New Accessible Kayak Launch Coming to Rotary Park in Coldwater
Now that it's finally starting to feel like spring in west Michigan and warmer weather is on the way, we can finally breathe a collective sigh and relief and go outdoors again! One of my favorite pastimes throughout the warmer months is to paddle around on the water.
Whether you prefer to canoe, tube, or (my favorite) kayak, there are plenty of rivers, inland lakes, and a couple GREAT ones, where you can enjoy a relaxing or adventurous day on the water!
The Coldwater Rotary Club has just announced that a new kayak launch is planned for Rotary Park. Not only is the launch open and available to the public, but it is also fully accessible to those with physical limitations and challenges.
A social media post by the Coldwater Recreation Department says,
The Launch is a BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch and will be fully accessible. It will allow those with special needs to easily access the water and for all kayakers to have a more stable way to enter the water.
A joint effort between the Coldwater Township Sunrise Rotary, Coldwater Rotary Club, and the Coldwater Solar Project brought the kayak launch into reality. Currently being installed, officials say the launch will be available to use at a later point in time--hopefully in time to take advantage of this warm weather! Look for an official announcement coming soon.
We recently had one of these self-serve, handicap accessible kayak launches installed at the downtown riverfront where I live in Allegan, and my family and I definitely took advantage of it last summer! The great part is that these kayak launches are very user friendly.
Kayakers are able to load their boats and themselves into the water with minimal effort, thanks to the rollers and guides along the launch. It's easy in/easy out, and there's even an adaptive slide bench that allows users to transfer easily from wheelchair to kayak.
I think every public boat launch should have these as a standard. Have you ever used a self-service kayak launch before?
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