Well, that got to be a very interesting discussion over the lie-down paddlesurfer yesterday, especially after he actually left a comment introducing himself.
One guy making his own decisions about what to do & how to do it on the waters of NYC is not what's bugging me this week, though. What's really bugging me this week (and if you're a Facebook friend of mine you may already know this) is an RFP for a new kayak facility that's just come out. Usually I'd say "YAY" but in this case, they're talking about putting it on the eastern channel of Roosevelt Island.
Personally, I don't think you could come up with a much more ill-conceived location. You've got currents that top out at speeds around 4 kts (faster than the average paddler can paddle) and heavy commercial traffic (and I mean heavy as in "lots of boats" and also heavy as in in HEAVY) operating a very restricted channel. Not a place I think of as somewhere I'd want to be responsible for a group of novices.
More later (although I pretty much just said my piece there, really - couldn't quite bring myself to just say "Bad idea, I'll tell you why later") but for now - here's the proposal, and here's an update from a recent community meeting.
It's not really any of my business but it really, really worries me.
More sometime when I'm not on my
5 comments:
lunch break! :D
or would that be high horse?
Its not called Hell Gate for nothing...whoever came up with this notion of putting a Kayak facility up there needs their heads examined!
Definitely. I've sent the RIOC an email saying that that's a bad place for the sort of facility they propose. No response so far.
What gets me is that their board of directors apparently has the good sense to be concerned about the currents - but somehow the RFP has been released without addressing those (let alone any mention of traffic).
Thought I was going to do a more detailed post on the topic tonight but I'm pooped. Am managing a comment over there, but only because I inadvertently "liked" it on Facebook while trying to share it and need to register a denial.
More in a day or two but yes, speaking solely as the sole representative of Me Myself and I, I think it's basically one of the worst spots in the area to be thinking about putting a kayaking facility.
Fortunately it's probably a moot point for now as it's been pointed out on the local kayak lists that their expectations & deadlines are also out of touch with anything resembling reality.
Cripes...
Roosevelt Islander blogger's response, in response to the comment I left, in which I suggested that the RIOC consult with the CG, CG Aux & professional outfitters:
"Earlier today, representatives from NYC kayak/boatclubs with a great deal of experience paddling on the East River attended a meeting with RIOC staff to discuss the RFP. Although the Kayak/Boat Club representatives acknowledged the challenges of operating a kayak facility at this site, they also expressed their strong desire to participate in establishing such a facility."
I don't get it. I really, really don't get it. I honestly didn't think any of the local paddlers who knew what they were doing would touch this one with a ten-foot canoe pole...
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