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Hudson River Watertrail News The Newsletter of the Hudson River Watertrail Association, Inc. Box 110, 245 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Volume 2011, No. 1 www.hrwa.org/ John Krevey 1949 – 2011 Robert Huszar How do you measure the size of a heart or the magnitude of an idea? I didn’t know if that was a question that had an appropriate answer, but it’s what I found myself wrestling with as I sat, mute and depressed, at John Krevey’s funeral/memorial service. For those who didn’t know him, Krevey was a visionary who opened the Hudson River to legions of boaters, a full generation before the suits in Albany realized the importance of community access. A good portion of the paddling community started and grew up on Krevey’s Pier 63 Maritime. And as I scanned the crowd at Perazzo Funeral Home on Bleeker Street, I saw most of the paddling community represented. Porpoise surfacing in the Harbor. Photo by Vladimir Brezina First up from the boating community Where the Wild Things Are: backwaters between piers and nest in was Roger Myers. Roger was the friend Kayaking with Marine odd corners. And every now and again who opened the door and introduced Mammals in New York City we receive a reminder that the waters of us to John Krevey and his mythical New York City are really those of the barge undertaking, so it was appropri- By Vladimir Brezina and Johna Till Atlantic Ocean, where the wild things are. ate that Roger spoke first. Roger is the Johnson It is late March 2011. We—a couple of founder of the New York Outriggers, a Kayaking in the waterways of New York hardy, or some would say foolhardy, group that started as a small, home- City is a distinctly urban experience. distance kayakers—are paddling from spun collection of people who enjoyed Instead of quiet nature, New York City Manhattan south through the harbor. paddling outrigger canoes and quickly kayakers are treated to the sights and We’re now in the Narrows between morphed into a giant international race sounds of the city and close-up views Brooklyn and Staten Island, about a that is nationally televised. In Roger’s of a man-made marine ecosystem of mile north of the Verrazano-Narrows words, none of that would have hap- seawalls, docks, piers, ferries, tugs, pened without John’s support, patron- barges, tankers, cruise ships, huge Continued on page 4 age, and love. bulkers and container ships, and a myriad of marine-industrial activities. Next came Eric Stiller, my ex-partner The energy of the city is ever present. and still good friend. Eric (and I, along What’s inside with a host of various coming-and-go- Yet, nature is present too. Sandwiched Cold Water Danger ....................... 2 ing partners) started Manhattan’s first between petrochemical plants, there’s Greenland Festival ........................ 3 paddling school and instilled in a whole remnants of beaches and salt-water Intrepid Challenge ......................... 3 generation of paddlers the techniques marshes. Gulls watch from pilings. Great Hudson River Paddle .......... 5 Continued on page 6 Rafts of ducks and geese float in the John Krevey ................................. 6 2 H.R.W.A. H.R.W.A. Cold water dangers first you have to survive the initial Board of Directors impact. Cold shock can cause involun- President Bonnie K. Aldinger tary gasping (possibly fatal if the victim’s Peggy Navarre ww.frogma.blogspot.com head is underwater), hyperventilation, [email protected] As I write this article, the story is just and severe disorientation (the victim breaking about a lone paddler who cap- may not know which way is up or even Vice-President/Metropolitan sized on Jamaica Bay, near the be quite sure where they are for the first Region Director Rockaway Peninsula, and who’s rescue moments). In the worst cases, cold Nancy Brous shock can cause cardiac arrest. [email protected] necessitated two helicopters, as well as marine and shore units from both the Hypothermia only comes into play if the boater is able to recover from these Directors-at-large/Treasurer NYPD and NYFD. Sadly, this is too com- Lee Goldsmith mon in the late winter and early spring. uncontrollable responses to that first [email protected] moment in the water. We’re now in the time of year that can Founder/Secretary/Newsletter Editor be the worst for boating accidents. It sounds awful, and it can be for an Robert Huszar When there’s snow on the ground, only unprepared boater—but for all that, I’m [email protected] the most hard-core boaters think of now part of a group of experienced going out, but when the weather