PFD's (life jackets) must be worn and zipped up on all CT AMC Flatwater/Coastal Paddling trips.

CT AMC Flatwater Pool Sessions 2010

These sessions are for anyone who wants to learn or practice the basics of kayaking, Eskimo rolling, bracing, self rescue or just keep the rust off their paddling skills. Everyone is welcome! We encourage you to join AMC but membership is not required.

Two kinds of activity will be held in the pool at the same time. One activity is an informal group participation event where we share what we know with other paddlers. This has been our format for the last few years. A second activity, formal lessons with an ACA certified Sea Kayak instructor, is being offered through AMC and the fee structure is more. Michele Sorensen of Kayak-Adventure.net will be offering formal lessons at some sessions which must be arranged with her separately at 203-852-7294, kayak-adventure@earthlink.net ahead of time.

Sunday mornings Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31
Feb. 7, 21, 28 (no meeting on the 14th)
March 7, 14, 21
YWCA of Greenwich, 259 East Putnam Ave.
Greenwich, CT
http://ywcagreenwich.org

Be there at 8:45 am to sign waiver form. Door opens at 9:00 am. In-water time is 9:00 - 11:30 am. Pool deck must be clear by noon of boats & gear. Use of facility includes showers & locker rooms. Per session fee of $20.00 per person for the group participation event charged to cover pool rental. Anyone arriving AFTER 9:00 am will be charged an additional $5.00.

Please contact Jean Trapani 203-221-7439 or 203-606-9459 or flatwater@ct-amc.org if you are interested in attending or for cancellation info due to inclement weather. We are limiting the number of boats in the pool to about 20. First come, first served. You can still WATCH for free on the pool deck. Watching has always been free.

Please bring your own boat, PFD, paddle & gear Everything must be CLEAN! Use parking lot in back of the building.

Clean Stuff! All boats must be washed just before getting into the pool, so even if your boat was in the pool and no where else the previous week, you should rinse it off before each session. Bring a small bucket and a rag! The Y has a hose but we must use it sparingly, too much water on the grounds could hurt the landscaping.
Cover your head! All paddlers must wear bathing caps. Swimmers do! Hair clogs the filters which makes us unwelcome. Neoprene hoods are also fine!
Cover the sharp stuff! If your boat has a rudder, it must be covered with padding so the blade will not hurt someone else or the pool. The plastic "noodles" in sports stores cut to fit and lashed on to the rudder with string do nicely. Used, clean tennis balls are good for capping any very pointy bows or sterns.
Be very careful with carbon paddles, do not let them hit the sides or bottom of pool. The Y staff has spent too many hours scrubbing black marks off the pool bottom & sides.
Leave no trace of mud & grit on the pool deck, it's yucky. Take off your street shoes after you enter the building. Use the benches on the left.

Driving Directions
From Merritt Parkway South bound
Exit 31 North Street. Turn right onto North Street. Follow to the end, approximately four miles and turn left. Go to traffic light and turn left onto Putnam Avenue, also called US 1 or the Post Road. YWCA is 1/8 mile on the left just beyond the Junior League building on the left side of the road and across from Christ Church on the right.

From Merritt Parkway North bound
Exit 31 North Street. Turn left onto North Street. Follow to the end, approximately two miles and turn left. Go to traffic light and turn left onto Putnam Avenue, also called US 1 or the Post Road, YWCA is 1/8 mile on the left just beyond the Junior League building on the left side of the road and across from Christ Church on the right.

From I-95 North bound
Exit 4, Indian Field Road. Turn left onto Indian Field Road, cross over I-95 and at second light turn left onto Putnam Avenue, also called US 1 or the Post Road. Go straight for three traffic lights, top of hill with Old Church Road on right. Temple Sholom and Christ Church on left. YWCA is the first driveway on your right.

I-95 South bound
Exit 4, Indian Field Road. Turn right onto Indian Field Road, and at first light turn left onto Putnam Avenue, also called US 1 or the Post Road. Go straight for three traffic lights, top of hill with Old Church Road on right. Temple Sholom and Christ Church on left. YWCA is the first driveway on your right.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

