NEWS: YPRC Recognized by Coast Guard Auxiliary for Safe Boating.

Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club Recognized by Coast Guard Auxiliary for Commitment to Safe Boating.

Yonkers, N.Y. (July 11, 2019) On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, the Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club (YPRC) received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Coast Guard Auxiliary,1st District Southern Region, Division 06, Flotilla 06, for their commitment to furthering safe boating on the Hudson River. 

The recognition was recommended and delivered by Barbara Schulz, a Vessel Examiner for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, during the club’s Tuesday evening member paddle. Schulz visits YPRC annually to certify members’ kayaks. The comprehensive checkup includes an assessment of each kayak’s hull, hatch seals, and deck lines. Paddlers are also checked for necessary equipment including a life jacket, weather/VHF radio, towline, whistle, and sponge. 

Schulz described the award as a special thank you to YPRC for all that they do to promote safe boating on the Hudson. 

“YPRC is a key, growing club on the Hudson River,” said Schulz. “Their instructors stress safety and training and their members are always looking to learn more. YPRC knows that kayaking is more than social – it’s a survival sport.”

House Captain Frank Horvath and Commodore Bill Dennison accepted the award for YPRC. Dennison expressed his appreciation for the work of the Coast Guard.  

"While the Hudson is a commercially important mode of transport for our region, the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary do a great job in also making sure it’s safe for recreational boating both here in Yonkers and throughout New York Harbor,” said Dennison. “The cooperation we receive from the Coast Guard helps make our annual Gerry Blackstone Manhattan Circumnavigation—coming up on July 20—a safe and successful event."

Each kayak that passed the safety check received a U.S. Coast Guard / Auxiliary Decal. Schulz also gave YPRC 50 whistles to be used on club boats and the promise to come back soon to check those kayaks. 

Caption: Lee Reiser, House Captain Frank Horvath, Commodore Bill Dennison, Todd Paton, Coast Guard Auxiliarist Barbara Schulz, Pat Slaven, and John Maggiotto. 

YONKERS PADDLING & ROWING CLUB (YPRC)

Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club serves as an anchor institution along the Yonkers riverfront nurturing paddling and environmental awareness. It is host of the annual Gerry Blackstone Manhattan Kayak Circumnavigation, honored by the American Canoe Association in 2018. Member programs include weekly paddles, rescue and paddling skills clinics, and a winter boat-building workshop. 

Hudson River Riders, YPRC’s free public paddling program, provides recreational access to and environmental awareness of the Hudson River through kayaking tours and instruction.

YPRC’s historic boathouse, just north of the Yonkers Pier, was built in 1938. It was home to Yonkers Canoe Club which is remembered for the two Olympic Gold medals it brought home in 1948. Although the boathouse was submerged in four feet of water during Superstorm Sandy, the members rebuilt it and continue the club’s long legacy of community involvement. 

YPRC has been recognized through the receipt of grant support from the City of Yonkers, the State of New York, Westchester Community Foundation, Hudson River Estuary program, Hudson River Improvement Fund, Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research, Inc., Toyota, and Public Lands Every Day, a National Environmental Education Foundation Program.