turns Sebago Canoe Club paddlers who pad- Director-at-large warm in the late winter or early spring, dle out of the Paerdegat Basin in Newsletter production everyone’s tempted to get an early start Canarsie twelve months of the year. Off- Jack Gilman on the season. Unfortunately, too many season is a wonderful time on the bay. [email protected] people launch on one of these balmy You can be out for hours and only see days without realizing the water is still the NYPD launch or one of the Coast Highlands Region Director and winter-cold, with very little margin for Guard’s RIBS the whole time. The bay Webmaster error. This continues to be true through teems with over-wintering ducks and Phil Jache April and on into May, even if its shorts- geese, and curious harbor seals may [email protected] and-t-shirt weather on land, and a mis- pop up anywhere. We love it – but we also have a lot of respect for the haz- Catskill Region Director hap can turn very serious very fast. ards and do everything we can to mini- Ira Rosenfeld mize the risk and maximize the fun. Here [email protected] There’s a wealth of information available on cold-water boating safety, but a per- are some of the safe-boating practices Capital Region Director son has to be aware that the risk is commonly followed by the Sebago off- Bob Ihlenburg there, and it sometimes just isn’t that season paddling crew: [email protected] obvious. I grew up in warmer climes and had some learning to do when I 1) Always wear a properly fitted lifejacket. David Allen started kayaking in NYC. I was lucky, NYS boating law requires that all boaters [email protected] though, and learned my lesson my first in recreational craft that are less than 21 year by watching a wetsuit-clad friend feet in length wear lifejackets from Matt Kane capsize in a lake that had turned cold November 1 through May 1. If you hap- [email protected] by early October. She came up gasp- pen to fall in, it will mitigate or maybe ing, confused, and almost stunned. even eliminate the cold-shock effect by Carl Steiniger She recovered and kept paddling, but keeping you from going as far under; [email protected] she was still shaken at the end of the you’ll have a better chance of having day. As we’d been moving into the fall, your gasp reflex in the air instead of Advisory Board our instructors had been telling us underwater, it’ll bring you up if you’ve Scott Keller momentarily lost your sense of direction, [email protected]. repeatedly about the dangers of cold and then it will keep you afloat without ny.us water, but that was the first time I really understood just how dangerous an having to swim (which just speeds up the Dan McLaughlin unexpected immersion could be. hypothermia process). [email protected] What I watched my friend experience 2) Dress for the water, not the air. Barney Molloy was one of the most dangerous of the Different people have different levels of [email protected] physiological effects of a sudden off- tolerance, but the rule of thumb among season ducking – cold shock. People most of the trained paddlers in the area Ralph Diaz think of hypothermia as the primary is drysuits and neoprene hoods if the [email protected] hazard of falling in cold water, and it’s a water’s under 50, wetsuits for the 50’s real danger, but to die of hypothermia, and 60’s. continued on page 7 H.R.WH.R.W.A..A. H.R.WH.R.W.A..A. 3 Intrepid Challenge Kayak Race Joe Traum Make way for the Intrepid Challenge! On September 24th, 2011, the kayak- ing chapter of Achilles International, the NYC based organization enabling dis- abled athletes to compete in sports, is hosting the “Intrepid Challenge,” a kayak race on the West Side of Manhattan. This is New York City’s biggest kayak competition, with an estimated 150 paddlers competing on either the 14 Mile Elite course or the more beginner- friendly 7 Mile distance. “Our goal is to bring a world class kayak race to New York. We wanted to create an event that is both all inclusive and exclusive, by providing a race environment where both recreational paddlers and world champions can compete side by side!” Learning a balance brace Photo by Jack Gilman The start and finish will be Pier 84 at 44th Street on the West Side of and HRGF was reborn! With further aid Hudson River Greenland Manhattan, just south of the aircraft from Maggie Atkins, Wes Ostertag, and Festival carrier, Intrepid. It will continue the tra- Heather Lamon, we have grown and dition of the annual Mayor’s Cup New Dave Sides evolved into a major, yearly Qajaq USA York City Kayak Championships, an event.

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