Sandy Hook or East River on July 4

[elifson]

I plan to come up from Cape May at the beginning of July and eventually get to Long Island Sound. This will be my first long distance coastal sailing as captain and in these waters. Does anyone know if it will be difficult to anchor in Sandy Hook due to crowding on July 3 and will it be difficult to transit the East river going north the morning of July 4?

[Drew13440]

I don't know about Sandy Hook but recommend you call Coast Guard Sector New York well before your trip. They will close the East River to traffic on July 4th until well after the fireworks display. CG can give you the low down when the time comes.

[SailFastTri]

Sandy Hook should not be a problem 7/3 but you should be aware of the barges in the East River. https://www.macys.com/social/fireworks/where-to-watch/ If you can time it for the morning of 7/4 you should be OK but you will need to check local notices to mariners. The current turns North at about 9:30AM so that's probably a good time to enter the East River near The Battery.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by elifson

I plan to come up from Cape May at the beginning of July and eventually get to Long Island Sound. This will be my first long distance coastal sailing as captain and in these waters. Does anyone know if it will be difficult to anchor in Sandy Hook due to crowding on July 3 and will it be difficult to transit the East river going north the morning of July 4?

You can look up tide and currents in various sources.

You can also download a free app that shows Tides and Currents by stations, including Hell Gate in NYC, Queensboro Bridge on the East River, etc.

Be aware the tide ebb and slack times will change. You must time it right as the current can be very strong, and there will be boat traffic.

Here is a simple, intuitive, accurate, FREE app. This allows looking at stations around the USA (and elsewhere). It also shows on a map where the tide and current stations are located, so easy to pick one or more visually. It allows looking at a week projections.

Tides Near Me - Free by Shelter Island Mapping Company, LLC
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tide...585223877?mt=8

Hope that helps.

[pesarsten]

Based on previous years experience, I think that the East River and the entire lower NY harbor will be a zoo on the 4th. Even areas around Sandy Hook ( Atlantic Highlands Marina ) are closed to traffic starting mid afternoon on the 4th. Boat traffic can be very thick with drunk power boaters and maybe a few over served sail boaters ,out for the fireworks.

Why not plan on an extra day or two, see if you can get a transient mooring or space to anchor close to the municipal marina and enjoy the holiday.

[Suijin]

Sandy Hook has plenty of space to anchor inside the hook so that should not be a problem, even on the holiday, but I've never been there on 4th of July weekend.

For transiting up the East River you'd do yourself a favor by buying a copy of the Eldridge Tide and Pilot book, which is also useful for the entire Sound. It has tide maps which are extremely accurate and a huge help when planning a dash up the East River. It has maps for various points in the tide cycle for each area. Old school, I know, but in many respects easier to reference and plan with than an app.



I agree the whole route might be a zoo on the holiday weekend, but one plus is you won't be terrified by the high-speed ferries from Brooklyn to downtown, or at least not as many as on a weekday. Golly they move fast.

[Suijin]

I should have added a word of warning, based on your statement that you'll be leaving the beginning of July and be in Sandy Hook by July 3; mind your weather window very carefully, as most of the inlets between Cape May and Sandy can get nasty very quickly, particularly wind against current. You could well sit at Cape May for a few days waiting for the right day to go.

Another option to get to the more interesting parts the Sound (in my opinion) if you're not wedded to NYC is going straight from Cape May to Block Island, around a 36 hour sail. Depart early, sail overnight, and you're in Block by late afternoon.

[Time2Go]

Did Port Washington to Cape May round trip
last summer. Buy Eldridge and then
Back-Time your north and southbound passages
to arrive at Hell Gate at Slack.
Don’t recall the northbound time offset
but southbound I recall wanting to be out of PW
harbor 2 hours Before Slack turning to Ebb
at Hell Gate. The harbor is a complete zoo
ferry’s, tourist fast movers, barges towed & pushed
ocean liners, kayakers, sailing school boats,lunch and dinner cruise boats, police, all sorts of military
around the UN (check for closures)
On our northbound leg we were held up south of the
Veranzono Bridge by a jumper
Absolutely worth doing once.
Cheers
Neil

[ArmyDaveNY]

I often don't even go out on the fourth of July since, as others have correctly pointed out, it will be a zoo. On those rare occasions I do go out, I try to be back to the dock by noon at the latest.

