As part of World Environment Day on June 5, 2010 Pittsburgh broke the Guinness World Record™ for Largest Raft of Canoes/Kayaks with 1,619 boats. The previous record was set by 1,104 boats in Inlet, New York, and previously held by Cleveland.
The record attempt involved a flotilla, a free-floating raft of kayaks and canoes held together by hands. Sometime after noon, Kayakers launched their boats from locations downtown and formed a raft near Point State Park. Once arranged, each paddler held on to an adjacent boat for 30 seconds—long enough to satisfy the record’s time requirement, and long enough for a photographer to get an aerial view.
Here was the schedule for the event:
9 – 10 am – Boat renters arrive at Heinz Field ramp, check in, and get gear
9 – 10 am – Boat owners arrive, unload boats, check in, and prep gear
11 am – Staging and safety briefing
11:15 am – 12:30 pm – Boats launch and raft up at the point
12:30 – 1 pm – Record attempt!
2 pm – Rivers reopen to motorized boat traffic
is there a cost for paddle at the point if i have my own kayak? how much are rentals [for a couple friends i may recruit]?
Nope the event is free if you have your own boat! We are working with a number of outfitters to supply boats for people to rent if they don’t have their own. There will be a charge to rent, we’ll let you know what it is after we confirm with the outfitters.
Sounds awesome! Would be cool if we could get/buy t-shirts!
I registered several weeks ago for the event, but I haven’t received any confirmation notices. Should I have gotten something? Should I register again?
Thanks,
Hi Raymond: We want to send a note to you and other registrants about what time to arrive and where to park, but are still finalizing logistics. We’ll be in touch very soon with your confirmation and all those important details!
where do we register and launch from?
neil guberman says:
May 18, 2010 at 8:23 am
hi…..after doing the math, the time it will take to launch 1100 + boats would be much more than 1 hour!
(unless you can launch 18-19 boats per minute?!?) soooo, i was wondering about the registration/boat drop off/launch process and exactly what the plan is? specifically, are there going to be multiple launch sites available? where will the registration area be? what do you mean by boat drop off? thanks!
I erased your email on renting a kayak before reading it. Can you send me that email again, also are life jackets available with the kayak,thank you.
Hi Thomas,
I resent the email sent on 5/19. To pay for your boat rental, please visit paddleatthepoint.com/paddle-at-the-point-boat-rental
Hi Amy,
We’ll just need to do a quick check-in of participants on event day. If you are bringing your own boat, we strongly recommend parking at the Monongahela Wharf. It’s a short carry from your car to the river’s edge. Parking is free. Venture Outdoors staff and volunteers will be there to help get everyone checked in and on the water on time.
If you are renting a boat, please park in Heinz Field Lot 1 or 2. Parking is free. Meet up with us at the ramp near the new Fred Rogers Memorial that leads from the open end of Heinz Field into the water. Venture Outdoors staff and volunteers will be there to check you in and help you get your boat and other gear and get on the water on time.
By now you should have received an email with logistics information that also directs you to the payment page to reserve your boat. Please visit paddleatthepoint.com/paddle-at-the-point-boat-rental
Hi Erin: After the event, we plan to have T-shirts commemorating the victory that folks can buy if they so choose.
Hello,
Really excited about tomorrow. My friends and I are floating down from Hazlewood and I was wondering what the policy would be around check-in. She would just make sure we have floated down by 10am.
Thanks so much
Hi Willa, If you are already registered with us, please stop by the Mon Wharf or the Heinz Field ramp to check in and get your wrist bands. Getting there by 10 am is a good strategy.
are dogs aloud to be in the kayak too? My dog has a life jacket.
Well-behaved, friendly, licensed pets are welcome to join you in your own boat that you brought. Animals are not allowed in rental boats, and you will be responsible for cleaning up after your animal.
how does it look for the day? are we still on?
I saw a few people wearing t-shirts that had comments on them about todays record breaking event. Where do we buy these t-shirts?
Jim: Some groups had shirts made on their own. Venture Outdoors, as organizers for the event, have not yet had shirts made. We likely will when Guinness certifies our new world record.
Kudos to Venture Outdoors for arranging Paddle at the Point! It was a blast!
Orchrastating the kayaking mass of all ages, floating devices and skill sets took great co-ordination.
Loading and unloading our kayaks was a breeze. Free parking was a super perk.
Check in was easy. We do hope you contact us if we won anything. Many of us cut off our # tags since you tied them to our names.
Your focus on safety was truly evident. As one who fell off a kayak mid Allegheny River, I was comforted by the immediate presence of your crew. Thier nimble meandering amongst us provided a sense of calm and security.
Thank you all for your effort. You created a great memory, experience and a perfect example of Pittsburgh at its’ Best!