New York City questions

[seattleboatguy]

I'm doing some planning for my first run up the Hudson River this summer, and I have a few questions.

1. When you pass through New York City, do you need to get permission from any kind of traffic control center, or do you just monitor 16 and stay out of the way of commercial traffic?
2. I normally poke along at 7 knots, but I hear the Hudson has a fair amount of current. I'm not planning on doing any tourist stuff on my northbound leg, so what would be a reasonable one day run up the Hudson from Sandy Hook in the month of June?
3. On my southbound run in July, I would like to spend a day or two being a tourist in New York City. What would be a good base of operation that would not bust the bank?

Thanks very much.

 

[Genecop]

No permission needed...Not sure about dock space in NYCity Probably very expensive...maybe look into PT Washington...35 40 minutes by boat the NY..1 hour or so by car depending on traffic..

 

[alormaria]

I don't believe so. Stick to the Jersey side. It's pretty confusing. That's basically all you do and you'll be busy doing that. Don't cross the harbor at rush hour or the ferries will be added to the normal very busy traffic. Stick to the sides and out of the channels and try not to get anyone's way. They ain't stopping.

Hudson current isn't anything to worry about. Try to go with it but if not don't worry about it. Plenty of places to buy fuel.

I left the Point Pleasant Canal around 6:00am and got a mooring at the 79ths Street Boat Basin by 6:00pm. If you go under the Tappan Zee bridge everything is beautiful. Lots of marinas to choose from along the lower river.

The 79th Street Boat Basin has moorings and transient slips. It's at 79st (hence the name) and is right on the subway system. I took a mooring on the way up and stayed a night in a slip on the way down. There are a lot of wakes due to the tugs and barges. Very rolly.

There are several marinas on the Jersey side down by the Statue of Liberty and one or two on lower Manhattan. Bring money and plan to leave it.

 

[caltexflanc]

One of our very favorite trips. The Indian name for the Hudson meant "River that runs both ways." Time your trip with the tidal current and you can get a free knot coming and going.

We liked to base ourselves in Great Kills harbor on Staten Island, either the Mansion or Atlantis marinas. It is a short walk to a nice village, and the the busses that run along Hylan Blvd. You can take a bus to the ferry or take an express bus that will end up running the length of Manhattan. We did both depending on our agenda.

You can anchor in there theoretically but it is crowded. If you belong to a yacht club, you can check in with the nice folks at the Richmond YC and see if a mooring is available. We don't like the marina on the south side because it is a very long walk to anything.

We liked to monitor the VTS channel (11 if I recall correctly) as well as 16. You will deal with every form of waterborne craft imaginable and plenty of it. We found it exciting and fun, but pay attention!

As for your one day trip, we liked to go to pretty Croton Point, just a bit north of Ossining (and Sing Sing Prison which is on the shore there , and anchor out. You can go to the park or over to Half Moon Marina (an alternative if you are not an anchor), and walk through the nice village with good shops and restaurants, or take the train into Manhattan.

Read this http://mvsanderling.net/Blog/wp-con...Larry-Zeitlins-GUIDE-to-Hudson-River-2015.pdf

Larry was a long time member of the Trawlers and Trawlering list and his guide is a lot of fun and a "must read" IMO. Also the waterway guide to fill in all the cruising details.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. sbg. Ooh boy! I'm stretching my memory here but northbound we passed Battery Point (south end of Manhattan Island) around noon and reached Tarrytown (about 27 miles upstream) about 5PM. Can't remember the tides. Second day ran to Catskill (about 80 miles). Again, no idea of tides but it was a LONG day so we must have had tidal help somewhere along the way.

This must have been 20+ years ago...What day is it today?????

 

[seattleboatguy]

Read this http://mvsanderling.net/Blog/wp-con...Larry-Zeitlins-GUIDE-to-Hudson-River-2015.pdf

Wow, that is a great resource. Thanks for the link

 

[DavidM]

The Nyack Boat Club moorings are an easy 40 NM run up the Hudson from Sandy Hook, just past the Tappan Zee bridge. Call channel 9 for a mooring which is $20 as I recall and includes launch service to the club. Hang out for a drink at the club in the evening.

No restrictions in passing NYC. Just watch out for all of the ferry traffic.

