Barges are often out of sight behind tugs being towed on long cables.

Do not cut behind a tug, especially if you do not know how to read the towing lights that indicate if, and how, the tug is towing another vessel.  Do not anchor in the channel, do not tie up to navigational aids, do get out of the way of larger vessels (they generally have right of way since they can't move out of narrow channels); always carry a VHF marine radio, and know the rules of the road (no, sailboats do not always have the right of way).

Fishing Advisory
Though local waters are much cleaner, often clean enough to swim in, the fish accumulate poisons in their system and are not good to eat on a regular basis.  See this July 2009 Daily News story Fishing for Danger

Boater Info      (Historic Boating in a Brooklyn "sail wagon" at right)                                                                                                                   

Marine Weather, Tides       

·         NOAA weather at various buoys:  northeast map,   NY buoys  Ambrose
·         text printout of official NOAA  forecast for NYC area
·         Tide info for New York area
·         full-blown NOAA GIS mapping portal http://nowcoast.noaa.gov

Navigation Rules
Marine Radio (VHF) usage tips from the Coast Guard
US Coast Guard NY website
Safe Boating near commercial traffic by American Waterways Operators
Preparing boats, marinas for hurricanes a 12 page guide from Boat US
Knots - animated illustrations by Grog make learning easier
NYC Parks Boating & Marinas now merits a whole webpage!  their facilities map
NYC Parks Water Trail
New York Harbor Beaches - a mapping and finding project
Swimming the Hudson - a Riverkeeper report

beach bars: Time Out 2009 list of beach staycation spots. An older York Magazine's review of Urban Beach Bars.  New York Water Taxi beaches on Governor's Island and South Street Seaport Museum have been added since this article.  For honky-tonk bars, look up little creeks and bays for blue collar marinas and boating scenes. A short ferry ride to Jersey City will also get you to a floating saloon on the south side of Morris Canal, and if you can get to the north side, there is a dockside restaurant.  There, you can arrive by boat, if you've got one.

Media

No Safe Harbor for New York Tugboat Union, by Tom Robbins, Village Voice, 11/17/09.  A small family-run tugboat company tries to make it in a tough economy by cutting crew which leads to a union strike. 

Working Waterfront  Would that we had this for NYC waters... This monthly publication covers life on Maine coasts and island.  As they put it "Our "beats" are fishing, small business, manufacturing, the arts, books, scientific research, communities, aquaculture, transportation, history, the environment -- just about anything connected with this coast and the lives of the people who live and work here.

Waterfront Planning
This is worth reading and listening to long after the publication date. The Los Angeles port plans are in the news, still, again, in 11/09.  10/14/08 panel hosted by the Drum Major Institute.  Hear how an effort by the city and Port of Los Angeles to fight air pollution leads to a decision to phase out old trucks servicing the port, which then leads to the elimination of "third world working conditions for truckers," according to the LA mayor's office. It was a morning of zingers such as Chris Ward's "if you don't throw money at problems, what do you throw?" and Congressman Jerry Nadler's reference to the current economic situation "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste."  But you don't want are quotes out of context, visit DMI's YouTube page!

Eco

DEP Harbor Water Wastewater Treatment System  How NYC moves our sewage by ship, and an in depth look at New York City's wastewater treatment process. Topics include the testing of New York City waterways, pollution control programs, beneficial use of biosolids, and how you can make a difference.

Whales recorded near NYC during 2008

Resurgent cormorants and their curious vomiting habits on Swinburne Island described via a NY Times story and blog

timelapse video of Gowanus Canal 3/11/09

Webcam view of Pier 6, Brooklyn Bridge Park

11/21/09 great description of tug and barge work in Erie Basin from a blog by a Reinauer tug captain

Master of Towing Vessels Association Forum blog about, and for, tugboat captains and their life and industry

short clips of large ships being launched

Army Corps report on constraining depths in port of NY-NJ. Lots of new data in 2009

Interactive Google map of marine businesses on north shore of Staten Island

Vintage charts and maps from NOAA archive billed as "over 21,000 Maps and Charts ranging from the year 1747 to 2001."  Whew!

Maritime Research Resource

Research the world's merchant marine fleet and mariners

NY Food Museum: seafood in NYC 100 years ago

http://oldstreets.com (note the lack of Ws in the url) fascinating guide to lost street names in Manhattan.  Includes info on how maritime industries shaped that island at these 3 links:
    Canals
    Wharves, Piers, Slips
    Ropewalks
 

nytugmaster Time lapse video of Reinauer tug and barge run from Carteret, NJ through NY harbor to Execution Rocks featuring mention of life aboard the Mary A. Whalen

vintage video of the harbor with some classic old-fashioned narration