Being a nice fella that I am, I feel I must oblige my readership with more update.
I have been doing a lot of kayaking this summer. Most of it is up at the lake or assisting with the club's programs.
There is only one thing that I did not yet do this summer and that is to really lead a open paddle. I did lead one paddle, but with such strong personality as assistants I did not feel like I have taken charge of the trip- because there was never a need to. I should really try to lead another trip before the end of the Public Paddle program.
It is hard to believe that is is already August 12. Where have the summer went? I thought that my unemployment during the summer would give me a chance to do more adventurous paddle but that turn out not to be the case. I used kayaking as an excuse to meet people so solo paddling hold no particular attraction to me at all. I usually wait for other people to organize a trip that tag along so being unemployed during the summer did not lend itself to more paddling since everyone else have to work. I also find myself spending most day sitting in front of the computer trying writing a decent cover letter or single "thank you" note. So most of my time sitting at the computer doing nothing but unable to enjoy the sunny day because I can't go out until that cover letter is written but if only I just can figure how to string two sentences together.
Ok. Enough about why I did not do more kayaking or updating.
The big event on my calender this summer as a trip organized by Stevie and Adele up to the Thousand Island(ACA Sugar Island Camp) area on the St Lawrence River, between NYS and Canada. I have always wanted to go there but would never go up there alone. Stevie and Adele discuss the possibility of going up there as a group last summer. I get really excited about it and mark it only calender since. I was going through some uncertainty on the work front at the time so I wasn't sure if I can do it (actually there was no uncertainty that I would not be working by the time the summer of 08 roll around). But when this August finally roll around, and Stevie inform me that the trip is this week, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I did not figure out a job search strategies yet, get a good lead or figure out what I am doing when I get back. As I drove home I decided that I not ready to pack for a 10 day trips or enjoy a 10 day trips so it is best to cancel it while the carpooling is being sort out. Stevie did not make my decision to cancel my trip easy at all. He continue to send me follow up emails with all the wonderful thing to do and see till the departure date on Friday. I hope they take lot of pictures.
ACA Youth Regatta
Arrive late and unannounced at the ACA Youth Regatta on July 31st. The Youth Regatta is usually a bite disorganize at the beginning so I see no point in getting there early. It is a Thursday so I neither have to leave early before rush hours and get there at 7 AM, or late, after rush hour which will get me there by 10:30AM. Last year I arrive at 7AM and went back to bed as I wait for everyone else to get up, and when we get to the regatta area I end up waiting around in the sun as the official organize the kids for the race.
I get to the cabin at 11AM this time. A bit late. The race started at 9:30 AM. I paddled the Avecet to Sebago Beach. For some reason I did not feel comfortable in my body on the paddle out. There was a lull in the action so I did not hear much yelling as I round the last pend to the Beach. I meet Bob A. as he get back into his kayak on a small island right before the beach. We paddle along where the each of the camps participating in the Regatta are set up. I can't find ACA on the sideline as I paddle by. Did not see anyone from ACA till the second pass. ACA have about 10 people there, including parents and speculator. I don't know if we get any kids in the race.
The next race was about to start so I did not land to say hello. Bob and I paddle to the finishing area. Hang around there for a while, not much happen. Yell encouragement to the kids and Congratulations as they cross the finish line. Some time I have to tell them to paddle just a bit more to finish. There was only one capsize during the single canoeist race. The canoe was a new fiberglass race so it was a breeze to empty out and get the kid back in the canoe.
Later into the day I switch it up a bit, paddling to the starting line and paddling behind the race as the race start. There were a couple of capsizes but I did not participate in the rescue. I spend a bit of time trailing errant canoes and telling them to paddle this way or that to keep the boat from going off the course. It was tiring so I decided to land to rest as the single persons portion of the Regatta finish up. I meet Jerry, Anne and Mike B in the ACA area. I did not see any food or water so I just rest up a bit and watch the speculators. The camp next to us have a lot of campers and are full of team spirits. It can be a bit annoying at time.
