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Kayak is Back!

The Community and Gateway Boathouses Return for Another Successful Season on June 1


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The boathouse crew is ready for the summer, and they've been busy in the offseason too leading a cleanup and keeping their paddle-skills sharp! Photo: Facebook

The boathouse crew is ready for the summer, and they’ve been busy in the offseason too leading a cleanup and keeping their paddle-skills sharp! Photo: Facebook

Kayaking is set to return to Jamaica Bay this summer as the Community Boathouse on Beach 88th Street and the Gateway Boathouse at Riis Landing prepare for their grand opening on June 1. And, the boathouse crew hopes to build upon last year’s success and attract even more seaworthy scalawags this summer.

After their opening festivities on June 1, the Community Boathouse will officially be open for business providing curious mariners with the opportunity to explore Jamaica Bay by kayak or stand-up paddleboard free of charge. Open paddles, which allow folks to explore at their own leisure, will be taking place every Saturday throughout the summer from 9 am to 3 pm, as well as on Sundays from 12 – 3 pm, and Wednesday mornings from 9 am – 12 pm.

Special guided events are also scheduled to take place every week, including marsh tours on Sunday mornings from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm, Sunset tours on Mondays and Thursdays from 6 – 8 pm, and even a special meditation paddle every Friday from 6 – 8 pm. For those who are hoping to get a little education while out on the bay, the boathouse is also going to be teaming up with local naturalists Don Riepe and Dennis Guiney for a pair of special guided tours during the Jamaica Bay Festival on Saturday, July 13.

Rick Horan, the founder of the Community & Gateway Boathouses, says that he’s excited to see more people come out this season, and told The Wave that he hopes to get more community organizations out on the water in the coming season. “We’ve already had people come out from [former Assemblyman] Phillip Goldfeder and [Councilman] Donovan Richards’ office,” Rick said, explaining that a day on the bay is a great outing for local organizations to take advantage of to build teamwork and have a bit of fun. “We’d love to work with more community organizations and give more people a chance to get on the water” Horan added.

Interestingly, the Community Boathouse also has a new addition from last year – adding a fiberglass stand-up paddleboard that can be converted into a rowboat. This new rowboat provides a great new piece to the already diverse lineup and gives the Boathouse a bit more variety for rowers to enjoy.

In addition to the paddleboard, the Community Boathouse at 88th Street has 14 double kayaks, 7 single kayaks, and 4 non-convertible standup paddleboards, while the Riis Landing site has about a dozen double and 4 single kayaks that can be used by visitors.

Those interested in having a day on the water courtesy of the Community or Gateway Boathouses are asked to reserve a space at http://www.signup.- com/go/kayak, and to check out the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Co mmunityBoathouse/ to learn about any new upcoming events that the organization has planned.

And one more thing! Horan says that the group is working on a number of new t-shirt designs that aquatic enthusiasts might enjoy, and he says to check out the signup.com page around late June to see what they’ve come up with.

One response to “Kayak is Back!”

  1. camilla calhoun says:

    Hello! I am wondering if I can join your kayak marsh tour this Sunday from 9:30-12:00 to Jamaica Bay? I have my own kayak but a friend might also be interested; he lives in Rockaway Beach but doesn’t have a kayak.

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