Category: Recreation: boating, fishing and trails

DAILY NUTMEG — The tide chart tells us that around 9:30 a.m., the time will be right for putting our canoe in at Sackett Point. High tide arrives at the state boat launch in North Haven two hours later than in New Haven Harbor, and the Quinnipiac River Fund’s website advisesstarting out an hour before that to allow deep enough water for side trips off the meandering Quinnipiac.

*cover photo by Dan Kinsman

It’s the only real kind of sport,” said a paddler describing the adventure of canoeing the Quinnipiac River from its origins near Meriden all the way to the Long Island Sound. The quote appeared in a March 1901 article about the then new Quinnipiac Canoe Club, published by the New Haven Morning Journal and Courier.

One-hundred and twenty years later, a new group of boating enthusiasts are launching out to show this claim still holds true — that paddling the Q makes for a sport like none other!

Inspired by the club of bygone days, the new group adopted the name Quinnipiac Canoe Club, but unlike the century old association — which organized elaborate regattas, dances and corn roasts, and was formally registered as a corporation in 1909 — today’s club is an unofficial and fluid group of paddlers looking for shared adventures on the Quinnipiac and beyond.

“The Quinnipiac Canoe Club is not a formal thing,” explained one of the club organizers J.R. Logan. “It’s people paddling independently, but together.”

Like many during Covid, J.R. was looking outdoor activities with good social distancing — and canoeing surfaced as a naturally great option. For J.R., who had moved to the Quinnipiac River community in late 2018, the club brought together two of his passions: outdoor adventures and history.

“The Quinnipiac is a beautiful river with a rich history,” said J.R. While he has always loved outdoor adventures, J.R.’s enthusiasm for canoeing was cemented in college after he lead a paddling project to help clean a Michigan River.

“I canoe with friends all the time,” said J.R. “There are plenty of reasons to be excited about it.”

Members of the first Quinnipiac Canoe Club expressed similar sentiments a century ago. “From the fascinating tales told by survivors of trips down the Quinnipiac, the sport is of the finest.” These survival tales included the misadventures of a club member during one of his first attempts to paddle the River.

You get up at five in the morning, put on your bathing suit, trot down to Hanover and go aboard ship….Then you’re off for a day of rare sport. For several hundred yards you begin to feel like a two year old. At a sharp turn in the river, your stern wants to go around first, and in trying to keep the bow first, your neck interferes with an overhanging tree. In trying to bend under you are overturned…The flume from the Mishap in Yalesville to Community is great. The water goes like a mile a minute and you must keep pace. Your canoe goes shooting off into the lake…and unless you know the channel, on to the mud flats. Floundering on the mud for half an hour you again get into clear water…

Despite these mishaps, the author attests, “a person who knows how to handle a canoe can make the trip without any accident.”

For J.R. and the new canoe club, the ability to handle your own canoe, kayak or even paddle board is the only prerequisite to participate in any of their informal outings, one of the first of which took place on a moonlit night in August 2020. At dusk, 22 people — mostly strangers to each other — met at the Quinnipiac Marina for a one-way 4.8 mile journey upriver to the Tilcon boat launch. Donning headlamps and life jackets, the group headed north, skillfully navigating the whirling currents under the 1-91 and Middletown Avenue Bridges, the crouch-inducing low clearance under the the railroad bridges, and the maze of marsh pathways.

“The trip was adventure, nature, and fun, especially in the summer Covid context,” said participant Chris Ozyck. “Getting lost in the maze, but never too lost was just perfect to create a memory of a lifetime.”

Enjoying the beauty and mystery of the night river is not a new pastime. In September 1907, the original Quinnipiac Canoe Club organized a similar excursion, with 30 members paddling five miles by moonlight from their clubhouse front street to red bank where they enjoyed a waiting feast of roasted corn and oysters on the shell, warm campfire, and special musical entertainment by a guest paddler.

This idyllic scene may seem feel far removed from the river today — where industrialization and development have impaired water quality and years of dumping, pollution and waste litter the banks. But the changes are not all bad. Recent removals of obsolete dams have re-opened passage for fish and paddlers alike and increasing environmental efforts in the last decades — many supported by the Quinnipiac River Fund — have reversed some of the damage and spurred greater stewardship of the Quinnipiac and other urban waterways.

Today, for those who explore the Quinnipiac by canoe or kayak, the words of the paddler of old resound true through the century, “The river is a very beautiful one and it is worth much to any person to take the trip.”

