NYCkayaker City of Water Day reflections

[Erik Baard]

Jim hit the nail on the head regarding Critical Mass. Without going on too
much of a detour, I believe the movement has been pulled away from its roots
by other agendas (the RNC being the most vivid episode of this). Police
abuse can only further radicalize it. At the moment, we have strong official
support and American traditions (and earlier, through Public Trust Doctrine)
on our side.

The idea of a confluence is great, but let's not extend the Critical Mass
brand onto the water until that event has shed some current, often unfair,
associations.

My original 5Boro Harbor Ramble was much more akin to what Tim mentions, and
I didn't plan to have motorboat escorts. I even had Critical Mass in mind,
as one of several models. But what MWA aimed to create wasn't that, and what
they did achieve was great. I got to meet fantastic people I knew only
through email (Elizabeth Powers), and Pat Slavin and Monica Schroeder also
eagerly met up. One of our paddlers, Anna Maria Kis, used the trip as a
dedication to a paddling Olympian from her homeland of Hungary, who died in
July at a young age.

These are personal, wonderful stories and experiences that wouldn't have
happened without this event. I have criticisms, but I have much more
gratitude.

Carter himself has said that our success will help ease requirements for the
future. Let's take that as an entry to discussions. Positive discussions.

As for wider discussions, we need a permanent paddling and rowing seat at
the Harbor Operations Committee. For years I have promoted the idea of HARP
(Harborwide Association of Rowers and Paddlers), and Commissioner
Lewandowski's pioneering work should result in a NYC Water Trail
Association. Such an entity could be MWA's partner for kayak coordination.

Finally, I love Governors Island as a confluence point. The magic that was
missing is an overnight stay on this island,  the navel of the harbor. I
want a canoe burn next year, and to plant trees to restore the nut groves. I
want our presence to be meaningful.

There's value in highlighting a different place each year, but I think
Governors Island is a special place and this event reminds authorities that
we want to be there, and have a right to be there. If it's not in the NYC
Water Trail, let's lobby for its inclusion -- Commissioner Lewandowski has
been clear in her desire to not restrict the trail to NYC municipal
holdings.

Anyway, I started the day grumpy and ended it blissful.

Erik Baard










On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 2:53 PM, j,duffy1 <j.duffy1 at rcn.com> wrote:

>  I think that Critical Mass has reached a point where it creates more heat
> than light, and as a comparison would contribute the conflict and
> controversy of the original, and blur our own reasonable objectives.
>
> Jim,
>
>
>
>
> Jeff Folmsbee wrote:
>
> Rob,
>  Well said & incredibly thorough, as usual. I was happy & proud to
> participate in COW Day because, well, it was a great idea, and I think we
> all should do whatever we can to support Carter & his people, since they are
> so supportive of us and their mission is so unassailably important. That
> said, it is a pity that many of Jim's and others' points are valid.   Love
> the idea of a very peaceful, wet "critical mass" event.  Can anyone think of
> a name for the human-powered boating verison of "Critical Mass"? I'll bring
> the marshmellows (if we can have a campfire).
> jf
>
> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 1:57 PM, <erikbaard at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I return to one of my favorite acronym coinages with which I tweak
>> authorities:
>>
>> Community Harbor Access, Ownership, and Stewardship.
>>
>> C.H.A.O.S.
>>
>> :)
>>
>> I employ it to make officials see their own attitudes.
>>
>> I think Jim's too ideological in this case. I don't think MWA's accession
>> to a safety boat requirement for this kind event (something akin to MIF
>> events) sets too strong a precedent that could hamper routine outings. I
>> worry more about the Manhattan circ on Saturday, for example, trickling down
>> requirements. But even that - over 50 boats - is extraordinary. And
>> admittedly if I didn't get a peach like Trevor as a motorboat escort, I'd
>> likely be less sanguine.
>>
>> As for names going to Homeland Security, since the USCG is in that
>> department, what can be done? I would like to see the USCG shipped out
>> again, with the restrictions on civil actions by the military returned in
>> full force, black and white clarity.
>>
>> Carter knows how I resisted the motorboat requirement for the 5Boro Harbor
>> Ramble. But I hope our ethos will be more like Critical Manners (it exists
>> as a movement, really) than Critical Mass. We get further by exceeding
>> safety requirements and carrying radios, nav lights, etc. We earn a place of
>> respect at the table.
>>
>> Critical Mass does what out walk up programs do: they introduce people to
>> an activity that might otherwise intimidate them. But on other counts these
>> days, it's a political model to avoid.
>>
>> Erik Baard
>>
>>
>> Sent from my BlackBerry(R) wireless device
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: rob buchanan <robbuc at aol.com>
>>
>> Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:33:22
>> To: jim wetteroth<j.duffy1 at rcn.com>; nykayak<nyckayaker at rockandwater.net>
>> Cc: Carter Craft<ccraft at waterfrontalliance.org>; Roland Lewis<
>> rlewis at waterfrontalliance.org>; Raymond Fusco<raymondfusco at optonline.net>
>> Subject: Re: NYCkayaker City of Water Day reflections
>>
>>
>> I hope there will be some kind of followup discussion with MWA about these
>> things. I thought Roland, Carter and Ray did a great job, and I was
>> willing
>> to put up with all the paperwork this first time around. But I do think
>> there is something sacrificed in agreeing to all the safety protocols,
>> event
>> permitting, and waiver signing--after all, one thing we are all pushing
>> for
>> (I hope) is the idea that we human-powered boaters are able to take
>> responsibility for ourselves.
>>
>> To me the ideal to which we should aspire is something like a maritime
>> version of critical mass,  a true convergence in which all of the rowers
>> and
>> paddlers in the harbor who want to participate simply agree to meet on
>> governors island on a particular day or, if we could get them to allow
>> camping, a particular weekend. How each boater gets there, and when they
>> do
>> their channel crossings, is his or her own business. I'm sure to official
>> ears that might sound potentially chaotic, but I don't think it would be
>> at
>> all. Larger groups, like the 30 people erik brought, could work out their
>> own escort vessels if they felt they needed one, and even seek an event
>> permit from the coast guard. Smaller groups and individuals could do what
>> they always do--just go, and form their own safety plans amongst
>> themselves.
>>
>> I don't know if that's an achievable goal for next year or not, but here
>> are
>> two specific changes we should definitely push for now. First, let's get
>> rid
>> of the fricking waivers. I spent hours tracking down the 16 people who
>> wound
>> up rowing in our two gigs, faxing and emailing stuff all over the place
>> and
>> carrying the dumb things up to the MWA office two days before the event,
>> and
>> in the end I still had to forge four or five signatures. Why are we even
>> going through this charade? We're in our boats, not MWA's, and we're
>> climbing onto land that belongs to the city and state, not MWA. Many of
>> the
>> organized groups who participated have insurance agreements in place with
>> GIPEC already, and we already require waivers from our participants. Do we
>> need to sign another waiver on top of that? It's too much.
>>
