South Bass Island Rendezvous

The 2008 South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous will be
Friday - Sunday June 6th, 7th, & 8th
Each year it will be the 2nd week end after Memorial Day.
You are invited to this gathering of Kayakers.

This is a non commercial gathering without much of an agenda besides having a safe ( read the safety notes below ) fun time, and meeting new and old paddling friends at great place to paddle. Everybody will set their own schedule, and set their own agenda. Most people will be renting camp sites at the South Bass Island State Park for Friday June 6th & Saturday June 7th. Some people will come early and some will leave later.

Tell your kayaker friends. Make an announcement to your club.
The more people that show the better !!
If you have any questions or comments make a post on the discussion board.

Read the Safety notes below.

Every year the 2nd week end after Memorial day kayakers are getting together at the South Bass Island State Park for some Kayaking fun. It is the best place for a weekend paddle within 100 miles.

Who is invited ?
Anybody who wants to go. Novice to advanced paddlers & paddlers friends and family. Instructors can set up classes, bring students & shops can bring boats to demo. ACA, BCU, and equivalent instructors can have a link on this site to classes they would like to offer.

What will the activities be ?
It is just a group of Kayakers that will meet on land at a great place to paddle.
You are completely responsible for yourself. Some paddlers will be happy just hanging out or staying near shore, near the campground, and some may decide to do more advanced runs. There are no safety paddlers, or guides. You are 100% responsible for yourself. Know your limits, don't push yourself or endanger other paddlers by joining on side trips that exceed your level or comfort zone.

Paddling options
You have all of Lake Erie available to you. With a chart and a little imagination, you will find 5x as many options as you will have time for. The water is clean, and the scenery is great. There are nice rock gardens to play in, and many beaches that are adequate for stopping. Most of the land on the island is private, but still there are many landing options. Much of the shore line is 20' below peoples cottages which makes it more reasonable to stop. There are a number of public places to land on also. You are responsible for yourself. Make sure you have all the skills and safety equipment to make sure that you and the people with you do not have problems. If you go far from shore make sure you are prepared to take care of yourself. See the safety notes below.

Instruction
Any instruction given at the Rendezvous is independent from the Rendezvous. It is not endorsed by anybody but the actual people and organizations giving instruction.
At the 2007 Rendezvous instructors from 41North conducted some classes.
These classes where a great success & everybody was happy so 41 North has increased the number of classes they will give during the Rendezvous.
To see the schedule and sign up for classes visit their website at www.kayak41north.com

Our favorite kayak shop
www.riversidekayak.com
They say they will be there with 4 or so demo boats this year. They sell Valley, P & H, and some other good brands.

Practice opportunities
The shore near the camp site is a good place to practice. If you are interested in practicing rescue and paddling skills please invite others to do it with you. If you are interested make a note on the message board.

Kayak Rental Options
You can rent a basic kayaks from Kayak the Bay.
The are good for playing around near shore.
The owner says they will give "the island discount" to people coming out for the Rendezvous.
www.kayakthebay.com

Where to stay

There are some great lake side camp sites at South Bass Island State Park.

If you plan on spending the night, reserve a camp site at the South Bass Island State Park as early as possible so you can get a good site on the water.
Call 419-797-4530 or 866-644-6727 to make your reservation.
All sites in the camp ground are good.

No matter where you stay, you can always hang out at one of the sites everybody will inevitably gather at.
The best sites are noted below.
They are on a cliff right on the lake. They are all tent only. ( all but 2 noted below come with a space for your car )

135 (closest to the take out / launch site) Its where the nightly party usually is.
134,133,132,131,130,128,127,125,123
122 ( near restrooms & fish cleaning hut )

All of the above sites are ideal for hanging out with all the other paddlers.
119.5, 119 ( walk in or kayak in only ) no cars.

117, 116, 115, 114, 113.

112, 109, 108 Far from the take out but with a great view.
107,105,104,103,102,100,99

97 nice private site.

98, 96, 95. Ok / marginal sites not on the water.

Near site 104, there is a (it is a difficult climb with your boat) take out. If you are looking for privacy, it is a good area.
In any case, make your reservation early so you get a good site. The park requires for you to reserve a minimum of 2 nights. Of course you can stay for just 1 night if you want. Usually you can reserve a site on line, but the site is down as of the writing of this page. You can try going to www.ohio.reserveworld.com to reserve a site at the South Bass Island State Park. If that does not work, call 419-797-4530.

If you are having a hard time getting a site, and you know anybody on this list, give them a call to see if they have space for you.
Or you can just show up to the camp ground and try to get a site, or ask anybody at these sites to rent 1/2 a site to you.

Technically there can only be 2 tents per site. If you have 3 small tents on site they will not give you a problem.

If you reserve a site, let us know by posting a note on our message board.

