"The Barn" is where the Club stores most of its canoeing and kayaking equipment, and is where the "Work Weekend" trips are held. For several reasons, you may be asked to go the barn to pick up equipment. The barn is located on the property of the Pomona Country Club, in Pomona, NY, north of the New York Thruway (I-287). Ask the trip leader for the combination to the padlock and take only the equipment you were asked to get. Other equipment may be needed for another trip.
FROM NYC OR POINTS EAST: Palisades Interstate Parkway, North to Exit 12. At the end of exit ramp, turn left; drive to the traffic light at Route 45, turn left, and go a short distance South to Pomona Rd. (County Route 86); turn right. In about 1 mile you will see McNamara Rd. on the left. Take the NEXT LEFT, a private road flanked by two stone pillars; go about a block, turn right, and you will see the barn on your right and the trailers parked on your left. Driving time from NYC about 1 hour.
FROM NJ OR POINTS WEST OR SOUTH: Take I-287 North to the NY Thruway to Exit 15A, last exit before toll. This is Route 59. Follow it into Suffern. At the traffic light in Suffern, turn left onto Route 202 North for about 4-5 miles. Turn right on Lime Kiln Rd. (County Route 84) Continue to the stop light at Route 306. Turn Left (North), on Route 306 and continue to NEW Pomona Rd. (County Route 86) Turn Right on NEW Pomona Road, and in about one mile, look for the stone pillars on your right. If you see McNamara Rd, you have gone too far (but not to worry, just turn around and follow the above directions). Turn right between the stone pillars; go about a block, turn right and you will see the barn on your right and the trailers parked on the left.
FROM NY STATE OR POINTS NORTH: From southbound on the New York Thruway, exit at Exit 15A for Suffern. Follow the signs for Suffern. At the traffic light in Suffern, turn left onto 202 North and proceed as above from Suffern. If southbound on Route. 17, watch for a stop light and sign for Suffern and Route. 59. Follow the signs for Suffern.
TRAILER HAULERS: YOU CANNOT DRIVE ON THE PALISADES INTERSTATE PARKWAY. If you are coming from the East on I-287, take Exit 14 for Route. 59 West, Spring Valley. Continue West to Route 45, turn right (North), and continue to Pomona Rd. Then left to the entrance to the Country Club.
You can use MapsOnUs to get driving directions to: "Pomona Road & East Lane; Pomona, NY".
If you're going to paddle, buy a car that can have a cartop carrier installed. Most of the Club's cartop carriers have two pairs of tower-like devices that clamp onto exposed rain gutters, and support pipes or boards across the car. They work fine on older cars. If your car has exposed rain gutters, the towers must be adjusted to the width of your car, and for most of our carriers this requires a 9/16" box end, or adjustable wrench. There is supposed to be one in the trailers and the barn, but don't count on it. You loosen the bolts; adjust the towers for your car; place the rack on your car's rain gutters; tighten the rain gutter clamps; then re-tighten the adjusting bolts.
If your car has concealed rain gutters, you may be able to get a carrier that fits your model. Thule, Yakima, Bearcrafters and others make carriers for many vehicles. Expect to spend between $100 and $300.
The Club has a few sets of foam block carriers in the barn and in the trailers that will allow you to cartop one canoe or two kayaks. These blocks slip over the gunwales of most canoes and support the canoe on the roof of most cars without a rack. If you plan on canoeing often and don't have a car, you may want to purchase a set of foam blocks or make a collapsible rack that will fit a rental car. However, before making a "generic" rack, talk to others.
If you need to cartop a canoe - BRING ROPE! There is NEVER any rope when you need it. The canoe must be tied to both the cartop carrier and the car. Ropes should be tied over the canoe from one side of both crossbars to the other. If you are using the foam block carriers, you should tie a rope over the canoe and through the windows or doors to secure the canoe firmly to the car. In either case, two ropes should also be tied from both the bow and stern of the canoe to the car's bumpers in an upside down 'V'. To do this you need to know how to tie a few knots. Please see "How to Tie Knots".
