July 23rd 2016
Irvington, NY
When I landed in Peekskill last night, the Southerly wind had increased in intensity along with the waves. When I arrived back at the kayak this morning, the wind had changed direction, but that’s about it. I left the Peekskill Yacht Club and paddled straight into a gusting Northerly that was whipping up some rather large waves. It was all good by me though as the wind was in my favor and pushing me against the incoming Flood tide which helped a lot. I was making good progress as I paddled past the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant on the East Shore which stood guarded by some buoys telling me to keep out though I am sure there was security I could not see.
Rounding the bend to the left I paddled up past Verplanck and then Montrose and my mind drifted back many years ago to a young man who for my parents Office Supply store in Mohegan Lake, NY. While he was a little older than I, he made it a point to tell me how he admired me. Why, I will never know, but he did. While his name now hides from my memory, he does not. Perhaps it was because he was the first young man I knew who died or perhaps it was how he died. Right here on this river, right here in the very spot I was paddling past, he lost his life. I thought about him the rest of the day and carried his smile, his memory aboard my kayak.
Leaving Montrose I set a straight course for the Western tip of Croton Point and paddled out into the large open bay. This section of the Hudson is wide and long and allowed the wind to really kick up the surf, but there were few boaters out here with me and those that were, were running much closer to the shoreline than I was. It would have been a lonely day on the water be it not for the fish. Unlike the days past, I didn’t see dead fish, but fish very much alive and jumping. Jumping all around me, fish were flying out of the water, wiggling in the air before landing with a big splash next to me. At first I thought it a lucky sighting, but it continued all day. I could see schools of fish swimming under me and then leaping up into the air.
I was about half way across when my phone rang. It was my friend Kenny B calling me from the shoreline. He had spotted me out here and had hoped I would be running the shore in this section, but in this wind with this surf, the shoreline was the most dangerous place for me to be. I was sad that I could not meet him on shore, but happy he called so we could chat for a bit. Kenny and I met while we were looking for someone’s Yorkshire Terrier who had just given birth to puppies and had run away when the people took her shopping. We never found the little girl, but Kenny, his girlfriend Paula and I became very good friends.
When I finally reached the tip of Croton Point Park, I paddled around to the leeward side and took a lunch break. All around me boats were anchored and folks were enjoying the water on this very hot day. It was good to see people actually enjoying the water now. The water was also very salty. It’s been brackish since Albany and probably before that, but I didn’t really notice it till today. Here in this section, you can really feel the salt water and I loved it.
Leaving Croton Point Park, the water was calm. I was on the leeward side still and I could feel how hot it was being out of the wind, but that would soon change. The Tappan Zee Bridge was visible in the hazy distance and I set my course for the center span, which was the only place you could go under due to construction of the new bridge. This meant I’d be out in the middle of the Hudson all day so I kept an eye out for boats and tugs. Behind me I saw my first Tug tugging. Till today, they had all been pushing. I’d end up seeing two tugs tugging today. As soon as I was away from the point, the wind and the waves caught me again and began driving me south at an incredible rate of speed. I was now running with Slack tide and as soon as the ebb tide arrived I felt like I was piloting a speed boat. The kayak was pushed every which way as the rollers came in from my stern and both sides. Add in some boat wakes and it made for a fun day.
I was closing in on the Tappan Zee Bridge earlier than expected so I decided I’d push through the bridge and find a marina to pull into after. Boat traffic through the bridge was limited to the center span , but before the bridge it was wide open. The commercial traffic had a lane to navigate in, but not so for the recreational boaters; which brings me to a subject I was hoping to avoid.
Throughout this trip all the boaters: power, sail, commercial and pwc have been fantastic to me. Some have stopped to offer me water. Most all others have given me a wide berth and others that could not slowed way down as they passed. That was until today. When I am running the channel, I don’t expect others to slow down for me, but when I am outside the channel and in open water, I never would expect what happened today.