>> A second and related point: we really need to lean on GIPEC to get rid of
>> their insurance requirement for human-powered boaters. You can take the
>> ferry over to the island for free, even ride your bike onto it, and you
>> don't have to produce any kind of paperwork at all. Yet if you show up in
>> a
>> boat your boathouse/community group needs to have $1 or $2 million (I
>> forget
>> which) of general liablity insurance. If you're an independent, forget it,
>> you can't come ashore. That's nuts. Governors Island is public property,
>> and
>> we should enjoy the same rights of access to it as our walking and biking
>> compatriots. Indeed, I think that's one big message 'City of Water Day'
>> could aim to send next year.
>>
>>
>> Rob Buchanan, Village Community Boathouse, Pier 40
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 7/30/08 8:10 AM, "j,duffy1" <j.duffy1 at rcn.com> wrote:
>>
>> > I don't see much to celebrate about the City of Water event.  The
>> > enforced motor boat "safety boat" program that so many of us have been
>> > opposing for so long has been accepted and ratified by Carter and Ray,
>> > and more importantly a limitation on the number of boaters in a trip.
>> > Apparently there was also a list of individual participants delivered to
>> > Homeland Security.
>> >
>> > Carter Craft and Ray Fusco are both nice guys, but they both make a
>> > living out of promoting this kind of event, which puts them in a very
>> > conflicted position when it comes to our rights as boaters and members
>> > of the public, when they deal with the various authorities.
>> >
>> > There will be more events like this because Carter and Ray have to make
>> > a living, and if they don't, someone else will, but in future "include
>> > me out".
>> >
>> > Jim Wetteroth,
>> >
>> > erik Baard wrote:
>> >
>> >> Ahoy'all,
>> >>
>> >> I didn't see any celebration of our community's success on "City of
>> Water
>> >> Day" here, though it's richly deserved. The joy and effectiveness of
>> the
>> >> gathering is a testament to the care and enthusiasm given to it by
>> Carter
>> >> Craft, Ray Fusco, Roland Lewis, Jennifer Stark-Hernandez, the
>> Metropolitan
>> >> Waterfront Alliance team, safety boat crews, and boating group
>> coordinators.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> All of us who paddled the East River thank LIC Community Boathouse
>> >> volunteers Ted Gruber, Monica Schroeder, and John McGarvey in
>> particular for
>> >> their great work, where our boathouse was the kayak source. Staten
>> >> Island/Yonkers paddler (and list regular!) Steve Blumling attended to
>> the
>> >> needs of the Urban Divers and other Harlem River people, who
>> encountered
>> >> logistical problems.
>> >>
>> >> Some terrific photos of the event can be seen here:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> http://paddleandknit.blogspot.com/
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> http://picasaweb.google.com/mainyo72/CityOfWaterDay
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=652r6on3.3c9jhe8j&Uy=h1uuku&Upos
>> >>
>> t_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=165553855445_547697010211&m
>> >> ode=fromshare&conn_speed=1
>> >>
>> >> The LIC Community Boathouse sent 30 paddlers in about 20 boats. A
>> special
>> >> treat was being able to provide one boat to Damian Griffin Sr. and Jr.
>> from
>> >> the Bronx River Alliance, our role model for the nascent Newtown Creek
>> >> Alliance. Thanks to the pace set by East River C.R.E.W. we got to leave
>> a
>> >> bit early in perfect conditions. Our friend, Matthew McGregor-Mento
>> joined
>> >> us a bit later, launching from the Stuyvesant Cove beach at East 20th
>> >> Street. The formation was tight (thanks to having ample marine radios
>> --
>> >> Carter kindly lent us one to boot), and our safety boat performed
>> perfectly
>> >> under the guidance of Trevor Harris of Rocking the Boat, keeping enough
>> >> distance to let us enjoy ourselves while darting about to head off
>> >> threatening traffic.
>> >>
>> >> We were sad to not have the giant Urban Divers canoe with us; it's
>> always a
>> >> festive addition, and the crew always includes both excited newcomers
>> and
>> >> vital contributors to our estuary's recovery. Floating the Apple,
>> however,
>> >> made good use of the day to remind officials of what a great launch
>> Dumbo
>> >> Cove could be. We hope for equal success in future years at the beach
>> on the
>> >> Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge.
>> >>
>> >> There was plenty of time to chat while paddling, pose for silly photos
>> >> (without getting pushed into the Brooklyn Bridge waterfall!) and just
>> enjoy
>> >> the gentle play of the water. We pulled into the the southern Brooklyn
>> >> waterfall to gather for our crossing, do a final wrist band/boat band
>> >> inventory, and enjoy ourselves. A NYPD Harbor Unit boat was there, and
>> we
>> >> chatted with the crew, who had a great sense of humor and
>> >> were surprisingly supportive regarding the waterfall dunking of a few
>> weeks
>> >> back.
>> >>
>> >> I didn't realize that our group was leading the landings at Governors
>> Island
>> >> until Roland called out to me as the first kayaker to reach the dock
>> (Monica
