NYCkayaker Manhattan Circumnavigation August 4 @7AM from Dyckman St on the Hudson River

Fri Apr 6 07:08:19 EDT 2007

Hi All:

Steve Blumling and I have checked the currents and have  concluded  that Sat 
Aug 4 is the choice date for our fifth  annual  Manhattan Circumnavigation. 
The ebb current starts at Hell Gate  in Astoria at 2:50PM. In addition, 
August 4 displays a  nearly full Full Moon current strength bump-up. 

We'll meet at 6AM at Dyckman Street kayak launch on the Hudson River. 

This is at the northern end of Manhattan in an area called Inwood. Drive  
there by taking the Henry Hudson Parkway to exit 17 and proceeding west on  
Dyckman St for one or two blocks to the end. Or take the #A subway to  Broadway and 
Dyckman and walk west on Dyckman five blocks to the Hudson  River.

This launch site is the home of the Inwood Canoe Club which has  graciously 
agreed to help us.. After unloading your gear, you can park your  car either on 
the path near the club, or right on Dyckman  Street. Or, use a nearby parking 
garage. 

We'll launch at 7AM SHARP and paddle south on the Hudson  River on a strong 
outgoing or ebb current. Once we get to the southern end  of Manhattan we will 
layover and regroup at either Pier 40 or South  Cove.

By heading around the Battery between 10AM and 11AM, we will move  rapidly up 
the East River on a strong incoming or flood current. We will  take the east 
channel along Roosevelt Island on the East River and stop for  lunch at 
Hallet's Cove beach in Astoria, Queens. Close to the beach is the  Socrates 
Sculpture Garden and the Noguchi Museum which will offer a  special docent guided tour 
to interested paddlers.

At 2:30PM the current is calm or slack before the ebb at Hell  Gate. So we'll 
cross the East River at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island and  paddle 
toward the Harlem River on the west side of Mill Rock. We will paddle  north on 
the Harlem River since the Harlem River flows north when the Hudson and  East 
Rivers flow south. Go figure!!! 

We'll stop for a brief break on the beach and Park behind the new  Peter 
Sharp Boathouse at Dyckman St. on the Harlem River around 4:30PM. Use  the 
bathrooms and walk around the Park--if time permits. Prepare to be  surprised.

After cruising through Spuyten Duyvil at the north end of  Manhattan, we aim 
to arrive back at our put-in somewhere between  6 and 7PM

When their gear is packed back on  their cars, some paddlers might want to 
join friends and  family at a local restaurant along Dyckman Street.

This 30 mile trip is not a race. Paddlers will have time to socialize,  
explore, take pictures and meditate. But the current dictates a certain  schedule. 
Get to a point too early or too late and you fight the current rather  than 
receive help from it.

Here is a link to the charts of hourly current flows around  Manhattan 
prepared by Bruce Taterka 

High water:     _http://home.earthlink.net/~taterka/ebb.gif_ 
(http://home.earthlink.net/~taterka/ebb.gif)  
Low water      _http://home.earthlink.net/~taterka/flood.gif_ 
(http://home.earthlink.net/~taterka/flood.gif) 
Print the following current diagrams using the landscape  setting on your 
printer.
Then you can add the hourly times for August 4 to your  current charts using 
the data below 
High and Low Tide at the Battery data for August  4
High Tide: 12:34 AM and 1:11PM
Low tide:  6:53AM and 7:41PM

If you would like to join us, mark your calendar and let us know. And, if  
you have any questions feel free to contact me back channel.

Best regards  
Jerry Blackstone
cell (914)318-4630

____________________________________

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