I was paddling down and outside the west side of the commercial channel when I notice a large powerboat crossing the channel and coming at me well up ahead. When it looked like it was coming directly at me I altered my course only to me matched by the powerboat. Now I began to think that they are coming to see me. Well I was right, or kind of. I stopped paddling and prepared to receive my guests, but my guests were not slowing down and they were getting much closer and closer. When I realized what was about to take place I had no time to grab my camera and record the incident. Nope, all I could do was react to the large boat bearing down on me. I waved my paddle high in the air to be sure they could see me which I know they could because I’m flying a bright orange flag and they changed course and now without me paddling, yet drifting East, they were correcting their course to bear down on me. I readied myself for their wake as they came by at speed 10’ off my bow and laughed as they passed by. I saw two young men on board and despite their attempt; they did not swamp or roll me. I’ve fought much large waves from Mother Nature and their wake, even at 4’ was nothing my kayak and I could not handle. A little later I heard them again and I got my camera ready, but this time they were with another boat and instead of me, I witnessed the two of them flank a sail boat.
I’m on the water for 3 weeks and this was the first incident I experienced like this despite being warned much earlier in the trip. It is sad that these two boaters felt the need to prove that their brains were smaller than their head. If they had done this to a less experienced kayaker, there could have been a need for a full out rescue from the Coast Guard and Fire Department all because they had something to prove. I won’t let two boaters ruin the experience of the thousands before and after them, but I do find it interesting that it happened in this area of the Hudson. Yesterday, the Coast Guard had to rescue two boaters from this very area after they jumped off their boat to swim and were quickly carried away by the current.
With the two reckless boaters out of sight, I set my sights on the middle span of the bridge and battled Mother Nature’s waves and wind to get there and stay out of the construction zone. That was when I noticed a sailboat coming up behind me. Again, I stopped paddling waiting to receive company, this time sure that he wasn’t going to try to run me down. Nope, he wasn’t there to run me down, but to question why I was out in the middle of the Hudson. Not in the middle of the shipping lane or channel, but just out in the middle of the Hudson. As he questioned my actions, he was paying less attention to his own and almost flipped his 24’ sailboat. I explained to him that I was going through the bridge on his second pass and he made sure to tell me that I could only go through the middle span. Given my position on the river, I thought that would have been obvious. I thanked him for the advice and wished him a good day.
Now I was annoyed. It seemed like the boaters here believe that certain boats have the exclusive right to certain areas. That is in fact true for the shipping channel because the barges and freighters cannot stop on a dime or yield to other smaller boats. They must stay inside that channel so therefore they have priority to it. As for the rest of the boaters out here, all Maritime rules apply, rules which were not being followed in this section of the river.
Once again, I set my sights on the Middle Span and now I was also watching a tug that was approaching from behind. I wanted to make sure I was through that bridge before he got there or I was going to pull back and wait. The waves seemed to grow in intensity the closer I got to the span, but finally I got under it and paused only for a second to take a few pictures before paddling like hell to get out from under it and out of the shipping channel.
Once I got to the other side, the wind and waves stopped. I started to think that the bridge somehow was affecting the current and wind, but no sooner had I began to rest than the wind picked right back up. It was just a coincidence. Looking at my chart, I saw the Irvington Boat Club about an hour away. I called Arlene and told her to rendezvous with me there. Worse case, I’d pull the kayak out there for the night if they didn’t let me keep her there.
I arrived in front of the Irvington Boat Club, but was concerned. I didn’t see any slips, no boats except for a large rack with kayaks and some sail boats on moorings. There was a floating dock at the end of a pier, not safe for me to keep the kayak on, but safe enough for me to tie up and inquire at the club. I docked the kayak under heavy seas and tied her up and then got out to go find someone, but instead I found a band playing on the beach,; a good band playing some good music and no one around. I though to myself, this is one helluva reception for me. I walked down the pier filing the band playing and when they took a break I inquired as to who was in charge. They directed me up to the clubhouse at the top of the stairs so I headed on up.
The two guys at the top looked at me and said; you look like you need a beer. I graciously accepted and then even before I asked they told me I was in Irvington. I explained my situation and they said I was more than welcomed to keep the kayak there. They also invited me to the part that was going to start later this night. I wish I could have stuck around for that. I bet it was a blast, but I could not stick around this night. We chatted for a bit and then they came down to check out my kayak tied up to their dock.
This was the perfect ending to a mostly perfect day. From this spot I can see the Manhattan skyline ahead of me and it looks like I will officially be in Manhattan tomorrow. That means there is just two, three days at most if the weather turns, before I am out of the Hudson and into New Jersey.
Day 22 Done
Enjoy the pictures and videos
