NYCkayaker Harbor Month, 5-Boro Tour

Wed Mar 14 11:57:11 EST 2007

ok, I'm curious - is this all in one day, or spread out into a number of segments done on the various weekends of "Harbor Month"?

Don't forget National Estuary Day is on the last Saturday in September.  

-----Original Message-----
>From: Erik Baard <erik at baard.com>
>Sent: Mar 14, 2007 12:38 PM
>To: nyckayaker at rockandwater.net
>Subject: Re: NYCkayaker Harbor Month, 5-Boro Tour
>
>Hi All,
>
>First, as a matter of principal, I'm gonna be stubborn about including
>Staten Island. We'll have much greater PR success and resources if it's
>five boros, and it's only proper. Hell, we gain so much awareness of the
>archipelago nature of NYC by including Staten Island. 
>
>We needn't paddle/row back. We can explore two options: camping
>overnight and lifts back aboard larger watercraft or (heaven forgive
>us) a truck or two.
>
>Stuyvesant Cove is great, but I have ample experience with the layers of
>redtape there. It might be a huge expense of energy. Smaller,
>less-publicized landings, sure. But this? It's asking for headaches.
>
>My sense is that the Bronx Kill is lovely but tricky, especially for a
>larger rowboat. I've hiked beside it and paddled part of it, but Harry
>Bubbins has the most experience here, so I'll defer to him on this.
>
>Speaking of Harry, the route I recommended pulls in his dedicated team,
>and a very large ally in the New York Restoration Project. 
>
>The routes might vary from year to year (Hudson down and across to
>Rockaways, City Island to Staten Island would be amazing!) to highlight
>needs and victories, but should always be five boros. 
>
>Stubbornly yours,
>
>Erik
>
>Erik Baard
>
>http://www.licboathouse.org
>http://www.naturecalendar.com
>
>
>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject: Re: NYCkayaker Harbor Month, 5-Boro Tour
>> From: rob buchanan <robbuc at aol.com>
>> Date: Wed, March 14, 2007 11:43 am
>> To: Erik Baard <erik at baard.com>, nykayak <nyckayaker at rockandwater.net>
>> 
>> I like the idea of a 5 boro tour but that last leg to staten island might be
>> unmanageable--it's a long way and if the wind comes up it could be hard for
>> a big group to get all the way down there and back. Plus not much time for a
>> festive meal at the midpoint.
>> 
>> How about trying a four-boro east river tour in early september? I could see
>> starting at the new barretto park in the bronx, a great photo op with hell
>> gate and towers of manhattan in distance, plus an easy launch and really
>> nice beach there that we could stage on (removing the annoying 'no boating'
>> sign could be another fun photo op). Then south on the ebb to the top of
>> randalls and through the bronx kill to the harlem. I've never been in there,
>> not even sure how navigable it is esp. for a gig, but I think it would be a
>> good way to stake a claim on that northwest corner of randalls where they
>> want to put the water park. Then down to hell gate on the harlem--not sure
>> about tide there, seems to me it's going the other way but maybe not too
>> seriously. Down the west side of the east with stops at south tip of
>> roosevelt, u thant island off of the un, stuvesant cove, and brooklyn bridge
>> beach (manhattan side). Then on to governors island (could just touch at the
>> little low tide beach there, rather than screw around with the dock) and
>> finally valentino pier as our lunch spot/turnaround. Gowanus dredgers could
>> canoe over and join in; catering by red hook boaters. After lunch back north
>> on the flood to dumbo cove, the little beach north of the navy yard,
>> williamsburg beach in the new state park there (they'll love that idea),
>> bushwick inlet to set the stage for future boating there, newtown creek (at
>> least that little landing spot near the budweiser plant), anable basin,
>> halletts cove, around the corner to astoria park beach, and then back to
>> barretto with an optional stop on north brother for bird lovers. A big day
>> but certainly doable, with numerous spots for people to join in/jump out.
>> 
>> Henry, you know about the Bronx kill--how practical would it be to cut
>> through there on an ebb tide?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/13/07 7:09 PM, "Erik Baard" <erik at baard.com> wrote:
>> 
>> > Hi All,
>> > 
>> > This is a really exciting time, but one that is full of challenges.
>> > While the NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation is essentially
>> > institutionalizing the somewhat scattershot harbor revival with a
>> > comprehensive NYC Water Trail, we're also seeing water access threatened
>> > along the Hudson and disregarded in many new waterfront developments.
>> > 
>> > Let's really hammer home harbor awareness with a month of activities,
>> > much like the bike month of May, with the highlight being a five-boro
>> > paddling and rowing tour. I recommend starting with June, 2008, which
>> > might be when a the NYC Water Trail map is fresh.
>> > 
>> > I put "Harbor Month" in this subject heading, but we'll need something
>> > more apt -- there are too many industrial and other issues outside our
>> > scope, and there are passive uses that don't capture our in-water
>> > spirit.
>> > 
>> > But I'm agnostic on the month: I also like September because it's a
>> > warm-water month and the students are in town. Maybe we could have an
>> > event in September of this year, giving us time to organize, and then
>> > switch to June from 2008 forward?
>> > 
>> > I know I have pushed this idea before, but it seems more appropriate
>> > than ever.
>> > 
>> > Ditto for the tour I've proposed for years. We can start with our
>> > friends at Brook Park and the NYRP's Sharp Boathouse, visit Hallets
>> > Cove, and then Valentino Park in Red Hook, and finally paddle down to
>> > Staten Island (I love Snug Harbor, but something closer might prove more
>> > popular).
>> > 
>> > The tour would highlight these waterfront groups, could include a
>> > Governors Island stop. Manhattan's midtown and downtown districts are
>> > tougher to include: no landings as the South Street Seaport and while
>> > landings are tolerated at Stuyvesant Cove, such a big event might
>> > stretch that grace.
>> > 
>> > The Hudson route is tricky: it would cut out Queens and make a Brooklyn
>> > landing difficult. One option might be to take the Hudson River down
>> > from the Bronx (or Yonkers?) and cross over from Staten Island to Coney
>> > Island and finally Rockaways?
>> > 
>> > This tour would potentially generate more media attention than any other
>> > paddling event. Naturally, it could be billed as a race too, though I
>> > personally welcome lollygaggers.    :)
>> > 
>> > Rowers should absolutely be welcomed -- should be central, in fact --
>> > and maybe small sailboats could be accommodated. I'm simply ignorant on
>> > that front. And... THERE SHOULD BE SWIMMING! Maybe only an elite few
>> > should swim this event, but we should have recreational swim stops along
>> > the way!
>> > 
>> > Any thoughts?
>> > 
>> > Warm regards,
>> > 
>> > Erik
>> > 
>> > Erik Baard
>> > 
>> > http://www.licboathouse.org
>> > http://www.naturecalendar.com
>> > 
>> > **********************************************************************
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>> > service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River Watertrail
>> > Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>> > 
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