[Paddlewise] Kayak Supportt --Sept 18th (Sat.), 7.8 Mile Swim, NYC

The Manhattan Island Foundation is running its last swim of the season
this Saturday, Sept 18th.  It is a 7.8 mile swim on the Hudson from the
Chelsea Piers to the Little Red Lighthouse just under the George
Washington Bridge.  The racers start at 12:30 pm.

We need kayakers to help escort and guide the swimmers.  I am not
certain how many swimmers there will be but we could certainly use all
the kayakers we can get.  This is their longest event short of the
round-Manhattan and it attracts good swimmers but it will include some
who are not necessarily elite or with many long distance swims under
their belts.  So it is important that we help all we can.

Here are the arrangements thusfar for kayakers:

1. You can put-in your kayak either at the Downtown Boathouse or the
Chelsea Piers.

If you start from the Downtown Boathouse, which is approximately 1.5
miles from the starting line at the Chelsea Piers, you should give
yourself a good 45 minutes as the current will be turning to a favorable
flood only at around 12:30 pm when the swimmers begin.  Between the
Boathouse and Chelsea Piers, you should be facing mostly slack or a bit
of ebb current against you; it is relatively easy to turn into several
large enbayments to keep you out of most of counter current.

If you start from the Chelsea Piers, you will have to pay for parking. 
Just carry your boat to where you see the swimmers, I think Pier 62 but
I can check that for you.

2. The swim race will take as much as 3.5 to 4 hours for some of the
swimmers.  They are starting just with the beginning of a flood current
and the currents will not be particularly fast as we have a quarter moon
in apogee, normally the weakest situation for currents and tides.

3. Getting back:

This had the potential of being a problem but the swim organizers have
negotiated with the Parks Dept to provide a truck for transporting
kayaks back to the Chelsea Pier and Boathouse areas as well as a van to
get paddlers to the subway.  On the latter, I suggest we take the van
out of the park to city streeets where we can find some cabs and share
the cost of the ride back downtown.

Here is the problem that _was_ present until the truck/van became
available:

The current is not scheduled to turn to an ebb up at the George
Washington Bridge to around 6:30-7 pm.  Sunset in NYC is around 7 pm on
that date.  So a kayaker who would opt to paddle then would be in for a
paddle in low light or darkness, which is pleasant if prepared to do it
with good lights but it would still be tricky in some high traffic areas
and would get you in at around 9 pm.

Alternatively a paddler could start paddling back down against the
current at 4:30 pm or so after the race ended.  You would be slugging
against a counter current for a good hour or more of your paddle back
and you would be getting back in low light at 7:00-7:30 pm or later.

The truck/van is a safety option for those who don't feel they want to
be paddling against a current or in relative darkness in the busy
commercial area that stretches from 59th St. down to the Chelsea Pier
area or beyond to the Downtown Boathouse.

If you think you might be paddling back down, bring plenty of lights as
that area I mention in the previous area is full of ferries, sunset
cruise boats, stray private boaters, etc.

If you plan to participate, email me and make certain to provide a phone
number where I can reach you.

best,

ralph diaz 
-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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