Photo was taken by Alan Mindlin, while paddling to Mill Neck Creek on Long Island.Runner-up photo of the week at paddling.net for the week of June 30, 2008.

Blazing PaddlesBlazing PaddlesNewsletter of Long Island PaddlersNewsletter of Long Island Paddlers

Summer 2008Disclaimer

The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors. Information offered on any topicshould not be assumed to be authoritative or complete. On all paddling issues, it is important to base one’s practices onmultiple sources of information.

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It seems that everyday I get an e-mail from some-one asking where are the best spots to paddle, orwhere can one rent a kayak, or what kind ofkayak is best for a beginner. I am flattered thatpeople think that being the president of a kayakclub makes you an expert on all things related tothe sport. And in the beginning, I tried to answerthe questions to the best of my ability or I forwarded their queries to someone who could.Lately though, I have been emphasizing that thebest way to learn about the sport of kayaking is to join a club like the Long Island Paddlers. I tellthem that each month our club hosts interestingprograms which are followed by refreshments and conversation with fellow paddlers, some of whom have many years of kayaking experience,which is the best place to get answers to questions. I also direct them to the list of club trips on the website where they discover newplaces to kayak in relative safety.

But I still don’t know how to convey the feeling ofcamaraderie you get when you are with othermembers of the Long Island Paddlers. Whether itis at one of our monthly meetings, a special eventlike our picnic, a pool training session, or a grouppaddle, I have never met a more caring, kind, and

generous group of people. Everyone offers to helpwith everything. It might be as simple as helpingto carry gear or as complicated as bringing anextra kayak for someone who doesn’t have one.No one is ever in a hurry to leave. No one leavesbefore everyone is ready to leave. And complaintsare few and far between.

Before joining the Long Island Paddlers, I wouldpaddle alone or, most often, with one or twofriends. Back then, the thought of paddling with agroup of ten to twenty kayaks would make myskin crawl. Now, I can’t wait for my next club trip.Sitting on the surface of the water in a small boat,completely exposed to the elements, while surrounded by the natural beauty of Long Islandwith a group of other people who feel exactly thesame way fills me with a joy that is hard to describe.

Our club now stands at almost one hundred fiftymembers. I hope every one of our members takesadvantage of everything this wonderful club hasto offer. Don’t make the mistake of joining andthen not participating. There are so many greatactivities to experience. You never know whichone you will find fulfilling until you try them all.

Happy Paddling!

Message from the President: “Our Club”By Steven Berner

Centerport Beach - June picnic

Photography By David Thaler

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Golden OpportunityThe L.I. Paddlers Kayaker Buddy Program

By Joseph T. LaCasto

The nice part about kayaking is that it can be enjoyed at so many performance levels. Everyonefrom the casual flat-water paddle dipper, to the serious long distance open water tourer, can find a place in our sport. Regardless of your performance goals, all paddlers should work towardachieving a solid, basic skill level. The most effective and enjoyable way to accomplish this is topaddle regularly with someone who has these skills, and who is willing and eager to share themwith you. The Long Island Paddlers Buddy Program provides club members with a GoldenOpportunity to do just that!

Geoff and Stefanie Lloyd coordinate the Buddy effort. Their successful experience as participants is a classic example of how well the program works. Both Geoff and Stefanie like to keep thingssimple. They connect new paddlers with an experienced member willing to lend a hand. Most timesconnections are made with folks living close to each other. Individual pairings then work together.Progress usually comes quite a bit faster than trying to do it alone or just with the help of booksand DVD’s. The Buddy Program is not a substitute for formal training, but just another tool for you.Try it yourself and see. Speak with either of these good people at a L.I. Paddlers meeting.

Mentor Frank Chillemi works with Stefani Lloyd on the fine art of synchronized paddling in a double. This was Stefi’s first experience in anything but a solo boat,

but you sure couldn’t tell while standing on the shore watching them zip past.

Photography By David Thaler

Centerport Beach - June picnic

Photography By David Thaler

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Centerport PicnicOn June first, our club had it’s annual June picnic.This year it was at one of our favorite spots,Centerport beach. A turnout of about sixty fivemembers enjoyed the pristine waters, great foodand beautiful weather and of course the companyof fellow paddlers. Thanks to Laurie Schaeffer, Jan

Hayes and Frank Jackson for organizing such agreat event. And once again thank you Ray Smithfor getting the permit for us to use the facilities.

