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Red Hook Boaters, Brooklyn

Tim Gamble had been an avid kayaker and volunteer at the Downtown Boathouse in Manhattan for 10 years.

One of Tim's favorite spots to stop for a rest when he was paddling in the lower harbor was a funny little beach on the Brooklyn shoreline at Louis J. Valentino park in Red Hook. Over the years he watched the park get nicer and nicer. A new pier was built and the park was upgraded to include a beautiful lawn, and the beach was improved and designated as an official Parks Department Kayak and Canoe Launch Site.

Tim had been to the beach many times, but hadn't really explored the neighborhood by land. In the spring of 2005 Tim decided to move from Manhattan. The first place he looked was the funky neighborhood he had been to by kayak so many times, Red Hook.

As he was riding around the neighborhood on his bike he noticed an open house in a newly renovated brownstone. When he talked to the owners, Jo Festa, and Ray Rios, who lived on the ground floor, he found out they were members of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club. Tim had been friends with Owen Foote, the Dredgers founder, for years, and had helped in joint programs between the Downtown Boathouse and the Dredgers.

One thing led to another, and Tim rented the apartment a few weeks later.

The Dredgers had started a free canoeing program at Red Hook that summer. They had a single canoe chained to the railing of the park, and another in Victor's Flea Market up the street. Tim and Jo helped the Dredgers with the program that summer, and after some strong encouragement from the Dredgers Tim and Jo founded the Red Hook Boaters to run a free kayaking and beach clean-up program at the park on a regular basis.

The Dredgers provided crucial support in the way of money, and insurance, while Tim and Jo began recruiting their neighbors.

By the start of the 2006 season the Red Hook Boaters was up and running with a regular schedule of free kayaking and beach clean-ups throughout the summer. About once a week they provide free kayak rides at the pier for the local residents. The response has been great, and the program is growing by leaps and bounds.

The Boaters have been working with other neighborhood groups like the Red Hook Initiative, Dance Theater Etc., and Portside New York to run joint programming and introduce new people to the their wonderful park.

The Boaters have formed a strong bond with the Parks Department. They have worked with the Catalyst Coordinators, and Outreach Coordinators, and enrolled in the Partnership Academy program to learn more about Parks, and help them continue to expand.

On many summer days the Louis J. Valentino Park grows by 50% to include the water surrounding the pier as the Red Hook Boaters provide the kayaks and supervision for the General Public to experience the water part of the park.

The Red Hook Boaters can be reached at:
http://www.redhookboaters.org