Rich suggested a Coney Island to Dumbo paddle a couple of weeks ago, and it sounded pretty good to me. We planned for an early morning departure to ride the tide in through the narrows and up the harbor - the date, Sunday October 16. The weather didn't co-operate - gale warnings were posted, west wind 25-30 knots. We rescheduled. So, On Tuesday the 18th, I went down in to the Subway at 6:45AM with my inflatable board on my back, to meet Rich in Brooklyn Heights for the drive out to Coney Island. High tide at The Battery was 12:30PM - we hoped to pull into Dumbo right about then, with the tide easing us through the harbor.
Waiting for The A train, Columbus Circle, 7:00AM October 18 2011
It was raining lightly when Rich pulled up in his SUV, but the forecast was for a warm and mostly sunny day, so we were not put off.
The pick-up in downtown Brooklyn
A quick drive out the Belt Parkway, our inbound water route visible just to our West, and we were at Kaiser Park on the North side of Coney Island, with a low tide sandy beach for a put-in. It takes 7-10 minutes to get my board together and inflated, so we hit the water at 8:30AM in cloud cover, light rain, but with some sunlight behind us to the south, and the promise of good weather to come.
Rich sets out from the beach, Kaiser Park Coney Island
Looking back toward the launch site
The promise of sun, looking south
Looking back, half way to The Narrows
The paddle from Coney Island to The Narrows was very slightly against an incoming tide for the first half (filling the bay tucked behind Coney Island), and then with a gentle tide as we approached the bridge. The bridge is enormous - very beautiful passing beneath it.
Then down the Bay Ridge shoreline, and a first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty emerging from around the corner, followed shortly after by the Manhattan skyline, and the day became sunny and warm.
The paddle through the harbor was easy, with very gentle current, almost no wind, some boat traffic (wake), and spectacular views.
We made good time without paddling too hard, and entered the Governors Island / Brooklyn channel by 11:15AM or so. Here the current was no longer gentle - it was a full flood tide that we rode up the channel. The current seemed increasingly like a river, and then at the end of that channel, as we met the water flowing around the north end of Governors Island, there was a tidal maelstrom.
The wicked current
The currently slowed slightly, and then picked up as we entered the East River. Yes, it's not a river, really, but it was flowing like one. I have few photos of the Brooklyn Bridge, because we were fully concentrating on staying on the boards, avoiding the ferries, planning out landing approach. As we approached the Manhattan Bridge, and our take-out at it's foot, the tide was throwing up standing waves over the shoreline shoals, and for the first time in many paddles, I had to get on my knees to avoid being dumped - a quick look back at a laughing Rich, also down on his board. 80 feet of paddling on our knees and we were in the shallow bay, back on our feet, and approaching the rocky beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Crazy finish - gentle current for 90% of the trip, and then a wild ride.
181 minutes, 10.7 miles.
Peak speed, 10.7 miles per hour
(if doppler is correct - that seems very fast, but the current was indeed very fast)