East River, Madison. Flatwater. A Connecticut Trails Day Event. We will paddle upriver from Guilford harbor into the salt marsh and return. Families welcome. 6 miles. Lifejackets required. Cancel if heavy rain or wind. Pre-registration required. Leader: Robert White, 203-453-3727, robertswhite@comcast.net. Co-leader: Jean Trapani, jeantrapani@optonline.net. Co-leader: Jean Lange, JLange@fairfield.edu.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Mystic River, Mystic. Sea Kayak Level II. Paddle past Mystic Seaport and catch part of their Sea Music Festival and circumnavigate Mason's Island. We will offer a pre-launch safety drill. Anyone who has not paddled a CT AMC sea kayak trip must attend the safety drill & do a wet exit. Please review skill level and required equipment at http://www.ct-amc.org/flatwater/SeakayakGuidelines.htm#A. 10 miles, 5 hours. Sea kayaks only, no rec. boats. Limited to 10 boats. Rain cancels, heavy wind will modify. Registration is required for this trip. Call leader to register by Wed. June 9, 9PM. Leader: Barry Gorfain 860-705-3828, datedford@yahoo.com. Co-leader: Jean Trapani.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Ct. River Selden and Whalebone Creeks, Hadlyme. Sea Kayak Level II. Circumnavigate Selden Island and explore Whalebone Creek. We will offer a prelaunch safety drill. Anyone who has not paddled a CT AMC sea kayak trip must attend the safety drill & do a wet exit. Please review skill level and required equipment at http://www.ct-amc.org/flatwater/SeaKayakGuidelines.htm#A. 8 miles, 4 hours. Open water experience necessary, limited to 10 boats. Rain cancels. Registration is required for this trip. Call leader to register by Wed.June 23, 9PM. Leader: Barry Gorfain, 860-705-3828, datedford@yahoo.com. Co-leader: Deb Tedford.

Saturday, July 3, 2010.

Thimble Islands, Stony Creek. Sea Kayak Level II. We will paddle into the Thimble Islands and explore some of the coves. We will offer a pre-launch safety drill. Anyone who has not paddled in a CT AMC sea kayak trip must attend the safety drill & do a wet exit. Please review skill level and required equipment at http://www.ct-amc.org/flatwater/SeaKayakGuidelines.htm#A. Total length 8-10 miles. Limit 10 boats. Heavy rain or wind cancels. Registration is required for this trip. If you have participated in a CT AMC sea kayak trip, you may e-mail the leader to register. Call leader if this is your first trip. Leader: Robert White. 203-453-3727. robertswhite@comcast.net.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Lieutenant River, Old Lyme. Sea Kayak Level I. Paddle up and back Lieutenant River and down and back to Great Island. We will offer a pre-launch safety drill. Anyone who has not paddled a CT AMC sea kayak trip must attend the safety drill and do a wet exit. Please review skill level and required equipment at http://www.ct-amc.org/flatwater/ SeaKayakGuidelines.htm#A. 10 miles, 5 hours. Limited to 10 boats. Rain cancels. Registration is required for this trip. Call leader to register by Wed. July 7, 9 PM. Leader: Barry Gorfain 860-705-3828, datedford@yahoo.com. Co-leader: Deb Tedford.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Great Island, Lyme. Sea Kayak Level II. We will paddle out into the sound and east along the coast to end at Four-mile River. We will offer a pre-launch safety drill. Anyone who has not paddled in a CT AMC sea kayak trip must attend the safety drill & do a wet exit. Please review skill level and required equipment at http://www.ct-amc.org/flatwater/SeaKayakGuidelines.htm#A. 6 miles. Limit 10 boats. Heavy rain or wind cancels. Registration is required for this trip. If you have participated in a CT AMC sea kayak trip, you may e-mail the leader to register. Call leader if this is your first trip. Leader: Robert White. 203-453-3727. robertswhite@comcast.net.

August 14-21, 2010

Land of 10,000 Lakes: Canoeing the Minnesota Boudary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Join CT leader Robert White in his first Major Excusions trip for AMC canoe camping in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. We will have 6 days of backcountry paddling and camping in the pristine BWCA of MN. We'll spend our first and last nights at the outfitters bunkhouse in Ely but will be on our own in the wilderness for 5 nights. Our itinerary includes Snowbank Lake, Parent Lake, Disappointment Lake, and a sting of smaller lakes.We'll portage our Kevlar canoes and gear, practicing leave-no-trace camping. Trip price ($996) includes canoe and gear package, all meals but not airfare (estimated at $400-500). You can view the trip brochure here. For more information contact L Sam Jamke at 603-472-2536, samjamke@myfairpoint.net or Bob White at 203-453-3727, robertswhite@comcast.net

September, 2010 (date to be set)

Guilford. Sea Kayak Level III. We will paddle from Guilford Harbor out to Faulkner’s Island open house. This is an open water trip with difficult currents. If high winds or sea, may convert into a coastal trip. You must have paddled previously on an AMC sea kayak trip to participate. 7 miles. Limit 6 boats. Registration is required for this trip. If you have participated in a CT AMC sea kayak trip, you may e-mail the leader to register. Leader: Robert White. 203-453-3727. robertswhite@comcast.net.