NYCkayaker Harbor Month, 5-Boro Tour

[ralph diaz]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik Baard" <erik at baard.com>
>
> 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.

I would like to have Harry's take as well.  My own experience with going
through, or rather trying to go through, back in 1990 was that the timing
has to be exquisite.  I was on a trip with about a half dozen paddlers.  The
choke point is a low causeway that carries services over to Randall's
Island, assuming it is still there.  It has a large culvert that has enough
room to get through only under certain tide conditions.  The current rushes
through quite rapidly.  At our particular try, there was a question of how
much daylight (i.e. room) we had to get through the culver.  While trying to
see what the situation was, I got too close to the culvert and got pinned
against it.  Within a few seconds the current caught my upstream side deck
and flipped me.  I did a wet exit and came up on the upstream side.  The
current threatened to suck me under and through but I had my PFD on (in that
era,  the need to wear one in calm conditions was still an element of debate
in some circles)  That gave me enough flotation to grab the deck of my
upside down boat and hang on while my legs were being drawn out from under
me by the current (it was a single Klepper and the hypalon rubber hull
offered plenty of grip for hanging on, something that may not have been
possible with a slick fiberglass hull).  One of the other kayaks was able to
help me from the causeway to inch the kayak over to the nearby bank.  A few
light scuff marks on the side of the hull but no other damage.

This is all just a precaution about getting through.  If there is room under
the causeway, obviously that is the way to go.  Also, it can be portaged
fairly easily along either bank but keep well back from the culvert.

ralph diaz