Photo Credit: Justin Ramos
Nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River, Anne Arundel County in Maryland revolves around the water. From crabbing and fishing to sailing to Annapolis—the heart of the county and home to the Naval Academy—the community thrives on water activity. Naturally, one would assume the county’s parks and recreation department offers a multitude of areas for the public to launch their personal watercraft. This is true in some capacity. There are about 16 sites labeled as accessible to water for car-top boat launch—a boat a person can carry to the water. They are accessible, but may require some hauling the watercraft by hand farther than some would feel comfortable. This was where the need for a kayaking program came into being.
Starting From Scratch
A few years ago, the community approached the county about offering ease of access to waterways. The Recreational Kayaking Program was also introduced at that time. I was approached by the administration to help set up the forthcoming spring/summer season. I had nothing—no boats, no instructors, and no plan. As an avid outdoorsman, kayaking was already on my resume, but only recreationally. The department members proposed a plan to certify five additional county employees in kayaking instruction and safety, so no problem there. But boats … transport … equipment? How could we obtain these items with a minimal budget? Once we knew the size of the program to be offered, we turned to local businesses for help. Living in a water-based community, we had our pick of local companies, and that really helped our cause. We were able to obtain all of the equipment for well below retail, securing enough gear to take two instructors and 10 participants on every trip.
Pairing Equipment And Participants
Early on, we had a mix of equipment, including single sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks, and double kayaks. Since we did not require participants to register in pairs, the double kayaks were a hard sell.