Depending what kind of car you have, you can use your own roof rack, a Club roof rack, or some form of foam block or padding to cartop a kayak. If you use a roof rack, tie the kayak on the rack just like a canoe. Use the grab loops at the front and rear of the kayak to secure the boat to the car's bumper. Always point the front of the kayak towards the front of the car. Most cars will carry two kayaks easily.
The Club's canoe foam blocks from the barn (found on the shelves near the barn entrance) can be used on most closed boats as well. The blocks have a slot designed to fit onto the gunwales of an open canoe - it will also fit on a cockpit rim. For kayak car topping, take 4 blocks and place one at each "corner" of the cockpit rim. Place the boat upside down on the car roof on top of the blocks. Open the doors and tie the boat to the car roof by running ropes or straps through the door openings. (Keep a sponge or towel handy to sop up the water wicking along these straps into your car during rainstorms.) Again tie the boat(s) to the front and rear car frame or bumpers using the grab loops.
Special blocks and strap systems designed to carry kayaks can be purchased at many stores. They are used similarly to above but the two V-shaped blocks are first tied to the boats. Follow the directions! The most important thing is to have multiple tie down points.
Kayakers should choose a paddle by holding the paddle vertically in front of themselves. The end of the bottom blade should rest on ground. The end of the upper blade should be reachable above your head with a relaxed but outstretched arm. The fingers should curl over the end of the blade. This is just a guideline. Find out what works for you.
The best way to learn is to come on trips and get instruction. At home, you can learn a lot from these books.
HOW-TO BOOKS:
Basic River Canoeing,
Robert E. McNair, 1985, American Camping Association
White Water Handbook,
Third Edition, Bruce Lessels, 1994, Appalachian Mountain Club
River Rescue,
Les Bechdel & Slim Ray, 1985 Appalachian Mountain Club
Kayak, William Nealy, 1986, Menasha Ridge Press
Canoeing; A Beginner's Guide to the Kayak,
Nigel Foster, 1990, Fernhurst Books (He means "canoe"
in the international sense.)
GUIDE BOOKS:
AMC River Guide Series,
ME, 1980; NH & VT, 1983; MA, CT., & RI., 1985; Appalachian Mountain Club
AMC Quiet Water Canoe Guides,
NH/VT, MA/CT/RI, ME, NY & PA, Appalachian Mountain Club
Canoeing the Jersey Pine Barrens,
Fifth Edition, Robert Parnes (Assisted by Fran & Al Braley),
1999 Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, CT
Keystone Canoeing,
Edward Gertler, 1985, The Seneca Press, Silver Spring, MD
Garden State Canoeing,
Edward Gertler, 1992, The Seneca Press, Silver Spring, MD
New England White Water River Guide,
Ray Gabler, 1983, Appalachian Mountain Club
A Canoeing Guide for the Housatonic River in Berkshire County,
Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission, Housatonic Valley Association
VIDEOS:
We have a "through-the-mail" lending library of boating-related videotapes. To get a list of what's available and how to rent them, either send a SASE to the Canoe & Kayak Committee Secretary or download from the webpage at our video library page.
Many knots are used in boating, but the beginner only needs to know two.
The first is the BOWLINE (pronounced bo'-lin), it is a secure loop in the end of a line. It is proba bly the simplest and most versatile knot ever devised, and is very easy to tie. Since it never jams, it can always be untied. It can be used to tie your gear in the boat, tie on a painter, make a lasso, tie two ropes together, and to make a winch.
Notice in Figure 1, step 4, that the end of the rope can be looped around either way. It doesn't make any difference which way. One way gives the INSIDE bowline, the other an OUTSIDE bowline. Either way the bowline is strong and secure.
Many people remember how to tie this knot by remembering this silly story --- "This is a tree, and this is a rabbit hole, the rabbit comes out of his hole, around the tree, and back in his hole again." The rabbit is the end of the rope, the loop in step 2 is the hole, and the rope is the tree.
The second knot is a HALF HITCH, tie it twice and it's not a "whole hitch", but a DOUBLE HALF HITCH. It is an excellent knot for tying a boat to the roof of your car or to tie your painter to a tree to keep your canoe from going downstream without you while you go into the woods for some reason.
FIGURE 3The single half hitch will usually hold in most circumstances, but the double half hitch is more secure.
Last updated: January, 2000