Shelter Island Paddler Club

One of the many unique things about Shelter Island is the abundance of
accessibility to the water for boaters. It is one of the easiest places to find a spot to
put in your canoe or kayak, a luxury that is generally taken for granted by locals.

In order to access some of these areas you need to purchase a Town parking
permit. Permits are available at the Town Hall on Route 114 in the center of town,
Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-Noon. For
information and prices, call the Town Clerk at 749-1166.

For those of you with four-wheel drive vehicles, Beach Driving Permits can be
purchased for a limited number of beaches on the Island. Look out for the
environmentally protected piping plovers, as fines for damaging or destroying their
habitat are steep.

A word of caution...many of the town landings need improvements and require
careful handling of your kayak/canoe when putting in the water. Take care of your
vessel and do not drag it on the rough surfaces.

Town Landings: Crescent Beach, Nostrand Parkway (subject of public debate -
landing used to exist), Dawn Lane, Highberry Lane, Piccozzi's Marina, Menhaden
Lane, First Causeway (Little Ram), Second Causeway (Big Ram), Reel Point,
Burns Lane/St. Gabriel's, Congdon's Creek, Smith Cove, Wade's Beach, Tarkettle
Road, Evans Road, Simpson Road, Daniel Lord Road, West Neck Road, West
Neck/Brander Parkway inlet, Peconic Avenue, Shell Beach, Lilliput Lane/Peconic
Ave., Bootlegger's Alley, Kissing Rock.

Marinas: S.I. Yacht Club, Coecles Harbor, Island Boatyard, Smith Cove Marina ,
Piccozzi's Marina in Dering Harbor

Others: Crescent Beach beach area, North Ferry, First Causeway inside, Second
Causeway outside, Weck's Pond, Wade's Beach, Fresh Pond, Lily Pond/Congdon
Road.

Reading tide charts may be the most important thing besides safety when it comes
to paddling anywhere around the East End of Long Island, especially Shelter
Island. The tides generally run in six-hour High-Low increments.

If you like the many small creeks and inlets that highlight the island, make sure you
go on the incoming tide or else you'll bottom out and end up dragging your kayak or
canoe ankle deep in rotten-egg-smelling creek mud.

Wave activity is another indicator. The best time of day to go paddling is early
morning and late afternoon on weekends. During the week you can get in some
good tours during the middle of the day depending on boat traffic and wind.

We publish the tide charts, but the local newspapers also publish them and you
can always check the NOAA web site. Other good sources of tide information are
the local weekly newspaper, the Shelter Island Reporter and Newsday.

The Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, which also provides information on tidal currents
and general boating regulations, can be purchased at the local marinas and Jack's
Marine on Bridge Street.

Among the abundance of marine and land wildlife you can see are bluefish,
stripers, snappers, jellyfish, crabs, horseshoe crabs, egrets, cormorants, terns,
seagulls, osprey, deer, freshwater fish, turtles, toads, frogs, crawfish,
salamanders, ducks, geese, birds.

The most breathtaking sight to see, besides the gorgeous sunsets, is the return of
the osprey each spring. The early arrivals can be seen in early to mid-March. Many
osprey nests constructed of twigs, branches and sea grass litter the coastline.
They are a testament to the Mashomack Preserve's and the Nature Conservancy's
undying effort to bring the osprey back from endangerment.