I have a fun time on Saturday. A bit of work and fun at the same time. My club is participating in National Estuary Day in Queen as a membership and educational drive. We will have a table at the Alley Pond Pk Environmental center and sign up people who want to Kayak.
We need to talk 10 or so kayaks to a launch site away from the Center - did not know where that would be when I get up in the morning. My plan was to meet up with the rest of the group, help load up the boats onto the trailer and follow everyone over. I though the meet up time was 9 AM, so I get up at 7AM, deep fried my spring rolled and finally left at 8:45. The spring rolls are for the BBQ after. I did not get there till 9:15. Everyone is already there and loaded up. I was late apparently. I rushed to set up my car roof-rack. Everone was leaving. I was generally sure of the direction to the Center but not the actual place launching area itself so I was hoping to catch up with the rest of the group. Get my kayak tied up and all my equipment in my car in record time. It turned out that Steve and Peter were waiting for me. Good to have friend that remembered.
We get up to Queen in less then 30minutes. We end up in a Marina off the Cross Island Highway, on Little Neck Bay. We were not sure that it the place. It turn out to be the place where we would set up our kayak - the only problem is finding a launchable area. We finally set up in a little "beach" on the righ side of a concrete boatramp. There large boulders between the ramp and the little beach so we have to have two people on the beach and two person on the ramp passing the boats down.
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Picture 2
We get all set up by 11AM, and the first group(if any) is schedule to be at 11:45 We take a short paddle. Pete and I went for a longer paddle then the rest of the group. We paddled out pass Fort Totten, far enough to see City Island, and Throgs Neck Bridge. There were little winds or wave so we hardly notice how far we paddle till it was time to turn back. Half way back the wind started to pick up and we started to notice the waves. Much more fun then on the way out but a bit tiring. I would really like to paddle across the Sound to Orchard Beach.
There is was only 1 person who want a kayak ride. John and Mary take him out. The went south toward the pass of the bay. Tony brough some food for us. We have two additional guests but they stay around the beach area. Jerry and Phil showed them rolling and braces. The first group did not come by by 1:45 so we were getting a bit worry. Pete and I decided to go back and look for them. We meet them where they were on their way back. Peter and I decided to continue to the base of the bay and follow the creek. The tide was coming in so that counteract the wind a bit. We went under 2 bridges till we went out of water therefore have to turn back.
By the time we get back to our staging area, it was time to start packing up. In all we take 5 guests out on the water. There was a lot of people stopping by to ask questions so as a publicity event it was successful.
After the event there is a BBQ at a home of one of our member. I hate driving in Queen. We finally find our way to her house. Lot of foods and drinks was have by all. The party breakup by 7PM.
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