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Any Advice for sailing Kingston, NY to NYC??

8K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  Sal Paradise 
#1 ·
I am new to sailing, I own a Grampian 30 with a 3 cylinder universal motor, 150 genoa... I would like to end the season by sailing to NYC for a night or two and then sail back up to Kingston, NY. I haven't been that far south and i would like any advice i can get to avoid sticky situations or at least be aware of them. Any advice on good anchorages would be very useful!!

My plan is to sail down and anchor "near" the statue of liberty for a night than take the 2 day sail back to kingston....
 
#2 ·
Grampian1989
It looks like there are only two anchorages - Check active captain for location and info. one is north of Ellis Island the other is SW of the Statue of Liberty. One thing I can tell you is stay well clear of the security zones around Liberty and Ellis...... they can get a little testy and will let you know CLEARLY if you are to close. Yes I found out.
Enjoy your trip to the city I love being in that harbor there is no better way to see NCY but from the helm of your sailboat.
Fair winds
Peter
 
#3 ·
Two days to transit from Kingston -> NYC is pretty ambitious. Expect to be motoring a lot.

Anchoring out overnight on the river is a bit dicey as the current turns 180* with each current change. Using transient moorings or slips along the way would be safer. Chelsea YC might be a good half way point. Nyack Boat Club has transient moorings for $25/night; Nyack is 25 nm. from the Battery in NYC. There is a safe anchorage opposite Croton Point; use google maps to look up "Bowline Point" in Haverstraw. Entrance here is tricky as you must hug the south side or end up aground. This is about 30 nm. from The Battery. You can also anchor on the north side of Iona Island near Bear Mtn. Bridge. I spent 1 night tied up at the dock earlier this year. Beautiful spot but the freight trains run < 50 yards away all through the night.
You always want to travel WITH the current on the Hudson as currents can be up to 2 knots. Avoid traveling at night as commercial traffic will still be out there. Use the center spans of the TZ Bridge and watch out for the work barges positioned there.

In NYC, transient moorings operated by Liberty Landing Marina cost $75/night but you are right at Chambers Street, north of the World Financial Center. About 1/2 mile north there are moorings operated by NYC Parks which should be ~$45/night. Further north at 79th Street transient mooring should be $45/night. You can anchor north of their mooring field but I've heard it can be bouncy there. A transient slip a LLM would cost you around $150/night.
These options should be your Plan B if you get chased away from Liberty Island.
Have fun. The ride through the Hudson Highlands may be the highlight.
 
#4 · (Edited)
seems like most people make it close to newburgh, from kingston in 1 day. Chelsea, or Whites - the channel is all the way on the west side-- commercial traffic is close to newburgh ... people anchor at Bannermans Island.... just south on the EAST side is Cold Spring Dock which I have found to be friendly ( years ago) and there is a nice town to walk around and find dinner and drinks.

if you stop at Bear Mt, you can pm me if you need anything
 
#6 ·
Lots to see along the way. Be sure to be on the lookout for the historic mansions. Lots of Bald Eagles as well, especially Iona Island near Bear Mountain and just south of Beacon on Dennings Point. There is also a decent anchorage in Beacon. There is a dingy dock at Beacon Sloop Club, home of the "Woodie Guthry" and you can walk to restaurants and there is a train station there. PM me if you want a ride to the grocery or anything, or just get a drink around Beacon.

This is not by chance L'Chiam listed on craigslist is it? I have been thinking about looking at that boat but it is a bit smaller than I want.
 
#7 ·
The anchorage by the statue is wide open. Commercial traffic will rock you at all times, and weather can give you a nice roll as well. But, it is free. You might want to rig a trip line on the anchor because like most old harbors, NY has a foul bottom in many places. Or you could tack another day or two onto the trip, head down to Sandy Hook and take a look past the VZ Bridge while you're coming down all that way.

Do check the tides, you can get a two knot boost if you time the trip on the right days. Current will be strongest further down the river, IIRC.
 
#8 ·
I thank all of you for the quick response. Very useful info. I would like as much info about the trip as possible. The name of the sailboat is L'Chaim!!! If your interested in seeing her I can stop along the way around sept 6!


Any further tips would be appreciated.
 
#9 ·
Not sure about anchoring near either the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. Outside channels it is shallow and wakes would drive one nuts. You can anchor quite comfortably at the south end of Liberty State Park behind a partly intact breakwater. Start by following the channel toward the S of L dock. As you near the dock where the ferries tie up you will see a series of spar buoys contuing westward. Follow these toward the small anchorage, the water in is good. There is a dock ashore at the boat launch but if you want to leave your dinghy there you probably want to lock it.
 
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#10 ·
Hey,

You can also grab a slip or mooring at the 79th st boat basin
Marinas : West 79th Street Boat Basin : NYC Parks

Cool place to stay with a GREAT location. If you use a mooring you will need your own dink to / from the marina. Note that the current can be wicked inside the marina, so be aware of that when you get in/out of slips.

I stayed there a few years ago and it was real cool to walk off the boat and by in central park in 5 minutes.

Barry
 
#11 · (Edited)
I did that trip last summer.
Another vote for 79th St Boat Basin. Cheap moorings and great location--walk to the Museum of Natural History. But rowing a dinghy against an outgoing tide is very hard.
It's an easy 2-day trip, motoring. You'll deal with tide in both directions over that time span, so they'll cancel each other out to some extent. If you're only sailing, obviously the travel time is going to be different.
I anchored each way behind Bannerman's Island. Great spot but tricky to get to, and only one way to do it. Maybe a half mile or so south of the island, on the E side, there's a masonry building right at water level that is part of the NYC water supply. From the channel, head directly towards it till you're about 50 or 60 feet from it and turn north to run parallel with the shoreline, maybe 60 feet off. Watch your depth closely. It's a little nerve-racking but the least reading I had was 9 feet and most places around 14 or so. The chart will show the channel and adjacent shoal.
Water deepens and the channel widens after one or 2 hundred yards and there you drop anchor. You're still close to the east shore, and passenger trains run regularly through the night, but the view of the ruins is great.
I've read that you can anchor under the Pallisade cliffs on the W shore north of the GW Bridge. I actually did anchor easily there but not overnight.
A strong north wind, say with a storm, can generate surprisingly large (3-4') waves on that river--surprised me after a few years on Lake Champlain.
Be prepared to make way for large commercial ships and barges.
And use a chart--like a commercial, waterproof version that combines the NOAA Hudson River charts.
 
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