutes after I got back to the dock I was afflicted by the most painful earsplitting headache I have ever experienced even to this day. I curled up in a ball and thought I was dying of a stroke.
- cowsandmilk 5y ago
  The Charles was cleaned up by 2007 and was not dirty.
busyant 5y ago
Not sure if you've ever seen this, but former (Massachusetts) Governor Weld staged a little publicity stunt several years ago by jumping into the Charles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGbMmqrYrY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGbMmqrYrY
mmmBacon 5y ago
I spent July 4th, 1993 on the Esplanade in Boston. I won’t forget the loud groan from the crowd around me followed by collective “ewwws” at the sight of some drunk people on a boat falling into the Charles.

by munk-a 5y ago

foobarian 5y ago

Anecdata time. I am from elsewhere so I didn't have that sort of context. I had a chance to be rowing on the Charles at some point but forgot to bring water with me so I just drank from the river with no ill effect. Water seemed pretty clear and fresh. I also remember around that time there would be periodic news praising the river cleanup success so I probably never got to see it dirty.

munk-a 5y ago
And you're saying you're currently not a Zombie? Oh vanish the thought! Actually, yea, I think the river is quite clean. Especially now that I've seen bodies of water that have an oily sheen on them - and ones that sting if you get them on your skin. I think I'd probably be pretty adverse to swimming in the Charles - but I'd definitely prefer it any day over False Creek in Vancouver. My biggest concern with questionable water these days is always the bed they rest on - usually the water tends to be pretty clear even in heavily polluted areas (though oil floats so some forms of pollution are quite contrary to that) - but all the really dangerous stuff tends to slowly separate out and settle on the bottom. It's when kids get in and kick up the muck at the bottom of one of these rivers that I get most concerned. Also yea - this is pretty much all anecdotal as well.
cossatot 5y ago
Some forms of environmental pollution or toxicity, like bacteria, can result in an infection that makes you sick, or not. Other forms, like heavy metals (common in industrial sites), can cause serious chronic problems through prolonged or repeated exposure, but are not necessarily going to cause much harm from a single low-ish dose.

selimthegrim 5y ago

I capsized in the Charles one summer around 2007 or so (and swallowed some water) with the MIT Sailing Club. I didn't have any immediate ill effects but about 5 minutes after I got back to the dock I was afflicted by the most painful earsplitting headache I have ever experienced even to this day. I curled up in a ball and thought I was dying of a stroke.

cowsandmilk 5y ago
The Charles was cleaned up by 2007 and was not dirty.

busyant 5y ago

Not sure if you've ever seen this, but former (Massachusetts) Governor Weld staged a little publicity stunt several years ago by jumping into the Charles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGbMmqrYrY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGbMmqrYrY

mmmBacon 5y ago

I spent July 4th, 1993 on the Esplanade in Boston. I won’t forget the loud groan from the crowd around me followed by collective “ewwws” at the sight of some drunk people on a boat falling into the Charles.