As others have indicated, 79th St Boat Basin moorings in NYC are a reasonable cost place to stay with good subway access. It will be rolly during the day and you will need a good dinghy to get to the dinghy landing bucking the 3 knot current. Other places are Liberty Landing and Newport Yacht Club marinas on the Jersey side but they ain't cheap- $4.50/ft. Take the ferry to NYC.

Further up the river about 60 NM up from the Nyack Boat Club is a neat anchorage in Esopus Creek at Saugerties. Room for 2-3 boats in a quiet, nice spot in the creek.

David

 

[caltexflanc]

Mansion Marina, friendly and in a nice setting, is $1.75 a foot for transients.
I think Atlantis, a little fancier is now about $2.50, maybe 3. They both got rebuilt after Sandy which wiped the whole harbor out.

Plus it is much easier to provision etc in Great Kills including a nearby Costco.

Regardless, top your tanks off and pump out at Atlantic Highlands on the way (kind of) in, still much cheaper than NY.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

You don't need to check with NY Traffic but may want to monitor ch 14 to hear traffic checking in about movements. If you have only one vhf at your helm station you'd be better served using dual watch channel 13/16.
Get to the Battery (southern end of Manhattan at start of North Hudson) River flood and use it to your advantage to get as far as you are going that day.

 

[SOJOURN4]

Watch marinas/moorings directly on the Hudson/NY Harbor - can be pretty bumpy.

Can get a bit unnerving with all of the boats/traffic. Do you have AIS?

Channel 13 monitoring is a must.

 

[Roger Long]

Watch your depth sounder out of the channel. Many of the coves and possible anchorages that look very inviting have considerably less depth than charted.

 

[auskiwi]

Monitor the commercial VHF channel, and have a good look out watching behind you, as commercial traffic travels much faster than your 7 Knots, I know, they come up fast. If you are a member of AGLCA you can get a reasonable slip at Great Kills Yacht Club on Staten Island.

 

[FF]

"On my southbound run in July, I would like to spend a day or two being a tourist in New York City. What would be a good base of operation that would not bust the bank?"

If you will be looking at the area , you might consider heading into LI Sound for a few days.

City Island has moorings that are not expensive , and marinas that are a bit more.

An express bus can whisk you to town in the AM and return in the PM.

Public transportation (aka the electric sewer ) and a bus is also possible but not for the weak .

The best ride from the harbor is to join the east river about an hour or two after low and let it flush you up past the city , Hell Gate , LGA and into the Sound.

Heading south simply get to the Throgs Neck bridge about Hi tide and the ride down is as enjoyable .


The area is worth a visit !

 

[aboatman]

"Not bust the bank"?

If you're stopping in NYC, you'll have to bring the bank with you. Liberty Landing Marina on the NJ side is $4.50 per foot plus $.30 per foot for power (higher rate for larger boats). It appears you can walk to a ferry to get you to the city from the marina.

I am planning a similar trip to NYC, up the Hudson and the Erie Canal. It won't be cheap. I am installing an AIS system so I will see and be seen, not that I expect the ferries to do anything to avoid me.

Just about everything you need to know is on Active Captain and in the Waterway Guide for that area.

 

[caltexflanc]

If you're stopping in NYC, you'll have to bring the bank with you. Liberty Landing Marina on the NJ side is $4.50 per foot plus $.30 per foot for power (higher rate for larger boats). It appears you can walk to a ferry to get you to the city from the marina.

Read my posts, you can do it pretty economically, and with convenient, great public transportation whike keeping your boat in a nice setting.

OP didn't mention overall itinerary, but a jog up to Long Island at least is highly recommended. If you are doing that anyway, let us know,and we can help with that too.
I agree there are several nice places to base yourself there for visiting Manhattan; we liked Manhasset (mooring or marina) and Oyster Bay (anchor).

 

[aboatman]

Read my posts, you can do it pretty economically, and with convenient, great public transportation whike keeping your boat in a nice setting.

OP didn't mention overall itinerary, but a jog up to Long Island at least is highly recommended. If you are doing that anyway, let us know,and we can help with that too.
I agree there are several nice places to base yourself there for visiting Manhattan; we liked Manhasset (mooring or marina) and Oyster Bay (anchor).

Yea, that's a bit out of the way for the usual attractions. But, whatever floats your boat.

 

[caltexflanc]

No it's not. The express busses in particular make it very "in the way".

Never been there, I take it?

 

[aboatman]

You take it wrong, I have been to NYC.

I don't want to argue, I was just trying to help a boater. Chill.

