Long Island Paddlers
The marshlands of Long Island’s south shore are dotted with an ever-shrinking collection of unique, weather-beaten bay houses that generations of baymen have used as base camps for clamming, fishing and hunting.
Come along on Wednesday, June 21st as we explore this part of Long Island’s maritime history. We will launch from the Wantagh Park boat ramp at 9:15 sharp for a 9-mile paddle in and around the 13 historic bay houses in the East Bay of Hempstead Bay. The paddle will be at a moderate pace, with short pauses as we pass each of the houses. Picture taking is advised. Total paddle time is expected to be approximately 3-3 ½ hours, with a 20-minute snack break. The break will occur after about an 1:45 minutes of paddling.
This trip is rated **2B.** Why? Because of currents, distance to be paddled, potential wind and potential boat traffic. The trip has been designed to minimize the effect of the current flowing in and going out of Jones Inlet, but 9 miles requires some stamina. And it’s often windy on the south shore and there may be boats, or more likely, jet skis. If we fall behind the schedule, we will skip a few houses so that we don’t face a strong outgoing current on our way back to the boat ramp.
Car topped kayaks require no fee or permit to use the Wantagh boat ramp. Unload your kayak at the ramp and then park about 50 yards away in the large lot. There shouldn’t be too much traffic at the ramp since it’s a weekday. We’ll keep our boats off to the side of the ramp until we’re ready to launch to stay out of the way of any other users.
Much of the trip will be on water trails through the salt marshes, so be on the lookout for a variety of birds, including Ospreys, Herons, Egrets, Oystercatchers and Cranes. We will also spend much our time on the East Bay section of the South Shore Blueway, a water path specifically created for non-motorized boats.
Please arrive early so that you are not rushed getting ready. And remember that if you’re traveling from out east, you’re traveling during rush hour. Enter Wantagh Park and travel south about 1/3 of a mile, following signs to the boat ramp off to the right.
Mike Matty has offered to do a short chart reading refresher course before we put our boats in the water.
A whistle and a PDF are mandatory. A spray skirt is strongly recommended-but only if you have practiced using it for a wet exit. Please bring a VHF radio if you have one. The bay water is warming up, though you may still want to wear a splash jacket. No sit on top kayaks, please.
Please write to me at (mailto:chrisfleming212@gmail.com) with an emergency contact name and phone number.
Don’t hesitate to send an email if you have any questions or concerns about the trip.
Wantagh, NY 11793 – USA
Wednesday, June 21 at 9:15 AM
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https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-lvwrzpdd/events/294139477/