NYCkayaker Long Island Circumnavigation for Alzheimer's Disease Care

[Erik Baard]

Ahoy'all!

I'm happy to announce that I will be circumnavigating Long Island from
August 13 through August 27 to raise funds for Alzheimer's Disease care and
family education with a special emphasis on multilingual outreach to
lower-income and immigrant communities. The goal, in partnership with the
Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation, is to aid families in keeping their
loved ones at home for as long as possible, rather than being forced into
premature hospitalization by economic circumstances.

I plan to launch from, and return to, the Flushing World's Fair Marina.
Please see the bottom for a rough sketch of the float plan. You might be
able to help prepare this effort for success, or share in it underway.

I am dedicating this voyage to Gillian Fairfield, my childhood landlady in
Flushing, who passed away in May. Her birthday was August 27, and so this
gesture is my farewell gift to her. If you're curious about this woman's
remarkable kindness, which motivates me to attempt something that clearly
stretches my abilities (I will be training and practicing this spring and
summer), I will gladly share my "New York story" about her in private
correspondence. Or suffice it so say she and her husband spent more on my
mother, brother, and I than they ever took in rent, and provided
incalculable love during that time of struggle.

My boat will be a Looksha 17, generously on loan or at discount from
regional Necky/Old Town/Ocean Kayak distributor Gary Hall. Against the
traditional kayaker aversion to naming boats, it will be christened, for
Mrs. Fairfield, the "Gil" or "Gillie." Her husband will choose, since her
used both pet names for her.

Some of you might be aware that there were a few Memory Paddles organized by
the LIAF in recent years, a tradition started by a Brooklyn kayaker,
culminating with Olympic paddler participation. In recent years the
foundation has instead opted to host sailing regatta day events. The kayak
trips were becoming too costly and too demanding of foundation staff hours,
as they provided ground support.

I'm reviving the Long Island kayak circumnavigation by foregoing a motorboat
escort and going solo without a ground crew, though friends will be welcomed
to join for some legs of the trip. Furthermore, the LIC Community Boathouse
and Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club are arranging for insurance through the
American Canoe Association. I will camp out and crash with friends (some new
ones?) and family – if a hotel is offering a $250 room for the night, I
would rather exchange that for a $100 donation to Alzheimer's Disease care.

I'm already grateful for the help I've received from paddlers with whom I
have communicated privately. My thanks especially to Ted Gruber for helping
map out GPS coordinates and distances between ports of call along the
292-mile voyage. Naturally, I also used the Eldridge Tide and Pilot book
donated by Randy of the New York Kayak Company. We've budgeted 11 days of
paddling, with three days for storms and wind interference.

If you know of people or companies who might donate or loan basic gear, like
a GPS, or might provide shelter at points on Long Island, please drop me a
note. I would also very greatly appreciate wisdom from paddlers on the South
Shore and East End.

And of course, help organizing events at ports of call, to raise funds for
the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation's multilingual outreach for care
education, and to generate awareness of needs and resources related to this
disease, are essential.

Here's a rough and tentative float plan by paddle day (again, with three
spare days available):

Day 1    Worlds Fair Marina to Atlantic Beach Bridge, 39.4 mi.
    Media stops at Gantry Plaza, Brooklyn Bridge, Far Rockaway)

Day 2    Atlantic Beach Bridge to Cedar Beach, 30.9 mi.
Day 3    Cedar Beach to Smith Point, 27.7 mi.
    (Camping with LIC Community Boathouse)

Day 4    Smith Point Park to Shinnecock Inlet, 20.7 mi.
    (Visit with Shinnecock Nation canoe carving partners)

Day 5    Shinnecock Inlet to Hither Hills, 28.8 mi.
Day 6    Hither Hills to Montauk Harbor, 16.0 mi.
Day 7    Montauk Harbor to Orient Point, 18.5 mi.
Day 8    Orient State Park (bay side) to Mattituck Inlet, 25.7 mi.
        (Lenape sunrise ceremony for departed, 40th birthday)

Day 9    Mattituck Inlet to Port Jefferson Harbor, 31.2 mi.
    (Crash with grandma.)
Day 10  Port Jefferson  to Bayville, 30.5 mi.
    (Crash with mom.)

Day 11  Bayville to Worlds Fair Marina,  22.7 mi.

Grand Total, 292.1 miles.

It's funny that circumstances have lead me to this Long Island
circumnavigation on my 40th birthday, considering my 30th birthday was
marked by my first Manhattan circumnavigation!

My thanks to many of you for your friendship through these years, and for
helping me arrive *almost* ready to achieve this more meaningful passage.

:)

Erik

-- 
Erik Baard

www.licboathouse.org
www.naturecalendar.com