NYC July 4th
Posted by eight13atnight@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 4 comments
I'm local to NYC and I have a boat at one of the marina's downtown. I'd LOVE to go out on the water to watch the fireworks this year, but I've never done that before. Has anyone here ever taken their sailboat out for the fireworks? I've heard you aren't allowed to anchor. Are there any other rules, tips or tricks you can recommend?
Google searches only came back with paid links to charters. Figured I'd get more honest results over here.
actingoutnyc@reddit
I am a charter captain in NYC harbors and I do this every year. There will be exclusionary zones for different size vessels. Know your zone and be in it. This year there will be several military vessels you need to stay 100 yards from them. No anchoring. If you don’t have experience stemming the tide (there will be current possibly from a direction that doesn’t suit you) practice now. Boats are packed in and you need to be able to control your vessel. At the end everyone takes off and it’s like the ocean blindfolded. It can be dangerous. A sailor I know got caught between two circle line ferries and the wave pattern rocked him severely from rail to rail and he took a lot of water over the side almost getting inside. It’s crazy and you need to be prepared for the end and have a plan. Stay sober. Be respectful of other boats and boaters. We are all in this together.
wleecoyote@reddit
I haven't done it, but my marina always sent out advice before holidays.
In other locations, you motor out and drop anchor. I'm not sure that works well--thevwater is deep, and it's rough, and it's hard to stay clear of other boats.
Famous anchorage behind the Statue of Liberty, though. Probably crowded that night, but with fenders out and a little awareness, probably fine.
The other option is to just motor up and down the harbor. Doesn't sound like fun to me if I can't chill and watch the fireworks because I'm focused on not ramming another boat or getting rolled by a ferry.
Stay sober and highly alert on the return trip, if you're not spending the night on the hook. Everybody else out there is hammered and doesn't usually run in the dark, and I expect the motorheads will have little respect for slower sailboats.
But mostly, ask your marina for advice.
eight13atnight@reddit (OP)
Yes, the one guy at the marina I spoke with mentioned two things. 1) Don't try to beat the crowd. Dingdong's with motors will race in right before the launch and you'll be stuck in massive chop the whole time. 2) That we're not allowed to anchor in the river. Most points along the river are no anchoring ever, regardless of holiday. But there are some dedicated anchor points, and behind the statue is one of them. I'm just not sure if anchoring behind the statue is allowed on that date. I imagine it is, since it's quite far from the barges.
My guess is there will be strict rules specifically related to the barges, etc. I'm fine not getting close, I don't want ash raining down on me.
Outside of that, I have no idea. I'd like to have a little bit of knowledge so I can manage expectations, so every little bit helps.
LameBMX@reddit
given its our 250th birthday... id go with someone else. I also dont know NY or the harbor. but given how long fireworks last... i dont bother anchoring anyways. ill chill in the back, hove to, drifting along. that said, I have a chunky fin keel and not a full keel, so she's pretty responsive to tack or gybe out of hove to under sail.