I finally get back into the water when a two person canoe capsize by the finish line as they paddle back to their staging area. I end up not doing a rescue because they pull the canoe to shore and the people on shore help them empty it out. I spend the rest of the Regatta at the finish line. I assist another kayaker with a rescue of a big aluminum canoe but was unable to do it. John - Scotty's son, come out in sit on top to empty out the canoe. I watched carefully how he did it. A couple of race later the same kind of canoe capsized (same made and model from the same camp - don't know if it the same boat thought) and I managed to get it empty out by myself with only some effort.
There were a lot more capsizes at the beginning of the race then at the finish in the multiple person race so I don't have much to do except to sternly warn a couple of finishers not to jump off their canoe.
I did get in several rolls while waiting for a race to start. Did not miss any of my roll. I did not do my off side.
All in all a good day. I paddle back with Jerry and Anne at the end of the race rather then wait around for the awards. However I soon left them behind as I sprint ahead. I was feeling a bit restless.
Manhattan Circumnavigation
I did finally get one trip on my list done, a circumnavigation of Manhattan. I did that on Sunday August 3. I meet Pete P. at the Lake on Thursday after the ACA Youth Regatta (he arrived late in the afternoon due to work) and in casual conversation he mention that he is doing a circumnavigation of Manhattan with a bunch of people on Saturday at 6AM. I was surprise because I have been keeping my eye out for the Manhattan circumnavigation trip that the Yonkers Kayakers organized each year. I miss last year because I end up waiting at 5AM in Brooklyn instead of meeting in Inwood where they launch last year and was looking forward to doing it this year but hear not a hint of it. Pete told me that the paddle registration is close but he can get me in. He did not know where they are meeting for the launch in Manhattan so suggest that I call him on Friday when he have a chance to get to his email. I called Pete late on Friday evening to asked about the launch address to find out that due to uncertain weather condition on Saturday, the Circumnavigation had been reschedule to Sunday with a launch time of 7AM.
I did not have my boat with me at the lake and driving through Manhattan to Brooklyn to pick up my boat on Sunday morning and drive back to Manhattan Pier 40 for the launch at 7AM on Saturday is out of the question. Luckily for me the club have some good boats that I can use instead. I choice to use the Avocet, a nice and easy to handle boat in most sea condition with ample storage for all my equipment. I get the boat on my car and ready on Saturday before the rain started.
I left the Lake at 5:30 AM and get to Manhattan at 7:05AM. I would have gotten there earlier but due to habit I end up on the FDR instead of the West Side Highway where I should have been. End up have to drive through 23rd Street to get to the West Side. I called Pete to let him know that I was going to be a bit late just as I drive pass him, make a couple of turns to get back to Pier 40 entrance. Get the boat and all my stuffs out of my car, register and get a number, park my car in the public garage on Pier 40 and one the water in less then 30 minutes.
There were about 45 people on the trip. That is a lot of people on a trip to be keep under control. We started by heading south from Pier 40 toward a small cove before Battery Park. The wind and the waves were driving everyone south. The guides want us into the cove but there is not enough room to maneuver 45 odd boats as the wind drive us toward the wall. We have to wait for the Staten Island Ferry to leave it slip before we can paddle around the tip of Manhattan. The trip up to our first paddle break was uneventful. We paddled around the southern tip of Manhattan, then across to the Brooklyn side of the East River and then up to a small beach against a retaining wall next to Socrates Sculpture Park on Vernon Blvd in Astoria.
It was 10:00AM when we get there. A bit early for lunch but since it would probably the only stop where there are stores nearby I wandered away from the group and go on a search for food. There is nothing in the immediate area but about 5 blocks from the landing area there is a small strip mall with a White Castle. I had never had White Castle. I ordered a fish sandwich meal which include drink and fries. I was told that it would be a 1 hour stop over, by the time my food was over I only have 3o minutes to finish my meal. I ate in the restaurant and hurry back back to the rest of the group. The water is coming in but we were not ready to go yet. I spend the next hours are so sunning in the small recycle sculpture park next to our land site.
Turn out we did not get back on the water again till noon. By then my boat along with a couple of other kayaks are floating on the water, tied together by a line to a railing on top of the retaining wall. There were a bit of a scene before we get underway. One of the paddle come in a inflatable kayak. He was having problem keeping up with the rest of the group so it was suggested that since there there are support cars at this rest stop that he should cut short his trip. He refused. He hand in his number and is officially no longer part of the group but would continue on his own. There were a short argument about how unsafe that would be but since the man refused to budge they finally decided that there is nothing the they can do about it.
