North Brooklyn Community Boathouse Public Paddle

A note from NBCB: 

Join us for a special Public Paddle Saturday, 9/17!

As we continue our exile from the boatyard, this community event will take place at Manhattan Avenue Street End Park, just one block away in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Here’s a map!

The Public Paddles let NBCB do what we do best: fulfill our mission to enable access to the waterways of New York City for our local community.

We’ll have canoe tours with views of Manhattan, tasty beverages and snacks on hand, and friends and neighbors gathering together on the shores of Newtown Creek.

The event runs 12-4.  We have only one of our 29′ Langley canoes available for this Public Paddle, so anticipate some time on land, meeting your neighbors and participating in the Community Reflection Station, where we invite you to add your words and decorations to help celebrate the day.

For this Public Paddle, we are also welcoming guests from an important protest action that will take place on the East River earlier in the morning.
A group of NYC First Nations, youth, and local climate activists will join a flotilla action with the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change to take the world’s biggest problem to the world’s highest court by seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change.

During the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 77th session, representatives from the Pacific Islands are coming to NYC to urge world leaders to vote yes on the ICJ advisory opinion resolution when it is put to a vote. The advisory opinion campaign aims to clarify the legal obligations of states to protect the rights of current and future generations from the adverse effects of climate change. After gathering with NBCB volunteers on the banks of Newtown Creek, the site of historic industrial pollution, the flotilla of boats will embark into the East River across from the UN building to stage a photo with signage draped across sails, canoes, and boats. Then a smaller contingent will trek down to the southern point of Manhattan for an iconic image in front of Lady Liberty to amplify the story of powerful youth-led organizing from the most impacted island nations fighting to protect their future.

Representatives from the action will be on hand at the Public Paddle to talk about this important work. NBCB is proud to once again join in protest and action in support of the planet’s Indigenous populations and against the forces that would ignore climate changes and the planet’s most vulnerable peoples.

Paddling is free! Our public paddles are child and pet friendly (kayaks have a height minimum of 4′ 10″ and no pets on board, although both children and pets are welcome in the boatyard!) Check our website in the morning in case of inclement weather.

We ask that all attendees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Please stay home if you are feeling ill. If you are worried you are sick and need help, please see NYC’s Covid Resources Guide here.

We hope to see you!

NBCB