Our next picnic is planned for September 21st,location unknown at this time.

Photos taken by David Thaler and Michael Chachkes

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Long Island Paddlers Supports U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary Vessel Safety Program

Joseph T. LaCasto

On Saturday, April 12, 2008, two members of Long Island Paddlers conducted a demonstration forUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliarists at Asharoken Beach on Long Island’s North Shore. The event wasdesigned to better assist U.S.C.G. Auxiliary Vessel Examiners with the promotion of boating safety,requirements and recommendations, as they apply to kayakers and paddlers in general.

Shelley Lee Johnson and Frank M. Chillemi initiated this cooperative training exercise in 2007. Shelley is a U.S.C.G. Auxiliary Division Staff Officer and qualified Vessel Examiner from Eatons Neck Division.She is an accomplished white water enthusiast as well as a sea kayaker. Frank is an American Red CrossCertified Kayak Instructor. He provided a sea kayak outfitted for long distance ocean touring. Shelleyprovided a white water river kayak and also a general-purpose sit-on-top kayak. Actual Vessel SafetyChecks were conducted on the three different types of paddlecraft to familiarize the participants withvarious boat designs they will encounter as they conduct their complementary vessel safety checks forthe public. Three 2008 VSC decals were awarded and indicate compliance.

Long Island Paddlers’ member Frank M. Chillemi works with U.S.C.G. Auxiliary volunteers at the recently completed briefing for vessel examiners held at Asharoken Beach,

a short distance from the Eatons Neck Coast Guard Station.Photo By Robert McQuillan

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examination program is a voluntary effort aimed at making alltypes of boating safer and more enjoyable for everyone. U.S.C.G. Auxiliary members volunteer theirtime and expertise in this effort. Mr. Chillemi has conducted sessions at different flotillas with additional efforts scheduled for this 2008 season including upcoming kayaking safety demonstrationsfor the public.

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Yo Frank,

No matter how many pairs of paddling glovesI’ve purchased, I just can’t get a really solid, con-fident grip on my Carbon Fiber Paddle in verycold weather. I know this is a silly problem, butthere is enough adventure out there alreadywithout making things worse, and this problemis making me nuts, not to mention nearly broke!

Any suggestions here? J.C.

Dear J.C.

Any problem that robs you of your confidencewhen paddling in challenging conditions, likevery cold water, is not a silly one…it’s a very serious one.

Many types of paddles feel slippery in cold conditions, not just your Carbon Fiber item.

Fortunately, there is an effective and inexpensive solution that comes from other winter water sports’ people - surfers. Surfersmaintain good contact between themselves and their board by rubbing, you guessed it, surfboard wax on the board’s surface wherethey make contact. The condition gets moreacute in cold water. Surfboard wax is actuallymade in both cold and warm water varieties.Get yourself a stick of the cold water stuff. Local surf shops carry it. You will be surprised at how well it works. Because I use a lot ofextended paddle strokes I put the wax on thecontact surfaces of my gloves, as opposed to the paddle itself, but that is just personal style.Please let me know how this works for you.

Best Wishes…Frank Chillemi

The Frank Answers Column

Meeting ProgramsBy Michael Chachkes

Location and Time: Community College, Grant Campus, Wicks Road,just south of the LIE, Brentwood, 7 PM

Program & Date: Thursday, July 17thThe United States Coast Guard Auxiliary willpresent a seminar on the proper use of handheld GPS devices, VHF radios and general boating safety as it pertains to kayakers. Thiswill be an informative meeting for new and oldclub members alike. Please mark your calendars.

Program & Date: Thursday, August 21rst Ken Doxsey and Pete Stanley will be making aphoto / slide presentation discussing their recenttrip to Assateague National Wildlife Refuge inOcean City Maryland. We are scheduling this inAugust so you can get a preview of what youwill be seeing and enjoying if you sign up forthis club sponsored trip in early November.(November 8-11)

Program & Date: Thursday, September 18thMalynda Nichol a Recreational FisheriesSpecialist will be giving a presentation on theNew York State I FISH NY program and also onthe DEC freshwater fisheries unit housed inStony Brook. For anyone who Kayaks and likesto fish this should be an informative talk.

