FAQ Q. Why are you doing this? A. We are dedicated volunteers who want to share our love of the Hudson River with the rest of you. Its that simple. Q. Can I rent a kayak, what does it cost? A. NO! you can't rent anything because everything is 100% free. We know this is New York, and people think that there must be catch, but there isn't. All the equipment is paid for by donations from the volunteers, all the labor is provided for free by the volunteers. If you want to contribute you are welcome to, but its entirely optional. You don't have to do anything but have a good time. Q. Can I reserve a time or a particular kayak. A. Unfortunately no. Everything is first come first serve. We don't have the organizational resources to allow people to reserve anything ahead of time. We have enough equipment so the waits are never very long. We are less busy in the mornings, and when it is cloudy. Our peak times are from 12:00PM to 4:00PM on sunny weekends. Q. This is the greatest thing I have ever seen how can I help? A. The best way to help, and have even more fun is to volunteer at the boathouse. See our volunteer page. You can also make a monetary contribution by becoming a member. See our membership page. Q. Do I have to be a member? A. No, you don't. You do not need to be a member of the boathouse to participate in any of our programs. Membership is just a way of providing financial support to the boathouse. It's like public T.V. You can become a member by making a donation, but you don't need to be a member to use our facilities, and membership doesn't provide any privileges other than voting in our elections. Q. I have my own boat. Can I store it at the boathouse? A. Private boat storage is available to volunteers of the boathouse. We ask that you become an active volunteer first and work at the boathouse for at least a full summer before storing your boat with us. We require that you volunteer for a few hours every week for the entire summer. Volunteers storing their boats at the boathouse must also pay a fee of $200 per year. If you are just looking for a place to store your boat, check our links page and contact some of the commercial operators on the river. Several of them offer storage for a fee without requiring volunteer time. Q. Do you give lessons? A. Yes, we give many free lessons. Check out our Calendar page for a list of our Wednesday night sessions. These are informal talks and activities covering a wide variety of kayak-related topics. We can provide a short introduction on your first visit, and if you come by when it isn't busy our volunteers can often give you pointers. If you become an active volunteer you can participate in our volunteer training sessions, which cover advanced kayaking skills. Most of the commercial kayak companies on the Links/Resources page offer formal lessons taught by professional instructors. Q. I am an expert kayaker, and I want to go out of the embayment and into the river on my own, is that ok? A. No, you cannot take one of our kayaks and leave the embayment, regardless of your skill level. If you want to do that, we suggest that you contact one of the several commercial kayak operators in the city. We do run guided trips for the general public on weekend mornings. If you want to volunteer, we would love to have you help out. Q. I have my own boat, can I launch it at the boathouse? A. In general, yes. We allow our facilities to be used by the general public to launch boats, but we have a few rules. We do not allow any motorized boats of any sort. We require that you first sign our liability waiver. We require that all people launching from our facilities wear a Personal Flotation Device (Life Jacket). We require that the boat be seaworthy, and suitable for the strong currents and winds of the Hudson; we generally don't allow canoes, or cheap inflatable rafts since the wind and currents are too strong for them. We encourage you to obtain a permit from the NYC Parks Department to show your support for hand powered boating, but the permit is not required by the Boathouse. Q. What is the weight limit? A.There is no weight limit, we have successfully accommodated people of 400 Lbs. Q. Do you offer longer trips in the river outside of your embayment? What are the rules for these trips? A. Yes. Please read the description of the 3 hour trips on the Programs Page Q. When and where is the walk-up kayaking available? A. Walk-up is our basic service, which is available at all hours at our operating locations listed on the general information page. Please arrive at least 1/2 hour before closing, which is when the last boats go out. Q. Is kayaking available yet at Pier 40, Houston Street? A. Yes. After some delays we opened our Pier 40 location on August 19, 2006. See the info page for hours, and the directions page for directions. Q. Are you open on the weekdays? A. Only from 5 - 7 in the evenings at Pier 96, from June 16 through August 29. Q. Do you have lockers at each location? A. Yes, we do, and we also have locks, but we prefer you bring your own. Q. Do you have changing rooms and showers? A. Yes, but only at the Pier 96 location. Pier 40 has a changing room and hose Q. When do you offer the trips?. A. As described on the programs page, the trips are offered weekend and holiday mornings from June 14 to September 14, 2008. Q. Do I need to do the walk-up kayaking a few times and/or take classes before coming to participate in one of the morning trips? A. The trips involve about three hours of moderate paddling. Read about them on the programs page to get an idea of how they work and what to bring. If you do not have any or much experience kayaking, you will not enjoy the trip. You should come and do the walk-up to get an idea of what it is like to paddle the boats, to get used to the paddling position and to learn basic paddling technique. If your stroke is inefficient, you will not be able to keep up with the trip. Some people have to drop out and go back with an escort. Even strong guys cannot keep up if their stroke is inefficient. So we'd like you to practice a bit and get some skill handling the boat. Q. If I have experience kayaking elsewhere, do I need to do the walk-up kayaking before going on the trip? A. If you have some experience kayaking elsewhere and feel confident you can paddle at a moderate rate for three hours, you do not need to do the walk-up kayaking in preparation. Be aware though that the sit-on-top kayaks do not offer the kind of back support available in a cockpit kayak and may take a little getting used to. If your back is tight or not strong, you might want to ask for a sling for extra support - we do have some available. Q. Do I have to take the Wednesday evening classes before going on one of the trips? A. It is not necessary to take the Wednesday evening classes before going on one of the trips. They are for general skill development and can be useful, but we don't require them. Q. Can I make a reservation for myself or for a group? A. We do not take reservations. Our programs are first come, first served, with the exception of the three-hour trips, for which there is a lottery (see the description on the programs page). Q. I would like to bring a group to go kayaking. Is that possible? A. Yes, but we ask that you limit your group to ten or fewer in order not to overwhelm the public program. You line up with everyone else for the walk-up kayaking and wait your turn. If it is not crowded, you and your friends may all get out on the water at the same time, but there are no guarantees. Most of the commercial operators on our links page are happy to take reservations for groups of any size. Q. Where do the trips go? A. It depends on the tides, wind conditions, and strength of the group, so we can't say for sure in advance. If you want to go to particular destination we recommend you contact one of the commercial operators on our links page. Q. Do I have to sign up for the classes? If I miss one can I still come to the next one? Are the classes held on or off the water? A. No, you don't have to sign up; just show up. You can be a beginner or have some experience and still learn. The classes are separate and not run as a course, so you can come to any one or all of them. Most have an on-water component; so come with clothing you would wear if you came for walk-up. The classes that are held exclusively on land are specified as such on the calendar.

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