NYCkayaker Downtown Boathouse usage 2006

Mon Oct 30 09:30:41 EST 2006

Great numbers Graeme!  Thanks.  Thanks to DTBH for introducing 15K more people to paddlesports in NYC!!
Looks to me that the loss of the anchor location of Pier 26 was a very big loss.  Let's hope that turns around quickly.  I wonder were that number would be if Pier 26 were to be open.  I would think well above the 22K mark.

These numbers follow the national averages were paddlesports is still growing.

----- Original Message -----
From: Graeme Birchall 
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 10:22 pm
Subject: NYCkayaker Downtown Boathouse usage 2006
To: nyckayaker at rockandwater.net

> Greetings;
> 
> The Downtown Boathouse runs a free public kayaking program in 
> New York 
> City between mid-May and mid-October. Any adult who shows up, 
> and who 
> knows how to swim, can go kayaking in the Hudson - in the 
> embayment next 
> to one of the Boathouse docks. Children can also go kayaking, 
> in a 
> double kayak with an adult.
> 
> The kayaks used are broad, slow, sit-on-top kayaks (mostly 
> Drifters by 
> Ocean Kayak) so the kayaking experience is decidedly limited. 
> But the 
> boats are safe, and stable, and easy to control, so very 
> suitable for a 
> public kayaking program.
> 
> Every participant has to sign a waiver, which is good for the 
> season. 
> At the end of the season the waivers are counted to get an 
> estimate of 
> how many people went kayaking during the year. Below are the 
> numbers 
> for 2006:
> 
> KAYAKING LOCATION SEASON DURATION WAIVERS %%%%
> ======================= =============== ======= ====
> Pier 40, West Village Aug 10 – Oct 15 1,387 9%
> Pier 96, Clinton Cove May 15 – Oct 15 5,920 37%
> 72nd St. Riverside Park May 15 – Oct 15 7,365 46%
> Hoboken – Sinatra Park Five days 923 6%
> Jersey City Reservoir Two days 244 2%
> Riverbank Park pool Winter weekends 84 1%
> Total 15,924 100%
> 
> For comparison, below are the numbers for prior years:
> 
> YEAR Pier26 Pier40 Pier66 Pier96 72ndSt Other TOTAL
> ==== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ===== ======
> 2006 - 1,387 - 5,920 7,365 1,252 15,924
> 2005 12,417 - - 735 8,945 856 22,953
> 2004 9,670 - 1,082 - 6,951 185 17,880
> 2003 8,666 - 995 - 3,829 103 13,480
> 2002 11,141 - 889 - - - 12,030
> 2001 10,200 - - - - - 10,200
> 2000 7,600 - - - - - 7,600
> 1999 6,700 - - - - - 6,700
> 1998 5,400 - - - - - 5,400
> 1997 2,800 - - - - - 2,800
> 1996 1,200 - - - - - 1,200
> 1995 100 - - - - - 100
> Total => 116,267
> 
> Because of repeat visits, the total number of kayaks launched is 
> more 
> than two times the number of waivers signed. Thus we have put 
> on the 
> water more than quarter of a million kayakers since we started.
> 
> This is the first year during which the number of users has 
> declined. 
> This is mainly because for most of the season we lacked a 
> Downtown 
> location. Also, a lot of local residents had trouble finding 
> our new 
> Pier 96 boathouse because we were not allowed to put any 
> permanent 
> signage on the building or in the nearby park.
> 
> 
> USAGE DEMOGRAPHICS
> 
> To get an admittedly very rough idea of where the kayakers using 
> Pier 96 
> are coming from, approximately 600 randomly-chosen waivers were 
> counted 
> by the address given on the waiver:
> 
> LOCATION KAYAKER FROM %Waivers
> =========================== ========
> NYC Manhattan above 42nd St 35%
> NYC Manhattan below 42nd St 18%
> NYC Brooklyn 15%
> NYC Queens 9%
> NYC Bronx 3%
> NYC Staten Island 1%
> Other NY State 3%
> New Jersey 5%
> Other USA 6%
> Overseas 3%
> Total 100%
> 
> Three nearby zip codes stood out in particular:
> 
> ZIPCODE %Kayakers Boundaries
> ======= ========= ==================================
> 10023 3% W60th to W76th * Central Park West
> 10019 11% W49th to W59th * 5th Avenue
> 10036 5% W41st to W48st * 5th Avenue
> 
> We can compare our user numbers to the population of these zip 
> codes to 
> determine what fraction of the people in each locality went 
> kayaking at 
> Pier 96 in 2006:
> 
> ZIPCODE POPULATION #KAYAKING %KAYAKING
> ======= ========== ========= =========
> 10023 62,206 224 0.4%
> 10019 36,012 430 1.2%
> 10036 18,751 92 0.5%
> 
> In the past we have got much high fractions of the local 
> population out 
> on the water at our 72nd St location (i.e. up to 2.3% of the 
> people 
> living in zip code 10023). The Pier 96 location is much harder 
> to get 
> to, and has no signage, so it may take a few years for local 
> residents 
> to find it. Right up until our closing day, we had nearby 
> residents 
> coming in – surprised to see that we existed.
> 
> 
> DOWNTOWN BOATHOUSE PROGRAMS
> 
> All of the Downtown Boathouse activities are free and open to 
> anyone who 
> can swim. Below is a list of the programs offered:
> 
> WALK-UP EMBAYMENT KAYAKING: This is our main program. Adults 
> can go 
> kayaking in the water next to the dock. Children can also go 
> for a 
> paddle, in a double kayak with a suitable adult.
> 
> DEMO-DAY EMBAYMENT KAYAKING: This is the same as our main walk-
> up 
> kayaking program, except that we take some boats elsewhere for a 
> day in 
> order to demonstrate the concept, and to encourage safe 
> kayaking. This 
> year we ran demo-days in Hoboken, Jersey City, and on Staten Island.
> 
> WEDNESDAY EVENING CLASSES: Every Wednesday evening we run a 
> public 
> class at our Pier 96 boathouse on a kayaking or a kayaking-
> related topic 
> (e.g. turning strokes, kayak safety, NYC harbor navigation).
> 
> WEEKEND MORNING TRIPS: On weekend and holiday mornings we run 
> short 
> escorted tours out on the harbor proper.
> 
> COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS: On weekday days we run organized 
> events at 
> our Pier 96 boathouse for local school groups and other non-
> profit 
> community organizations. The event almost always includes 
> everybody who 
> wants to going out in a kayak.
> 
> WINTER POOL PROGRAM: On the weekends during the winter we run 
> introductory kayaking classes in the pool at Riverbank State Park.
> 
> 
> ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
> 
> On behalf of the many thousands of people who went kayaking this 
> past 
> season, I would like to thank the (hundreds of) volunteers that 
> helped 
> out. Without them, none of this could have happened. Thanks again.
> 
> Happy and safe kayaking.
> 
> Graeme Birchall
> Downtown Boathouse
> 
> 
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