A Close Call in the Big Apple

by Laurie Bleich


It was a beautiful summer day and I was paddling the Hudson in Scarlet, my gorgeous red kayak. Suddenly, a boat headed full speed in my direction. As the adrenalin rushed through me, I considered my best course of action.

By now you must be wondering what the heck was I doing solo kayaking around New York City anyway? Quite simply, paddling in the midst of the Big Apple, with its spectacular skyline in the background, is one of the biggest thrills I’ve ever experienced. However, I certainly didn’t begin paddling in an urban setting.


"I've always loved anything to do with the water!"

I’ve always loved anything to do with water - swimming, surfing, sailing, snorkeling, even bubble-baths! I had loads of fun on family canoeing trips as a kid and continued to enjoy the sport as an adult. On occasion I would spot these funny looking skinny boats and on inquiring, learned that they were kayaks. Then one calm day while canoeing on the Delaware, I saw a female kayaker who kept capsizing her boat and, amazingly enough, rolling back up to the surface with a big smile on her face. I was intrigued. Anyway, she let me try her boat and initially it seemed to be very tippy. Eventually I began to hear about Sea Kayaking and it sounded like an ideal way to be on the water; explore new places; and avoid lugging around a heavy backpack.

Very quickly I discovered an avid group of paddlers right here in New York City. I was thrilled. As my confidence grew, thanks to group trips, fellow paddlers, and a whitewater instruction course,I began to venture out by myself.


"Paddling in a group and paddling solo both have their unique appeal!"

Paddling in a group and paddling solo both have their unique appeal, not the least of which are practical consideration. I had found boat storage on Pier 26 and was frequently free to paddle during the week, when most potential paddling partners are working. Since I can perform a self rescue, and since the Hudson is usually packed with other boaters, I felt relatively safe paddling solo.

There is, however, one aspect of potential danger that I had neglected to consider: Purposeful Injury. The harbor is jammed full of aggressive and uneducated boaters, blissfully unaware of crafts smaller then themselves. Currently in New York State, anyone can operate a power boat, whether they know anything about safe boating or not. It’s interesting that Connecticut will be the first state to require licensing of its boaters. As of January 1992, any person operating a vessel with greater than 25 horsepower, or a sailboat 19 1/2 feet or longer, will be required to obtain a Certificate of Boating Operation (CBO), issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. To obtain a CBO, a safety course or equivalency exam will be required.


"I turned around to look and they were again heading towards me at full-speed."

So, back to the story. I’m paddling along in my Chinook and the powerboat’s speeding directly towards my bow. Most kayakers have been in this situation at some time or another and know that generally the other boat changes direction, clearly indicating their plan to avoid a crash. Not this boat. It continued coming straight towards me. I was scared. I stopped paddling, to make it clear that I saw them and that I was waiting for them to alter their course. I also waved my paddle to the left, to direct them away from me and to increase my visibility, although it was unlikely that they hadn’t seen me, since it was a clear sunny day and I was in a red boat, wearing a yellow PFD, pink hat, and red lip-screen. No luck. They continued at full speed, missing me by less then nine feet. Naturally, I was very angry, so I turned around and shouted a few choice words in their direction. They turned off their engine to hear me and I continued to express my annoyance. At this point I was close enough to see four young men on the boat, all in their mid-twenties, not the rowdy teenagers I expected.

As I resumed paddling, they re-started their engine. I turned around to look and they were again heading towards me at full-speed. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that feeling of vulnerability as I sat in my kayak, powerless to avoid the oncoming powerboat. They sped by me within arms length, splashing a wall of water in my face.

I paddled as fast as I could to the shoreline, feeling totally overwhelmed. It wasn’t just the fear and anger, but the disbelief that someone would do this intentionally.


"Awareness in the Sea Kayaking Community!"

Regaining my composure, I resumed paddling very slowly, hugging the shoreline. I passed another kayaker who had seen the boat. A man on a nearby pier had also seen everything and offered to be a witness. About 15 minutes later I spotted a Coast Guard vessel and reported the incident. Unfortunately, I only had the boats name and not the more important serial number on the bow.

Fortunately, in this incident, there was no serious injury. I only hope that this type of occurrence will raise awareness in the kayaking community of the potential hazards posed by other boaters. If Connecticut’s new amendment regarding boat licensing becomes a precedent, then maybe licensing and safety education in New York will follow. By educating powerboaters, we greatly reduce many of our risks upon the water.


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