Майк Харт, живущий на яхте в Норволке, предлагает морские прогулки для снятия стресса

NORWALK, Conn. — When I close my eyes and think about Norwalk, I see the waters of the Long Island Sound; I think about the individuals and organizations who contribute to our dynamic coastal landscape. It is their dedication and stewardship that give Norwalk’s coastline and islands their own distinctive essence. I call it The Spirit of the Sound. One of the first people who comes to mind when I think of “The Spirit of the Sound” is Mike Hart, known locally as “Island Mike.” Hart was the caretaker on Tavern Island for two decades: a stunning 3.5-acre privately-owned island located off the coast of Rowayton. Since 2018, he has lived full-time aboard his 1983 52-foot custom Kaufman-Ladd Ketch sailboat, named Eagle, which is docked on Water Street in South Norwalk near the Stroffolino Bridge. Hart offers sailing charters around the Norwalk Islands, believing in accessibility when it comes to getting people on the water. It is his way of serving the Norwalk community and doing what he loves. Ever since the first time I caught a glimpse of Eagle on the water (it’s hard to miss with its distinctive red heart on the sail), I was curious to learn more about Island Mike and his story. We sat down this summer over coffee. The text below has been edited for clarity and length. Nancy on Norwalk: Tell me a little bit about your backstory. Did you always love the water as much as you do now? Tavern Island played a role in the Revolutionary War. During the British invasion of Norwalk in 1779, the island served as a lookout point guarding the entrance to Rowayton Harbor. Years later, in the 1950s and 1960s, Broadway showman and lyricist Billy Rose owned the island and hosted lavish parties attended by celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand. Hart: My dad used to go fishing. He would go fishing at 4:00 in the morning. And no kid really wants to wake up that early to do that. It was one of those things you just had to do. You went fishing with Dad. Even though I would probably nap during most of it in the early morning, I still would have these glimpses of seeing the sunrise or noticing how calm everything was. My father said he knew when I was two years old that I would be on the water forever. I have an older brother who’s four years older; he likes the water, but it’s not like life for him. My dad said there was something about me and how I looked at the water, even when I was two. He goes, “This kid’s going to be on the water.” How long did you live on Tavern Island? Hart: I lived there for 22 years, and I worked there for 26 years. I started working there when I was 14 as the caretaker’s helper; it was my high school summer gig. At 20 I took over as the main caretaker. What were some of your favorite experiences about living on the island? Hart: Mostly, it was the peacefulness, the quietness of the island. The moon rises became an amazing part of my life. I knew that once a month, I had three to four to five days to watch the moon come up red off the water, and I could just sit there and soak it in. I would have groups of friends out. I would stop our conversation and say, “Let’s just soak in this moment.” It was so peaceful and quiet. I wanted to allow my heart to feel it, you know? Nature is what it was. I could sit for five hours, taking in the beauty and peacefulness of the sights, sounds, and moon. I imagine the rhythm is different on the island; time moves differently. Hart: Yeah, time moves differently. You’re not on an hourly clock. You’re on the morning clock, the midday clock, the night clock. The peaceful moments were my most precious times, but then also the sport of it. I grew to be a wind junkie. That started with windsurfing when I was 13. I got to experience the power and speed of wind sports. On the island, they had windsurf boards, and I had a small sailboat. That stuff was high on the list of enjoyment factors that I had out there. I could play and enjoy myself. Just be living and feeling, stoked to do something and have fun. What is your idea of success? I didn’t ever chase this idea of having a lot of money and chasing this idea of success. Because I think there are different realities of what the definition of success is. I am coming from a father who bet on horses, who lived on the streets of New York City, and then landed in Darien with a nursery school for my mom to take care of. So, his approach was, “We all have to work. But go live your life, love your life, and do what you love to do. Have a couple friends and a couple hobbies that you really love.” In my younger days, I wanted to enjoy my time. In my later days, I got into mindfulness and yoga, and I’ve grown to want to participate more. I realized that the island was an escape. Offering sailing tours is a beautiful way to participate more, and by doing so, you are serving the community. How did you make the transition from Tavern Island to buying Eagle? Hart: When I was in my early 20s, I would look at these boating magazines. You’d see these sailboats for sale. They were always out of my price range, and you’d read articles about people doing amazing trips. So as a little kid, I was always reading and seeing what people were doing, and it always fascinated me, and I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a big world out there!’ We were allowed to take these boats and sail to them and go check them out. So, it kind of piqued my curiosity. As I got older, I didn’t do a lot of vacations when I was on the island. My feeling when I was on the island, every time I went away, I would say, ‘I wish I was back on the island because I had all my toys on the island, and I would have more fun on the island.’ So the thought was, ‘I’ll get a boat and go check out some spots and see some things before my parents are too old, where they need me to take care of them full time.’ I had a nice transition between jobs, and I thought, I’ll try this boating thing out for a few years, and then I’ll get it out of my system somewhat and then be around my parents if they need me full time.’ That’s kind of what the idea was, and so I bought the boat during the last month of living on Tavern Island and moved right onto it. How did the sailing experiences start? Hart: It’s been a big restoration job. I put up a sign to see if people wanted to go for rides while I was restoring the boat, and that’s sort of how the sailing experience started. It morphed into this because I knew when I was on the island that some sort of charter thing could work, because it’s kind of ridiculous to own a boat. It’s really expensive if you don’t use it all the time. I knew paying $800 for sail is way more worth it for people than owning a boat, and I’ve always known I wanted to do something in the recreational field of enjoyment. What do you enjoy most about the sailing experiences? Hart: The beauty is that people get on the boat and they just lose it all for a moment. At first, they’re like, life’s busy and somewhat frantic, and then they sit down and start to relax. After about an hour or so, they’re chilled out, and you literally see this “awe-ness” come over everybody. They’re taking in the sights and just feeling the flow of the boat. At the end of the day, they’re able to chill out. That’s been the most enjoyable part of it all; helping de-stress people. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you want to share with our readers? Hart: Whatever it is you love to do in life, go do it. We’re all challenged and stressed, but we can also remember: “What are we living for?” If we can just say ‘ahh’ for a moment, whatever the ah is for you, whether it’s base jumping or if it’s knitting, I think we can all know what we love and go do it more. For more information about Island Mike’s sailing charters, visit https://island-mike.com/