Nora Grace-Flood
View of Lake Housatonic from Whitey’s Marina.
DERBY — Seven miles of sparkling waters and lush foliage in the middle of summer and … nobody around to enjoy it?
Tina Pritchard is looking to change that by expanding her Milford beach rental business to Lake Housatonic (on the Housatonic River) in Derby.
Pritchard set up shop at Whitey’s Marina on Roosevelt Drive on July 16. “Summer doesn’t last long,” she said from under the shade of a pop-up tent. “You have to get it while you can.”
Tina Pritchard.
While the water front is home to the Yale Boat House and kids have been attending The Recreation Camp just about the road for more than 100 years, there are relatively few recreational opportunities designed to bring the public down to the shore.
Usually you have to know a buddy with a boat to take advantage of the Housatonic River in Derby.
Scoot & Paddle rents out kayaks, paddle boards, scooters, and bikes at varying fees to anyone who calls ahead to make a reservation (a new rule from the COVID-19 era).
Pritchard founded the business nine years ago in Milford while “looking to connect to the community” in which she has spent the majority of her life.
“There was this huge stretch of coastline, but nobody was using it. There was really nothing to do there other than swim,” she said.
Pritchard herself had been jumping from job to job, feeling listless and unfulfilled. “I can’t stay inside. I can’t stay still,” she confessed with a laugh. “So I made my own job. I finally found what I love!”
By making rentals available, she filled a void in city. Many people without the space to store kayaks or even bicycles were suddenly able to get out on the water.
As more people became invested in their new outdoor hobbies, many started purchasing seasonal passes or buying their own equipment. Devoted customers formed new communities, racing each other and going for collective kayaking adventures.
Pritchard offered structure, spreading the word on Meetup and other online platforms about open events. Those with their own kayaks could come at no charge, and everybody else could rent one from her. The largest group paddle Pritchard has led reached 42 kayakers.
“People don’t really like to go out on their own, nor should they,” Pritchard said, citing the rip tides and potential dangers of traveling through the open ocean.
Pritchard now also organizes a variety of events and classes with different themes, such as full moon kayaking trips, yoga and meditation on paddle boards, and the Charles Island Cup, a 12 mile race that’s celebrated with food trucks, free massages, and live music. She hopes to bring these sorts of events to Derby in the near future; she’s contemplating holding a race on the Housatonic this August.
“People become stewards of the land in a sense,” Pritchard noted. Once people started using the water, they also started picking up litter and engaging more with environmentalism.
The public’s new interest in local shoreline also revitalized the area around Port Milford: Walnut Beach Creamery earned new business, art galleries moved in, concerts and dance parties became more commonplace.
Pritchard remarked that as she has started to become more familiar with Derby, she has realized how the city, just like Milford, is in need of some economic stimulation.
While most establishments are suffering due to the effects of the pandemic, business is booming for Pritchard.
“Kayaking, paddle boarding, biking; they’re all perfect activities for social distancing,” she observed.
When Pritchard called up her distributor in hopes of purchasing more kayaks for the Derby site, she found that they were on backorder due to the combination of massive sales and shut down factories.
Desperate to get out of the house and let off some steam in a safe way, people have been flocking (in a staggered, socially distant fashion) to her rental services. She also remarked that while the ocean in Milford often seems “big, scary, and unpredictable,” the lake is contained and placid, offering an ideal environment for those who are beginners to water sports.
Throughout her first week working on the Housatonic, Pritchard said she has mostly seen Milford regulars showing up to paddle board on the glassy water.
However, just the other day a group of kids wandered down to the lake. Pritchard pulled out some floats and smiled as they dove off the docks.
Later on, she heard back from business owners whose buildings look onto the water. “They told me that it was so great to see life going on around them!” Pritchard recalled.
New customers.
Pritchard’s goal is to share the “wealth” with as many people as she can.
She has already reached out to Bad Sons, the brewery across the street, in order to “team up” on events.
Pritchard also reflected on the lack of available public water throughout Connecticut. Milford has restricted all non-residents from accessing the beach, following suit from other towns throughout the state.
“Everyone has the right to access the water,” she said. “It’s a lot of politics and a lot of drama.”
She focused her bright blue eyes on the Derby lake and added, “When I’m here, anybody can come.”
To learn more, call the business at (203) 713‑8282.
