Hudson River Greenland Kayak Festival 2012
By · CommentsThe 2012 Hudson River Greenland Festival will be held June 22 thru 24 at Croton Point Park on the Hudson River.
Based at Croton Point, the Hudson River Greenland Festival is a three-day event including organized mentoring in paddling, rolling and Greenland Rope Gymnastics, paddle-carving workshops, kayak building demos, races, and various cultural presentations on Greenlandic life. There are kayak activities for all ages, cabins, camping, a lodge with full dining facilities and of course the Hudson River, where we use Mother’s Lap private beach for safe, controlled instruction. Our passionate mentors come from the top ranks of Greenland style paddling and rolling techniques, using multiple approaches that accommodate everyone from first-timers to experienced paddlers.
Details are available at www.hrgf.org or email hrgfny@gmail.com
UPDATE******Registration begins March 19 2012
NACK Paddling Trips 2012
By · CommentsA new forum section has been added to the Members-Only area of the message board to organize and discuss NACK paddling trips for 2012. Visit NACK Paddling Trips.
Please Note: you will be prompted for the Members Only password. If you are currently a NACK member, and you need the password, please contact webmaster@get-the-nack.org
OFF SEASON KAYAKING SAFETY
By · CommentsAny mild winter’s day that has good weather for walking in the park is also a good day to get on the water in a small boat. The waterways are uncrowded, access is easy, and we get to see things that we don’t see in Summer, such as seals in Long Island Sound and bald eagles on the Connecticut River. The crisp air makes a cup of hot chocolate at the end of the day taste just that much better.
The sneaky hazard, though, is not the weather, but the water temperature. Water conducts heat away 25 times faster than air, and a capsize or accidental dunking in cold, off-season water will quickly induce cold shock and hypothermia. Proper clothing, equipment, and skill, however, can minimize this danger, and making an off season outing safer than a drive on I-95.
The Small Boat Shop will conduct its annual Cold Water Safety Workshop on Saturday, February 18 at its location on the water at 144 Water St in Norwalk, Connecticut. Starting at 10:30 that morning, various experts will discuss hypothermia and cold shock, how to treat them, and most importantly, how to prevent them. Other aspects of off season safety will be discussed, and safety equipment will be on display. Anybody who attends the program, as a finale, has the option of donning a drysuit and jumping into the cold Norwalk River to observe firsthand how effective and comfortably warm the proper equipment truly is.
This event is free. There will be sale pricing on cold water equipment and clothing. Reservations are not required, but the Small Boat shop does appreciate a call in advance so that they can plan seating. For more information, the Small Boat Shop can be reached by phone at 203-854-5223, or by e-mail at info@thesmallboatshop.com
NACK meeting highlights Thursday February 2, 2012
By · CommentsAfter the pre-meeting and some necessary business matters including nominating NACK’S future Executive Board Members, we got down to some educational fun watching highlights of various DVD’s:
John’s film showed Derek Hutchinson’s grace in a kayak. He literally had it dancing on edge. It shows how far one can go with this sport.
Buddy brought a Gordon Brown Volume 2 Sea Kayak DVD. We watched the section on “Contact Tows,” which is used when you have to tow another kayak with or without a paddler alongside your own, for a short distance. I found it so interesting; that I went to the marina store yesterday morning to make a six foot long tow line myself. At the store, the merchant actually braided the rope onto the clips; I would have attached it with knot after knot after knot.
Steve and Bob both brought their own copies of This is the Sea 3. Pure excitement from beginning to end. You really can’t just pick out a few special parts, as the whole DVD is so electrifying.
We also watched Cheri Perry and Freya Hoffmeister performing effortless rolls. This was a natural progression for Freya from her sky-diving past.
See you at the March 7th meeting featuring trips. Steve will be speaking on how to plan one, and Colin will have his calendar ready for us to fill up the dates.
Bob Horchler
NACK Meeting Dates
By · CommentsThe next two NACK meetings have been scheduled…everyone is welcome.
The February meeting will be on Thursday February 2nd at the Connetquot Library
760 Ocean Avenue
Bohemia, NY 11716
6:00 PM – pre-meeting what are your favorite kayak DVDs educational and/or entertainment.
7:00 PM – meeting Nominations for the executive board, elections will be in March
8:00 PM – Swap meet and Auction, bring articles to sell or swap yourself or donate the proceeds to the club. All articles are welcome not just kayak gear. After that we will be showing excerpts of your favorite DVD’s and those in our own library.
The March Meeting on Wednesday March 7th at the Connetquot Library
Topic: Trip Planning. An interactive presentation by Steve M.
How to use your computer and internet resources to plan your trip.
Launch and landing sites, tides & currents, navigation and weather.
Where do you want to Kayak this year?
Colin is requesting that every member pick a trip that they would like to take. He will have his calendar at the meetings to save your date.
US Coast Guard Contact Numbers
By · CommentsColin contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and requested the phone numbers for the stations responsible for search and rescue on Long Island and Connecticut waters. It might be a good idea to place the ones for the area you paddle in your cell phones contact file. Below is their response to his request.
Mr. Mullen,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Below are a list of our stations and their contact numbers:
New London (860) 442-4471
New Haven (203) 988-4323
Kings Point (516) 466-7135
Eaton’s Neck (631) 261-6959
Jones Beach (516) 785-2995
Fire Island (631) 661-9101
Shinnecock (631) 728-0343
Montauk (631) 668-2773
Please advise your club members that cell phone service is very unreliable on the water. A VHF radio is an essential piece of paddler emergency equipment that could save one’s life.
Best Regards,
Petty Officer Erik Swanson, PA2
U.S. Coast Guard/DHS
Public Affairs Detachment New York
1 South St. New York, NY 10004
NACK Newsletter 2012 Edition
By · CommentsThe latest NACK Newsletter, the Winter 2012 Edition is now available. Check out the Winter Pool Program, Gliding Through Summer and Winter, Cold Water Peer Practice, Revised Paddling Trip Guidelines, Reflections from the Cockpit, and Build Your Own Kayak.
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
NACK Paddlers Rescue Sailors in Distress
By · CommentsNACK paddlers Colin Mullen and Dara Fee are featured in the December issue of Sea Kayaker magazine for their recent rescue of two sail boaters in Peconic Bay. Very briefly, while on a paddling trip, they came across two sailors who had apparently gone overboard, without life vests (PFDs). Neither was able to climb back aboard as their sailboat drifted away dragging its anchor. Colin located one of the sailors in serious distress, quite a distance away, by his faint calls for help. Meanwhile Dara chased down the runaway sailboat and the second sailor. Most of the time we hear of boaters coming to the rescue of paddlers so it is especially gratifying to see those roles reversed. All the details are in the December issue of Sea Kayaker.