Category: THE BOATHOUSE JOURNAL

We are thrilled to offer our first guided sunset kayaking tours of the 2023 season this Sunday, July 2nd at 6:30pm and 7:30pm! We’ll be at 777 Front Street in Stapleton and paddle down to the Alice Austen House Museum and back. Please read the details for each tour below carefully-

6:30pm tour info and tickets-
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/667590650607

7:30pm tour info and tickets-
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/667611593247

We’ll look forward to having you join us at one of the more unique vantage points in NYC.

What a fantastic season opener at 850 Page Avenue yesterday morning! The water was beautiful, clear and calm and our community of volunteers and participants were in great spirits and out to have a cool experience. Thank you all!

NEXT UP: a clean-up, organization-fest, trailer overhaul and general site maintenance at our Stapleton kayak storage site in Maker Park at 450 Front St. Join us Monday 6/19 (Juneteenth) from 9am-12pm if you’re free.

Thanks always to MakerspaceNYC and Maker Park Radio for letting us store our stuff.

photo by TJ Smolka

It truly does take a community to do what we do. These are students at our fantastic partner Ralph R. McKee CTE High School working on our latest acquisition- a gas-powered dinghy to support our events and keep our paddlers even safer. Thanks for the hard work, y’all! We can’t wait to take it for a spin!

Interested in volunteering? Meet us at 850 Page Avenue at 7pm this Thursday, June 15th! We’ll be going over who we are, what we do and how you can be a part of it! We’ll be grilling so bring whatever you’d like to eat or drink. Best to bring a beach chair if you have one since there is no seating. We look forward to hanging out!

Kayak Staten Island’s South shore launch site is at 850 Page Ave, at the beautiful Conference House Park. This is where we offer our free public walk up programs.  All participants are welcome, including the kiddos as long as they bring a grown up. No one under 12 is allowed in a kayak alone and over 12’s may take a boat alone only at KSI’s discretion. Everyone must sign a waiver and adults will sign for anyone under 18.

Participants go out on a first come, first served basis and can paddle for approximately 20 minutes in the calm waters at the end of Page Ave at Conference House Park (note: this is NOT at the end of Hylan Blvd). Inclement weather and lack of volunteer staffing will result in event cancellations.

2022 SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 4th 11-1
Saturday, June 18th 11-1
Saturday, July 2nd 11-1
Saturday, July 16th 11-1
Saturday, August 13th 9-11
SUNDAY, August 28th 9-11

*SEPTEMBER TBD

**Volunteers need to be there 1/2 hour before event.

Kayak Staten island ran our first guided tours from our launch site at Front Street since the death of our beloved commodore, Jacky Krogh.  We enjoyed an amazing sunset paddle and were heartened to see friends and community waving at our happy fleet from the Alice Austen House Museum grounds.

Jacky had asked me to take over leadership of Kayak Staten Island a few times over the years, with the last time being just a few days before she died.  She’d dedicated many years of her life to Kayak Staten Island and it was very important to her that it continue.  I cannot take over KSI on my own (for so many reasons) and had it been left to just me, programming would be stalled right now.  I’m grateful beyond measure to TJ Smolka who has gone above and beyond (and then some) to step up, proactively, thoroughly and efficiently (in ways I never could) to keep KSI going -and to James Limperopulos for showing up for KSI and bringing the enthusiasm and know-how of a man who is constantly paddling NYC’s waterways.  The 3 of us, a corps of wonderful volunteers, and our fiscal sponsors Gowanus Dredgers are working to continue providing free and low-cost kayaking to the community and being responsible stewards of our local waterfronts.

We look forward to seeing you all on the water!

-Annette, James and TJ

Kayak Staten Island is featured on NY1!  Thank you to all of our Volunteers for making Free Kayaking happen on the South Shore!

Staten Islanders Stay Cool With Free Kayak Event