I am a grandmother paddling alone over 2,500 miles from Maine to Guatemala. Along the way I will be:
- telling the story of the children who live in the Guatemala City garbage dump community
- honoring their entrepreneurial mothers
- talking about the success of the Safe Passage model school and
- raising funds for additional grades for the school.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Paddle Day 37: New State - New York; Cold, Rain and Boat Grinding Shallows

Dancing Masts in Morning Sun
Prelude to the paddle into Manhattan on Thursday.  That will be 30 miles in about 9 hours.  
Today 15 miles started at sunrise, seeing the reflected masts of boats dancing in the water, with the dark background of the approaching rain.
Cold on the outside - warm in the middle
Rain hits.  Cold and rainy on the outside.  Warm and toasty on the inside of my NRS paddle jacket.  Entire paddle against the current, but pretty speedy by hugging the shore line.  But ran aground three times by hugging a little too close.  I hate to think what the bottom of the kayak looks like.  Good news is that it must be lighter now!

 I'm wondering if my body will hold up for 9 hours of paddling into Manhatten.  30 miles is quite a great distance, but the currents will be with us all the way.  At least that's what several hours of checking 20 or so current charts from NOAA says.  Rick Feiner is joining me for the first 19 miles.  Then he stops and hopefully Julie McCoy takes over as my companion for the next 11 miles.  I should arrive at Pier 40 in Manhattan  at the New York Kayak Company about 2:30 p.m.

 Paddled into a new state today - New York.  I'm staying on City Island and it was the easiest way to get into the city I've ever experienced.  No crowds.  No traffic.  No navigation confusion.  Just glide on in...  City Island is a unique neighborhood - very nautical - it's boatyards turned out more than one America's Cup defender - but they closed shop in the 80's and their buildings are now high end condos.

 I need to pack up a little collection of clothing and gear for NYC.  I don't want to be hauling around my usual load of three or four "blue tarp IKEA shopping bags" when I'm walking in the city.  While it's true I am the quintessential "bag lady", I hope to be a little better camouflaged for a few urban days.
Paddle Day: 37                                                          Date: Sept. 16, 2014
Start: Greenwich                                                       End: City Island
Distance: 15.3 miles                                                  Total distance: 428.73 miles
Max speed:  4.9 mph                                                  Moving ave.: 3.6 mph
Kayak storage:  Susan Bellinson                                  Host: Susan Bellinson
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)