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Waterways info

A Plea for recreational Boater Caution

Boating in NYC can be a fantastic way to "get away" just minutes from our crowded shores, and the harbor is NYC’s largest open space.  However, you need to know what you are doing for your own safety and so you don’t cause a working boat to have an accident. Such accidents can harm the environment with a fuel spill, hurt or kill other people, and thereby cause the person steering to loose their license and livelihood. Working mariners in the wheelhouse experience a lot of stress with the rise of recreational boating in NY harbor because there are many people who are NOT practicing considerate boating or even safe boating. We encourage you to remember the safety concepts below and share them with your friends:

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  • Know the rules of the road. Sailboats do NOT always have right of way; Coast Guard Navigation Rule 9 explains this.

  • Read this handy, illustrated Coast Guard guide to rules of the road and aids to navigation. If in doubt as to who has right of way, play it safe and get out of the way of large commercial vessels. They have the right of way when they are constrained by draft (can't move out of the narrow, deep channels they use.) And consider the odds: if you get dangerously close to them, you are likely to get hurt, not the big boat. Plus, there is no reason to stress out people who are working.

  • Barges can be out of sight behind tugs while being towed on long cables. Do not cut close behind a tug, especially not at night, if you don't know how to read the towing lights that indicate if, and how, the tug is towing another vessel.

  • Large boats moving fast can create water hazards such as wakes (waves behind them) and a suction effect pulling you closer to them, so stay well away from them and don’t pass too close behind them once they do pass.

  • While fishing, do not ever anchor in the channel; do not tie up to navigational aids.

  • Carry a VHF marine radio and wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

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recreational boating safety info

  • Due to Brianna’s Law, a boating safety certificate is now required to operate motorized vessels, phased in depending on your age. Get full info from the NYS Parks office here. If you were born on or after January 1, 1988, you need this in 2022. If you were born on or after January 1, 1983, you need this in 2023. If you were born on or after January 1, 1978, you need this in 2024. All operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, need this as of January 1, 2025.

  • The Safe Harbor a website solely about safe boating in NY harbor.

  • 59 page Kayaker's Guide to New York Harbor by Graeme Birchall

  • I Boat NY Harbor created by Ed Bacon, an NYC sailboat charter captain, has info on safe Boat Handling, Tides + Currents, planning your route, + more.

  • Boating Safety Resource Center, Coast Guard.

  • US Coast Guard Sector NY website

  • NOAA Chart of New York harbor #12327 and a booklet version for small boating that you can print at home.

Marine Weather, Tides, Tips

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NY harbor Waterfront Access points

Access hours and rules will vary due to the great number of owners of the waterfront parks. Note that many of the new, large waterfront parks are not run by the Parks Department (Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, for example), and many waterfront public spaces are on private property. 

You need a permit to launch from City property:
"The success of the City's boat launches — both for hand-powered and non-hand-powered craft alike — is dependent upon our safety record. To assure compliance with safety requirements, the City requires a permit for the use of all City kayak and canoe as well as power and sailboat launch facilities. Permits may be obtained by mail or in person for a fee of $15.00 at the following permit offices." More info

Health safety of waterways & how to help

NYC has an archaic sewer system with Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). When it rains, street litter goes down storm drains at the corner of each block; and NYC has shared storm drain and sewer pipes which means that, when there is a big rain, the rain fills up the storm drains, and all the litter, plus a lot of sewage, washes into the harbor. Go look at the harbor right after a rain, and you’ll see a lot of floating trash. Solutions?

  • The DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) is responsible for both delivering our tap water and removing and processing our wastewater. They now have an app called WAIT that tells you when to wait and not flush, shower, run laundry etc during “rain events.” Download it here.

  • Don't litter! Street litter gets washed into the harbor when it rains.

Fishing

Info on where to go fishing in Red Hook here.

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Though local waters are much cleaner, often clean enough to swim, many fish accumulate poisons in their system and are not good to eat on a regular basis.  Fish from New York City waters can contain chemicals like PBCs, dioxin, and cadmium. These chemicals build up in your body over time and may lead to cancer or birth defects in children. Here is some info to help you learn more about eating fish you catch.  There are ways to protect yourself in terms of you clean and cook the fish, and knowing which fish to avoid eating.

  • Read the NYS Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch brochure (pdf)

  • Fishing advisories from the DEC and EPA.

  • Click this webpage from NYS Department Of Health to get several guides on what fish not to eat, how to more safely prep and cook fish to reduce toxins, etc.

 

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