For more information about the Quinnipiac Canoe Club and upcoming events, please visit:

https://www.quinnipiaccanoeclub.org/paddle
https://www.facebook.com/groups/341755973484007/

Canal Dock Boathouse opens doors for New Haven to engage its waterfront

Photos by Ian Christmann (may not be reused without permission)

We’ve watched the walls rise and the architecture emerge on the striking new building on Long Wharf. Passing by on I95, or after a trip to the food trucks or Ikea, we’ve navigated construction fencing and closed sidewalks. But on September 22, 2018, all traces of hard hats and machinery disappeared, and the doors to New Haven’s newest landmark — the Canal Dock Boathouse — opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew hundreds (see photos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony below). As guests toured the gleaming halls and spacious rooms, the building buzzed with salty possibilities, yet the excitement would have to wait just a little while longer, as final occupancy details kept the boathouse shuttered for the fall.

Today, warmer weather beckons us outside and sea-side, and the Canal Dock Boathouse is ready to greet us, “opening New Haven’s waterfront for adventure, discovery and growth” with opportunities that include rowing lessons, rowing-based fitness, paddling excursions, boat storage, youth programs, interpretive displays, and event-ready meeting rooms with breath-taking views.

So if you’re ready to engage the sea, here are ways you can do it at Canal Dock.

1. Visit. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Guests can explore the building’s unique architecture, which blends modern design with historic elements from the original Adee Memorial Boathouse. History buffs will also appreciate the many interpretive displays chronicling New Haven’s harbor and rowing history, the Adee Boathouse, as well as the Connecticut Freedom Trail. And no visit would be complete without a stroll along the water on the community plaza, where views and breezes abound.

2. Learn.  Are you captivated by the allure of rowing, but never held an oar? Canal Dock provides opportunities for all ages to learn the sport. Private or small-group lessons are available at $75 per hour or $325 for five (one-hour) sessions. For youth (8^th – 10^th grade) Canal Dock will offer an “Intro to Rowing” camp this summer with four, one-week sessions (June 24 – June 28, July 8 – July 12, July 22 – July 26, August 5 – August 9). Hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. No prior rowing experience is necessary. Participants will learn to scull in single shells, learn plyometric & stretching exercises, row on Concept2 ergometers, and have fun exploring the New Haven Harbor and Quinnipiac & Mill Rivers in New Haven. Space is limited to nine youth per session. Cost: $575 for a one-week session. Contact Nicole for more information. (nicole@canaldock.org)

3. Join. If you’re ready to dive in and make rowing or paddling a regular part of your fitness and recreation routine, Canal Dock membership provides access to equipment, outings, social events and more. Contact Jan for more information. (jan@canaldock.org)
   1. Basic Membership: $100 annually
      – fitness classes (when available)
      – social events
      – locker room access
      – boat storage program (additional fees apply for boat storage)
   2. Paddling Membership: $250 annually (over age 30), $200 annually (under age 30)
      – fitness classes  (when available)
      – social events
      – locker room access
      – boat storage program (additional fees apply for boat storage)
      – use of Canal Dock paddling equipment
      – group paddling outings 2 – 4 times per week
   3. Rowing Membership (rowing competency must be demonstrated prior to activation of membership): $250 annually (over age 30), $200 annually (under age 30)
      – fitness classes (when available)
      – social events
      – locker room access
      – boat storage program (additional fees apply for boat storage)
      – group rowing outings 2 – 4 times per week
      – use of Canal Dock rowing equipment
   4. Paddling and Rowing combined: $300 annually (over age 30), $250 annually (under age 30)
      – fitness classes (when available)
      – social events
      – locker room access
      – boat storage program (additional fees apply for boat storage)
      – group rowing or paddling outings 2 – 4 times per week
      – use of Canal Dock rowing and paddling equipment

4. Celebrate. Have an event and need a venue? Consider treating your guests to Canal Dock’s waterfront beauty. The Boathouse has two rooms available for private meetings or events: the Canal Dock Room (just over 3600 square feet) and the Adee Room (just shy of 1300 square feet). Both rooms offer direct access to a large outdoor balcony with expansive views of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound. Click here for more information and pricing. Contact Erika for more information. (erika@canaldock.org).

5. Race. Ready for a fun, high-spirited, team-building experience? Canal Dock’s annual Dragon Boat Regatta promotes camaraderie, community-building, and light-hearted competition. On Saturday, June 1, 2019, participants of all sizes and ages will paddle in unison to the beat of their very own drummer as they propel 41-foot dragon boats over a 200-meter racecourse. After the races, the festivities will continue with Long Wharf’s annual Food Truck Festival. So grab your friends, co-workers, or colleagues and get on board for a unique dragon boat adventure. Canal Dock supplies all boats and equipment. Space is limited and registration ends on May 20, 2019.  Click here for more information.

6. Contribute. Canal Dock Boathouse aims to give all New Haven residents opportunities to experience New Haven’s waterfront, and they could use your help. Although Canal Dock operates in a shiny new building, the organization itself is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, leasing the City-owned boathouse building. Canal Dock runs Metro Boating, a free weekly program for students from Metropolitan Business Academy. Your support of Canal Dock enables them to continue low-cost community rowing, as well as expand opportunities to introduce more New Haven youth to the physical and social benefits of paddling and rowing. Click here to donate.