We head out toward Roosevelt Island and stay on the right hand channel since there are more room and less boat traffic. This meant at the north end of Roosevelt Island we have to cut across two channel to get to the Manhattan side of the Harlem River. When we get to the northern tip of Roosevelt we were supposed to wait while the trip leader asked the safety boat to check if the channels are free of on coming boat but somehow the group start crossing without any command to do so, and there is a fast ferry coming up river. I make a mad dash for the lead paddler while yelling for everyone to hurry up and cross. Fortunately everyone make it across.
At the Washington Height section of Manhattan where a very small section of water separate Manhattan from the Bronx we ran on the river construction, construction barges on both side of the narrow river. Everyone make it through without taking over too much of the boat channel. Luckily we only encounter one or two pleasure boats up this section of the river.
At one of the bridge, on the side there was fast running water under neigh overhang branch. The lead guy, Pete and I decided to went in single file. We don't have to do much paddling, just keeping the boat away from the rocky shore, the tree branches and the bridge piling on the other side. Other follow us through and some decide to go on the more roomy side of the bridge. As we come to the around the top of Manhattan we can see where the current from the Harlem River meet the Hudson. There is a bit of waves and splashing going on where the two river meet. The Hudson River is running much faster then the current we encounter on the East River and the Harlem River. We just fly down the river without much effort.
The strength of the Hudson River is illustrated when we attempt to make out last rest stop. It was a terrible place to have 45 kayakers to attempt a landing. The "beach" is no more then 70 feet wide, and it is block in the front by a fishing pier. When I find out that we were to stop there I was determine to stay out on the river rather that hazard moving against the currents, and dodging the fishing line just to land. In the time it take for me to make that determination I fly pass the landing area, and have to very hard against the current to get back to the beach area where everyone else is also trying to determine if they should land or not. Any slow down in paddle would send me a couple of hundred feet down river and I have to paddle upriver again to stay with the rest of the group as they also try to maintain the same maneuver. I decided to land after the 3 time I have to paddle back. Getting the the beach against the current was a bit of a trick seeing that there is only 10 feet of water between the rock on the left and the the pier with fishing line and crabs traps. i thought I can goes between the piling under neith the Pier then thought better of it. I paddled a bit north of the piers and then turn into the beach, paddling like crazy to prevent the current from pushing me into the Pier and the fishing line. I made it through just barely missing having my boat smash into the concrete piling of the pier.
Crude picture below.
One of the guy that come in after me almost have his leg crush on his kayak was slam into the beach from a wave as he was getting out of his kayak (which is why one should never get off a kayak on the beach side in waves). The kicker is we did not stay there more then 10 minutes. About 6 people actually land, the rest of the group struggle in the current off the side of the river. Once we get out into the river the progress back down to Pier 40 was fast. We went along one of the marina and was amaze to see who fast the river rush pass the moored boats and the mooring floats. I try to moved to the right of one mooring floats and a moored boat but find myself unable to paddle fast enough to make it across the 50 fleet distance between the left side of the boat and the right side. I end up staying one the left side till I get to water where there isn't any boat to crash into to make my way to the right.
We paddled into the Downtown Boat house after we passed the marina. I have never been to the Downtown Boathouse before I did not realize what it look like. It is a bit more modern then I picture it. There were a couple of dozen people on site on tops inside the very small confine area with several minder in sea kayaks keep an eye on thing. I did not attempt to land. I don't think anyone land beside that one couple that finish the trip there. There were at least a 2o people on like for their chance to go out so there is not much room to land. I hang out and observe the paddlers just lazily paddling in the the square box of water between two piers.
Pictures taken off DTBH Website.I was tempted to do a roll but decided to wait till I get pack to pier 40. After a good 30 minutes we left the confine of the DTBH and one our way down river to Pier 40. The DTBH is on 56Street and Pier 40 is below 14 Street so we still have about 7 miles to go to get back to our launch site. Everyone was tire but also happy to be so close to finish.
There were other paddlers on the water when we finally get to Pier 40. The Manhattan Kayak Company which is on Pier 40 also have a paddling program. I did a couple of rolls as I wait for my turn at the dock. It was refreshing after a long paddle. The water is not as bad as I thought.
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