Program & Date: Thursday, October 16thHOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT KAYAK FORYOUR NEEDS. Most of us have made several mistakes in choosing a boat. Our business partners, The Dinghy Shop, will have one oftheir experts, Jim or Susan, help answer thesequestions - recreation, light touring, touring,skeg, rudder, neither, fiberglass, Kevlar, plastic,wood, and more. So if you are in the market for a new boat, or just want some good information attend this meeting.

Program & Date: Thursday, November 20thSteve Berner, our President, and Bruce Mulligan,our Vice President, will be reporting on a tripthey will be taking in September. They plan onpaddling the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany,a total of 338 miles. They will be camping outand staying in motels every third or fourth day.They are hoping to average twenty miles a dayfor seventeen days. The canal was completed in1825, connecting the Great Lakes to the EasternSeaboard and reducing the cost of transportinggoods by 95%. They will have photos and stories, (hopefully some that are funny) aboutthis special trip. This is one meeting you what to attend.

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Paddlers’ access to waterways becomes an issuefrom time to time. Following is a summery of arecent article on the subject issued by the NYSDepartment of Environmental Conservation.

New York courts have consistently held that navigation is a public right traceable to Englishcommon law. For more than 200 years, thecourts have held that the public has a right tonavigate all fresh-water waterways defined as“navigable-in-fact.” A stream or river is navigable-in-fact if it is navigable or floatable inits natural state and its ordinary capacity as tobe of public use in the transportation of property. Water must be deep enough for a reasonable length of time under conditions ofnatural flow. Obstacles such as rapids, waterfallsor shallows become a factor only if there are noreadily available portages around them. If thewaterway is navigable for a significant part ofthe year and for a substantial distance, then it isprobably navigable-in-fact, in which case it isopen to the public whether or not a court hasever ruled on that specific waterway.

The public right of navigation includes severalincidental rights. You may portage over privateproperty to avoid falls, rapids or obstructions aslong as it occurs by the shortest and most direct

route. The public also has the right to walk onthe bed of the waterway to guide a boatthrough shallows and to go on privately ownedshoreline to scout for the best route. However,paddlers may not enter upon private propertyto picnic, camp, hike, bird watch or hunt normay they cross private property to obtain accessto a navigable waterway. You may not intrudeon private property other than to insure safepassage.

Landowners who attempt to restrict recreationalor commercial use of a navigable waterway arein violation of the state’s trust interest in thewaterway. Either the state or the public may suea landowner if he interferes with the publicright to navigate a navigable waterway.

Nevertheless, the wise paddler will attempt toavoid confrontations with landowners. If youbelieve that a landowner has interfered withyour public right of navigation, you may contactlocal, county or state law enforcement authorities. You may also contact DEC forestrangers or environmental conservation officers,the latter two probably being more familiarwith navigation rights. This summary applies toNew York State only.

Public Right of NavigationBy Paul Caparatta

Paul Caparatta - Photo by Alan Mindlin

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BBBB llll aaaa zzzz iiii nnnn gggg PPPP aaaa dddd dddd llll eeee ssssP.O. Box 115West Sayville, NY 11796

First Class Mail

Tentative 2008 monthly meeting dates • Always check website3rd Thursday of every month 7-9:30 PM

July 17 • August 21 • September 18 • October 16 • November 20

LOCATION: Suffolk County Community College Brentwood (Grant Campus)Captree Commons - C114 - Cafeteria Building

From the east or west take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 53. Follow signs to Wicks Road.Go south on Wicks Road to campus entrance on right-hand side.

Long Island Paddler’s Advertising PolicyAdvertisements published herein do not necessarilyreflect the endorsement or approval of Long IslandPaddlers Club. Long Island Paddlers cannot guaranteethe accuracy of information given by the advertiser.All advertising copy is subject to the editor’sapproval. Long Island Paddlers reserves the right torefuse advertisements. Advertisements must be sub-mitted in copy ready format and must be prepaid.

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Long Island Paddler’s Publication DatesJuly 15 • October 15 • January 15 •April 15

Deadlines for submission are one month prior to publication date. All copies submitted must be typewritten. Members are encouraged to submit articles, letters to the editor Newsworthy Notes, tripreports or future trip information, etc. to editors.Editors reserve the right to editorial privileges. Unlessotherwise stated, the views and opinions expressedare those of the authors and do not represent officialposition statements of Long Island Paddlers Club.

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