Getting To South Bass Island

There are no bridges to South Bass Island. The two most common ways to get there are to take the Miller Ferry, or paddle your kayak. If you have any doubts about your skills or anybody in your group, do not paddle to South Bass Island. It is very exposed & Lake Erie can surprise you with wind, waves, fog, lots of power boat traffic ( some are reckless ) & other hazards. If you click on the above maps, you can see directions. You can take your car and or kayak on the Miller Ferry. During the busy season they may require that you reserve a space for your car on the ferry. They usually want proof that you have a place to park your car over night on the island. The best thing to have is a some notice or confirmation of a camp site reservation. You can also take the Jet Express, but you can not take your car or kayak on the Jet Express. If you take the Jet Express you can rent a bike or golf cart where the Jet docks.

Kayak with a Buddy

The Rendezvous is a gathering on land and there are no official paddles that launches & leaves together. We hope to see everyone safe at South Bass Island State Park. This is an opportunity to meet other kayakers from your area and this region. If you paddle in a group it is usually safer and more fun. Though the wrong group could tempt you to go beyond your limits. Do not join groups that may do paddles beyond your abilities, and do not invite or include people that may not be ready for the kind of paddle you may do. Make sure everybody in your group has the skills, physical ability, and the right gear for what ever you plan on doing.

A message board was set up in the Midwest Forum of “Getting Together and Going Paddling” section of www.paddling.net. If you want to hook up with somebody, post to the forum and look for posts ( The board can be found at www.southbassrendezvous/discussionboard ) The whole point of this trip is to have fun, gather together and have a safe weekend. You may be able to meet a group to paddle with when you are at South Bass Island. If you think your abilities do not match the paddle do not go with them. It is a good idea to plan in advance.

Safety
You are responsible for your own safety.
Have a paddling partner. Have a plan with that partner. Do not follow a group anywhere unless you know that you and your partner are both 100% ready to handle separating from the group at any time.
Do not count on a stranger or feel you are safe just because there is a group. Nobody is responsible for yourself except you.
Try to make sure everybody is safe. Do not be afraid to mention something about safety to another kayaker. If you see somebody that needs help, or is in a uncomfortable or un safe situation please help them get to shore. But do not count on somebody being there for you. Avoid getting in over your head and take care of yourself.
Kayaking on Lake Erie has many potential hazards, including fog, wind, waves, and a high concentration of power boaters in some areas.
Do not exceed your skills, and encourage others to not exceed their skills.
The waters near South Bass Island are very exposed. If you venture far from land it is like being in the middle of the lake. Since Lake Erie is relatively shallow the waves tend to be steep and close to each other.
If you are anywhere near a point of land that boats would use as a turning point / cut stay close to land & do not linger in this area.
Make sure the combined skills of your group are adequate to avoid and deal with potential problems.
If you have any doubts in your skill, or people you paddle with take the ferry, and stay close to shore.
Do not go on a paddle that you think may exceed your skill level or anybody else in the groups skill level.

If you venture far from shore,
    Make sure you have the skills to deal with what can happen on the water.
    Let somebody know where you are going and when you will be back. Do not be late if you do not have a plan to communicate that you will be late.
    Bring with you the following
        Life Jacket (Always where your life jacket)
        Flotation and / or water tight bulkheads.
        At least 1 competent paddling partner.
        Adequate clothes
        Pump
        Paddle Float
        Spray skirt
        Properly equipped boat with grab lines
        Bright colored equipment and clothes.
    At least 1 person in your group should have 1 of the following, and know how to use it.
        VHF radio
        GPS - Make sure you have way point for land. If visibility drops, you will need it.
        Compass
        Tow Line
        Spare Paddle

Friday or Saturday Night Pot Lock
2007 there was a pot luck dinner a near site 135.
The 2008 put luck will be friday night also. The location is unknown but it will probably be somewhere near site 135 / on a water side site.

Other food options
You can take your own food and eat in the park, or you can take advantage of the dozens of restaurants in the town of Put-In-Bay. The Boardwalk is a great place for lunch and dinner. Frosties is a favorite place for breakfast.

Party Options
The park is a fairly quiet place where you can relax. If you want to party you can venture into the town of Put-In-Bay. If you like to listen to music and go to the bars, you will have endless opportunities. There are 1 man bands, huge party bars and everything in between. Usually a group of everybody is invited paddlers gather near site 135 at night.

Other Options
Other activities include visiting Perry's Monument, and lots of interesting shopping. Do not let Put-In-Bays party reputation keep you away. 95% of South Bass Island is 100% peaceful 100% of the year.
There are many on land options for having fun.
If you want to learn more about South Bass Island, go to www.Google.com and search for Put-In-Bay.

Other info
Go here to see a live video on South Bass Facing toward Kelly's Island
http://www.lakevision.net/camera_4.htm