East River closures for UN Sessions?

[sailingharry]

The comments on the east side of Roosevelt Island are spot on. The bridge is remarkably unreachable, but when you finally get through he will open it. No worries with the UN.

[hugosalt]

In years past, the bridge tender was responsible for several bridges so was not always on site to open Queens to Roosevelt Is. bridge often causing issues as described in above post. Do not know if this is still in place.
More than one mast has had an encounter with bridge. Think one earlier this year, maybe last. video was/is? on youtube.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by rrayfield

I'm anchored at Ellis Island currently and will proceed east tomorrow, my air draft is 71, the bridge someone mentioned above has a clearance 39 feet when down, 100 feet when raised.

I've hit UN week 3 years in a row not even trying!

They just send you around Roosevelt it's no big deal, just lots of flashing lights to make everyone feel safe.

Transit as usual, just take the other channel... and as someone else mentioned, they will remind you if you get confused.

Stay on 16 as normal...

What is the bridge is down (and not moving for a while) and I have 5 kts of current to my back? Sounds like a big deal to me. Never done the East River, so ..just asking.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by derfy

What is the bridge is down (and not moving for a while) and I have 5 kts of current to my back? Sounds like a big deal to me. Never done the East River, so ..just asking.

Truly that is an issue. Or it was for us. We were coming through on a fair tide and the bridge wouldn't answer to repeated attempts on the radio. I can't remember what number we finally found, but we called some New York bridge control center or something like that and they called the bridge tender for us. However, with two of us aboard it was not a big deal. I think the current on that side of the island is less to begin with. We were coming from LIS to NYC (things may be different going the other direction) and we were able to turn around and motor into it with no problem at all. There is a cove at the northeast end of that run called Halletts Cove that provides significant current protection, once we were there it was easy for my wife to hold station while I researched phone numbers.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Truly that is an issue. Or it was for us. We were coming through on a fair tide and the bridge wouldn't answer to repeated attempts on the radio. I can't remember what number we finally found, but we called some New York bridge control center or something like that and they called the bridge tender for us. However, with two of us aboard it was not a big deal. I think the current on that side of the island is less to begin with. We were coming from LIS to NYC (things may be different going the other direction) and we were able to turn around and motor into it with no problem at all. There is a cove at the northeast end of that run called Halletts Cove that provides significant current protection, once we were there it was easy for my wife to hold station while I researched phone numbers.

OK, good to know. I think I will wait for the UN to go home.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by derfy

What is the bridge is down (and not moving for a while) and I have 5 kts of current to my back? Sounds like a big deal to me. Never done the East River, so ..just asking.

Purchase an Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book 2023. It will list the tide, direction and time every day in 2023. Run Hell's Gate at slack tide as it's turning and run WITH the current.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by derfy

What is the bridge is down (and not moving for a while) and I have 5 kts of current to my back? Sounds like a big deal to me. Never done the East River, so ..just asking.

In a current that strong, as long as you can motor at least the speed of the current, waiting isn't too hard. Turn around (make sure you do this early as you'll cover a lot more distance than you think in the turn) and then just motor forward into the current. You can approximately hold position that way.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by derfy

OK, good to know. I think I will wait for the UN to go home.

I've been following this thread as I moved south. Thanks for all the good info. I'm now anchored in Port Washington and have come to the same conclusion as you.
Gonna hang tight here, and continue after the UN wraps up

[psk125]

This is what the USCG seems to say on this issue:
https://homeport.uscg.mil/Lists/Cont...0(Rev%201).pdf
Scrolling down to the diagram, it would appear that the everything west of Roosevelt Island is CLOSED TO TRAFFIC from 09h00 to 21h00 every day through September 23.

[BobMc]

Originally Posted by derfy

Looking for an official site with 2023 announcements on restrictions transiting the East River during US sessions - typically in Sep.

I have word of mouth info that next week (week of 17 Sep) the river is closed, but cannot confirm it.

Seeking an official info source (an not commentary about the UN and if closing the river is okay and a good idea or not ... save it for another thread, please).

If you can't find it, not a big deal. The river itself doesn't close, and there's absolutely nothing to worry about when going around the east side of Roosevelt Island.

[TxCoastSailor]

Roosevelt Island Bridge will open while UN is in session. Normally requires 2 hour notice for the bridge tender to arrive but it will be manned 24/7 during the UN session.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by BobMc

If you can't find it, not a big deal. The river itself doesn't close, and there's absolutely nothing to worry about when going around the east side of Roosevelt Island.

Unless you have a mast.

[derfy]

So, now its now Mon 25 Sep. Week 39. The UN has gone home. The USCG District 1 Notice to Mariners never once mentioned the Special Security Zone of the East River. I checked Week 38, 37, and 36 notices. They droned on about it every 20 minutes on VHF 16 last week.

So, for 2023, you can 'fuggitabowdit".

Now we are stuck waiting for the remnants of Ophelia to clear out. Gotta love NY :-)

[sailingharry]

Reminds me of "make hay while the Sun shines." If you wait for perfection, you can wait a long time. The UN inconvenience at Roosevelt Island was really no big deal. Could have been in Cape May or even the Chesapeake when Ophelia came through.

Not sure what's making New York tough right now, but Ophelia was gone by Saturday night here on the mid Chesapeake. Sunday was near flat calm and today is 10 knots out of the north. Tomorrow could be closer to 20 out of the north. Great weather for heading south.

I had a friend this spring who wanted to move his boat from the mid Chesapeake back home to the upper end of Long Island Sound and it took him nearly two months to find a weather window that met his desires. He had headed south in the fall, but because of repeated delays he gave up when he got to the Chesapeake.

Last summer we covered 4,000 miles in 4 months, and probably didn't have 3 days of weather delay.

Not being in a hurry can easily turn into not getting where you're trying to go.

[Chotu]

60F, 26 knots out of the northeast and raining.

It’s been like this since Friday.

That’s what’s wrong in the northeast.

I’m in hopes it tapers off tomorrow at some point