Paddling community unites in Inlet to reenact record-breaking boat flotilla
By Tom French
Inlet was unusually busy for a weekend in mid-September, when thousands of paddlers converged for a 10-year celebration (and reenactment) of the community’s record-breaking 2014 canoe and kayak raft. The event included a health and wellness fair, music, silent auction, and other festivities to benefit the Golisano Children’s Hospital locations in Syracuse and Rochester as well first responders in Inlet, Raquette Lake, Eagle Bay, Big Moose, and Old Forge.
The Kiwanis Club of Farmington/Victor also sponsored the event, known as One Square Mile of Hope.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
An idea to raise money for cancer research
The idea for a Guinness record-breaking attempt was the brainchild of Connie Perry, owner of Frisky Otter Tours, a canoe outfitting business in Inlet. She was motivated to raise money for cancer research when a close friend died from it.
She’d heard about a gathering of snowmobiles for a Guinness record, and with a little research, discovered a flotilla record of 776 boats on Hinckley Lake in Ohio.
In 2008, Inlet broke the record with 1,104 boats. Perry said, “It was one of best days of my life. The energy out on the water was phenomenal. I saw people in the flotilla who were obviously recovering from breast cancer or knew people that had cancer. I’m getting emotional just talking about it.”
Adele Burnett, Tourism Director for the town of Inlet, added, “Breast cancer awareness was definitely a heart string that pulled people from a lot of different places.”
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
Defending a world record
Subsequent events after the first were in defense of its title. “In 2010, somebody broke our record, so we claimed it back in 2011. In 2013, somebody else broke the record. So we claimed it back in 2014,” said Burnett.
Inlet smashed that record, increasing the number of boats from 2,099 to 3,150. As the 10-year anniversary of that record (which still stands) approached, clamor for a redo increased.
“We have posters hanging from all three previous events (in the Information Office at Arrowhead Park), and you would not believe the number of people that see the posters, point, and say, ‘I was part of that. Look, there I am in the boat. When are you going to do it again?’ That’s why we decided to celebrate 10 years of holding the record,” said Burnett.
A beautiful day for paddling
On Saturday, Sept. 14, hundreds of colorful boats from fluorescent reds and yellows to earth-tone greens, blues, and see-through Kevlar launched from the beach at Arrowhead Park and several other locations along the shore of Fourth Lake. It was warm. The wind was calm and the sky blue – unlike the cold, windy day in 2014.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
My family was among them. As the designated time for the aerial picture approached, the flotilla slowly tightened as people reached to grab a nearby boat – one of the requirements for the record is that the boats must be held together by hands. Even though we paddled out with friends, we became separated by yards as more and more vessels squeezed into the pack.
As several beach balls bobbed above the armada, people sang songs (a rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” was particularly enthusiastic), and the hulls occasionally thundered as people clapped their paddles on the gunnels of their boats.
When a float plane from Payne’s Air Service appeared in the clear, blue sky, someone shouted, “paddles up,” a procedure to aid in the official count from the photograph.
A good time for a worthy cause
Burnett has helped organize all four events and says the most fulfilling part is “seeing people come together. The raft has to be held together by hands. You can’t be tied with any ropes or anything, so you have to touch the boat next to you. Rafting up makes a personal connection.”
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
Although Inlet didn’t break their own record this year, Burnett said, “I didn’t go into this wanting to break our own record. I wanted to celebrate ten years of holding on to a record with a good cause.”
Inlet raised over $300,000 for breast cancer research in their first three events. They anticipate raising more than $100,000 this year. People can visit http://www.onesquaremileofhope.org/ to contribute.
At some point, Guinness changed the name of the record from Largest Raft of Canoes and Kayaks to Longest Line of Canoes and Kayaks, but Inlet can still be found at the Guinness website at https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-raft-of-canoes-kayaks.
Support Adirondack Journalism
Adirondack Explorer provides trusted, in-depth news on environmental issues, community dynamics, and outdoor recreation across the Adirondack Park. As an independent nonprofit, our work empowers readers to connect with and advocate for the preservation and sustainable enjoyment of this unique 6-million-acre region.
We share our work widely through this website. As a result, we rely on donations from readers to support investigative journalism that highlights the natural beauty and challenges facing the Adirondacks. Will you help us do more?
I think you should sell puzzles of the photo. It looks amazing! Cindy
I was at the 2010 and 2014 events. In 2014, the strong wind blew the raft between two islands, fortunately. If the raft had run into one of the islands, the sheer mass of the raft would have upended boats and I am sure people would have died. This event, while well-intentioned is dangerous in windy conditions. We did not participate this year and will not participate in future events. They were lucky this year that conditions were calm.