>> >> and I took point and sped ahead to case the joint, to smooth our
>> group's
>> >> dock off-loading). We were directed up to our plot of grass, and
>> terrific
>> >> volunteers helped carry the boats. After our boathouse's paddlers
>> hauled
>> >> their craft onto the grass we ate watermelon with such a lust that it
>> nearly
>> >> insulted the Sabbath. I returned to the dock and can proudly say I
>> carried
>> >> boats for every kayak boathouse that day! The highlight in that was a
>> >> surprise kiss on the cheek from Pat Slavin of Yonkers. I worked the
>> dock for
>> >> the public paddling program, which Rob Buchanan and his Floating the
>> Apple
>> >> colleagues generously and cheerfully took up as a rowing event when
>> kayakers
>> >> had to start leaving.
>> >>
>> >> The return trip home was a breeze...literally. We had both current and
>> wind
>> >> pushing us home. Once or twice we had bouncy waters, especially at
>> >> what might be called the Spider East. That mosh pit of Buttermilk
>> Channel,
>> >> Upper Bay, East River, and Hudson River currents seemed to be a bit
>> over
>> >> from its usual position, and cow licked up by the wind. Re-entering the
>> >> embayment containing the southern Brooklyn waterfall was a challenge,
>> though
>> >> it was glassy only a couple of hours before. Katie DeRoberts told me
>> that
>> >> the western approach to Governors Island was choppy, so maybe the
>> >> not-so-itsy-bitsy spider crawled to Brooklyn?  :)
>> >>
>> >> We spread out a bit more than I would like once we reached
>> Williamsburg, but
>> >> traffic was nil and we were hugging familiar shores, in good part
>> drifting
>> >> with the calm flood. Matthew headed back over to Manhattan and Trevor
>> saw us
>> >> to our pier at Anable Cove.
>> >>
>> >> My suggestions for the future:
>> >>
>> >> 1) Aspire toward an overnight stay. As Jerry Blackstone put it, "I felt
>> like
>> >> Cinderella at the ball, always watching the clock and worrying that my
>> kayak
>> >> would turn into a pumpkin!" When Roland suggested Governors Island as
>> an
>> >> annual confluence point for all the harbor, to succeed the 2007 5-Boro
>> >> Harbor Ramble, I immediately thought it would be overnight. That's
>> partly
>> >> because of the Clearwater-like possibilities and partly because the
>> tidal
>> >> currents wouldn't allow for extended mingling.
>> >>
>> >> 2) Have more exciting shirts. I mean, the bright orange excited my
>> retina,
>> >> but we have a wealth of artistic water mavens: Christina Sun would be
>> >> perfect and Harry Spitz's reliefs and sculptures could also be adapted,
>> for
>> >> example. As much his antics might drive me nuts sometimes, Phil Riley
>> (aka
>> >> "Duke") could also design an attractive and funky shirt derived
>> >> from/inspired by traditional nautical motifs.
>> >>
>> >> 3) Have the speeches at the top of the hill, in the shade, rather than
>> >> fighting to get people to stand in the sun on asphalt.
>> >>
>> >> 4) Worry less about food. We're all adults and can feed ourselves, plus
>> >> vendors (including more free samples) might come in.
>> >>
>> >> 5) Allow major boathouse on each "thread" to cooperatively choose their
>> own
>> >> overall paddle leader in the months before the event, instead of
>> appointing
>> >> people the night before. This is more of a factor on the Hudson River,
>> where
>> >> there are several large organizations. And this is not an insult to the
>> >> chosen thread leaders; it's simply true that a leader chosen from
>> within the
>> >> ranks and elevated by consensus will have easier authority when all are
>> >> deployed.
>> >>
>> >> 6) Question the CG's demand of individual names of paddlers. Leaders,
>> sure,
>> >> and total numbers, sure. But each paddler's name? The system as it
>> stood was
>> >> far more labor intensive than necessary. I do understand, however, the
>> need
>> >> for waivers in advance. The CG can draw a list from the waivers.
>> >>
>> >> It was a wonderful day!
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> > **********************************************************************
>> > The NYCKayaker mailing list is hosted by www.rockandwater.net, and is a
>> public
>> > service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River Watertrail
>> > Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>> >
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>>
>>
>> **********************************************************************
>> The NYCKayaker mailing list is hosted by www.rockandwater.net, and is a
>> public service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River
>> Watertrail Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>>
>> To unsubscribe or change delivery options:
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>> **********************************************************************
>> The NYCKayaker mailing list is hosted by www.rockandwater.net, and is a
>> public service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River
>> Watertrail Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>>
>> To unsubscribe or change delivery options:
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>
>


-- 
Erik Baard

www.licboathouse.org
www.naturecalendar.com