 

[Wxx3]

Seattleboatguy,

A few pointers:

There will be a significant outflow thru the Narrows (under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge), Time your departure from Sandy Hook to be about an hour after current change to flood. There is a current marker at Coney Island light (about 4nm NNE of Sandy Hook). Use that for timing.

I think you will want to stay on the west side of the Ambrose Channel (the main channel and only channel thru the Narrows. Be careful of the shoal just north of Sandy Hook and west of the Ambrose Channel, you can go further west. You will see the large anchoring area. those areas are good for small boats to pass thru.

Once you get to the Upper Bay, just south of Manhattan, all the boat traffic makes for large, choppy, wakes and waves. Make sure every thing is battened down. A 6 to 8 ft wave can just appear out of nowhere from any direction. These conditions are exacerbated off of lower Manhattan, due to refracted and reflected waves. Once you get further north in the Hudson north of midtown it becomes much better.

The mixed up seas are caused my all the small, fast ferries. For that reason, it's best to stay closer to the middle of the Hudson than to shore. The waves will be less and it will give you and everyone else more time to see you.

Stay at the 79th St Boat Basin. It's real NY and it's cheaper than most hotels in town. Also, it is the most convenient to the City and it's not in a touristy area.

Have fun.

Richard on Dauntless

 

[diver dave]

Read my posts, you can do it pretty economically, and with convenient, great public transportation whike keeping your boat in a nice setting.

OP didn't mention overall itinerary, but a jog up to Long Island at least is highly recommended. If you are doing that anyway, let us know,and we can help with that too.
I agree there are several nice places to base yourself there for visiting Manhattan; we liked Manhasset (mooring or marina) and Oyster Bay (anchor).

I'm apparently a New Yorker now, but have zero idea what I would do at a mooring near the city. So, if I do pickup a mooring, is there a somewhat secure place for the dink on Manhattan?

 

[FF]

"Stay at the 79th St Boat Basin. It's real NY and it's cheaper than most hotels in town. Also, it is the most convenient to the City and it's not in a touristy area.'

However tugs going someplace in the middle of the night , with no tow behind ,at flank speed, can easily cause a start steep wake of 3 or 4 ft.

BIG fenders and fender boards are nice.

 

[seattleboatguy]

Seattleboatguy,

A few pointers:

There will be a significant outflow thru the Narrows
...

That is all very useful information. I'm going to take your post along with me, and re-read it the day before I pass through NYC. Thanks very much.

 

[DavidM]

I'm apparently a New Yorker now, but have zero idea what I would do at a mooring near the city. So, if I do pickup a mooring, is there a somewhat secure place for the dink on Manhattan?

79th St Boat Basin has a dinghy dock. It is inside an automatic locking gate that protects the dinghy dock as well as the slips.

City Island has moorings and I am sure that the marina/yard that services those moorings has a dinghy dock, but don't know about security.

David

 

[caltexflanc]

You take it wrong, I have been to NYC.

Well it sure sounds like you haven't been to Great Kills.


As mentioned, the moorings or anchoring can be extremely uncomfortable at 79th st. I gave up the one time we tried it. More appropriate in my opinion if you are staying on land. It is a great location though. Last time we were by there, the waters around the docks had shoaled badly and they could not accommodate 5ft draft. Worth calling them.

Yes the mooring fields in the area all have decent dinghy docks available.

 

[caltexflanc]

Then there's this:

https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/marinas/10

 

[BandB]

We love NYC. For those who don't, then you're really not the ones to recommend where or how since it's not your kind of place anyway. It's a very unique city. Now, if you have limited time then give yourself convenience, even at the high price. Liberty Landing and Newport are both convenient. We like Newport because PATH is right there, a nice clean and quick train ride across.

And we also agree with the 79th St Basin recommendation as well as Chelsea Piers. Then at the far high end is North Cove, in the World Trade Center area. Public transportation in the city is great but walking is the way to really experience.

Now, you have all done it. I just got a quick "We need a New York trip" from my wife and a couple of others with us chimed in with agreement.

 

[diver dave]

Great tips. Thanks! We have to realize we may not want to live in a particular place but still can really enjoy it. I've been to a few corners of the globe and although I might prefer to live where I live, every place has had its merits and attractiveness. OK, maybe except for Newark.

 

[alormaria]

79ST Boat Basin mooring in the morning.

 

[diver dave]

Nice. Its on my list.