Free Fun Afloat for the Littoral-Minded
The world’s largest free kayaking program, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, has opened for the season. Now through October 5, the Downtown Boathouse (at Pier 26 in the Hudson River Park) is offering complimentary boating in the Hudson River.
The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization provides not only the kayaks, but also instruction and life vests (use of which are mandatory), along with changing rooms, lockers and locks, sun block, and first aid equipment. There is even an outdoor shower. The fleet consists of unsinkable, self-bailing, sit-on-top kayaks. No reservations are needed, but users must know how to swim, and are required to sign a waiver before going out on the water. Hours are Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10am to 4:30pm. Starting June 17, kayaking on weekend evenings will be offered from 5:30pm to 7:30 pm.
“The Downtown Boathouse tries to enable as many people to go kayaking on New York Harbor as our resources allow, and as is safe to do so,” says Downtown Boathouse president Graeme Birchall.
The Downtown Boathouse “is a participant in the local outdoor recreation movement, which is about acknowledging that urban residents do not do the Earth any favors when they travel to a remote rain forest for a holiday,” he says. “The emphasis should be on bringing the outdoors to the people, rather than having the people travel to the outdoors. In many cities and suburbs, the nearest available outdoors is the local harbor, lake, or river.”
“In an increasingly urbanized world,” he continues, “we believe that the residents of densely populated cities need to be able to safely and affordably access their local outdoors, which for New York City is New York Harbor. So please come and use your local harbor, which the public has paid about $20 billion to clean up.”
The Downtown Boathouse was established in 1994, with the mission of encouraging safe public use of New York City’s harbor waters and providing residents with increased recreational opportunities. Its no-fee programming structure is made possible in part by a partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, which provides the building that is home to the Downtown Boathouse, while also maintaining the adjacent dock. For operational funding, the Downtown Boathouse relies largely on charitable donations, which totaled slightly less than $29,000 in 2023, the last year for which figures are available. (Mr. Birchall, along with all Downtown Boathouse staff, serve without salary.) In June 2022, the program reached the auspicious milestone of having served half a million guests.