Fun on the Hackensack

I went out for my second exploration of the Hackensack River in New Jersey. It was a beautiful sunny Labor Day. Low tide was at 3:17pm, So I planned to paddle upriver and then turn and come home on the falling tide. As it turned out, I was up and ready earlier than expected, so I left at 8:45 and had the kayak in the water by 9:15.
I launched at Bergen turnpike based on the very helpful Hackensack Riverkeeper site .
It said that one could put in or out at any tide. This proved true,although the pull out was a little tricky. The launch is directly opposite Tracy's Nine Mile which seemed to be closed...Labor Day perhaps?
It looks like the perfect place for an after paddle refreshment.



The best surprise was paddling towards a derelict bridge and noticing on the other side some type of Military craft. Coming under the bridge, stone the crows, there is a submarine! Who knew there was a naval Museum there? Not me that's for sure.



USS Ling (SS/AGSS/IXSS-297) is a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy, named for the ling fish, also known as the cobia. Ling is the last of the fleet boats that patrolled American shores during World War II in response to U-boat attacks off the coast of the United States. Ling was laid down 2 November 1942 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia, Penn. She was launched 15 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Foy; and was moved to the Boston Navy Yard for completion and testing. Ling was commissioned on 8 June 1945, with Commander George Garvie Molumphy in command.
After shakedown and further installations, Ling headed out to sea to test her equipment 15 September 1945. The submarine based at Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut until she sailed 11 February 1946 for the Panama Canal Zone, arriving eight days later. She operated out of Panama until 9 March when she sailed north. She completed inactivation 23 October at New London, decommissioned 26 October 1946, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
In March 1960, Ling was towed to Brooklyn, New York, where she was converted into a training ship at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, simulating all aspects of submarine operations. She was reclassified an Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-297) in 1962.
Ling was reclassified a Miscellaneous Unclassified Submarine (IXSS-297), and struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1971



While the trip was a very urban one, I did spot several birds;many double crested cormorants, a green heron, a black crowned night heron, along with the ubiquitous Canada geese and herring gulls.



The Hackensack Courthouse I believe.



Sears landmark

I turned around at Johnson St Park, which is where I began my first trip a couple of weeks ago. The wind picked up a bit and I was surprised to be paddling over 1 foot waves in some reaches .





Take care when paddling under THIS bridge.


Was happy to see another view of the Empire State Building on my return.

By the time I got back at 2:00, the tide was way out.I was able to get out just a little way up ,and then dragged the kayak along the mud, before lifting it up onto the roadway.

All in all a great days paddling.