There are a number of issues. First, you have the weekend warrior who goes out three time a year, riding bow high and he can't even see over his deck. The good news is that they tend to come out later in the morning so if you catch the current early in the morning you should be all right. Another issue is security. Every policing agency in the world will be out, especially as the day wears on. It will be even tighter on the East River due to the fireworks barges. In addition to checking the notices for the fireworks, check the notices for the U.N. Security will be tight all over and they may close the west side of the East River between the UN and Roosevelt Island. You may need to go on the east side which has a lift bridge. You don't want to have to wait for the bridge to open if the current is raging.

If you are not interested in the fireworks, it would be better to go through the day prior or the day after if possible.

[Cadence]

With a decent weather window, on that weekend, go outside and avoid the zoo. Don't try to hug the Rockaways ground swells can be a problem.

[sveinung]

Originally Posted by Suijin

I should have added a word of warning, based on your statement that you'll be leaving the beginning of July and be in Sandy Hook by July 3; mind your weather window very carefully, as most of the inlets between Cape May and Sandy can get nasty very quickly, particularly wind against current. You could well sit at Cape May for a few days waiting for the right day to go.

Another option to get to the more interesting parts the Sound (in my opinion) if you're not wedded to NYC is going straight from Cape May to Block Island, around a 36 hour sail. Depart early, sail overnight, and you're in Block by late afternoon.

If you consider BI for fourth of July do yourself a favor and arrive a few days early, it was complete madness there when we arrived around noon time last year. No more mooring balls and everyone anchoring on top.of each other. Heavy winds that night made it interesting, we left at first light, never again for a holiday.

[flopresti]

After Hells Gate and LGA, a nice port (of refuge) is Port Washington. Just at the entrance is NSYC (north shore yc) see NSYC.net ... right at the entrance to Port Washington. Pick up a mooring.

In passing, at Sandy Hook (a few miles around the Hook) is Keyport YC (see keyportyachtclub.com usually a free mooring the first night)....

[Bean Counter]

From our log last year we left Cape May early 13 July, Wind SW 15 knots, Thunderstorms & squalls started building along the way so we called in to Atlantic City. We left Atlantic City on 15 July - squalls gone but light wind, so motor sailed nearly the whole way to Sandy Hook and over night there, On 16 July we motored in SW 5knots through NYC up East River to Port Washington - need to get the tide/current timing right for the whole 20 mile trip. It is all very well planning to travel on precise days but weather, squalls, thunderstorms and fog may well interrupt your journey so you need fall back plans. NYC on July 4th may be spectacular as a spectator but nerve wracking to a first time transient.

[flopresti]

Looking at a recent remark to your "July 4th" note.... it was noted "GET THERE EARLY'.... so true... Block Island can be a bad experience on the 4th ... especially if you don't get a mooring (which you probably won't).... You can almost walk between anchored boats. And the wind kicks up frequently. We love Block and get the each year mid June and leave before the 4th... Great parade for kids... For the 4th you gotta be in someplace polite (which Block ain't unless you're at a mooring)... The harbor master there now keeps track of the private moorings and rents them out ... good luck. If you're careful, deep inside Montalk past the Montalk YC (not really a YC) is a good place to anchor on the 4th and great fireworks...

[hellosailor]

Actually, if you can lay hands on ANY old copy of Eldridge, the "tidal currents" chart are the same year after year. They are all based on the number of hours to/from high/low water, and that can always be easily looked up.

One more vote for GET THERE EARLY and plan to stay there on the night of the 4th as well. I don't know if the fireworks are on the East River or the Hudson this year, they alternate, but generally the USCG shuts down the waters from late afternoon until midnight, so it may be easier to stay put until either daylight or favorable tide.

Sandy Hook is well outside the harbor, but still can be crowded on any pleasant summer weekend. The bottom anywhere near NY harbor can be foul, every year someone loses an anchor, so carrying a spare is a good idea. The area between Ellis and Liberty Islands used to be made available as a special anchorage for the event. Crowded, foul, bouncy, yes, but what a spectacle when seen up close!

We had a problem one year with some drunk yahoos who insisted on anchoring on our anchor...waved down a passing USCG boat and funny thing, that got taken care of. Don't be afraid to ask for their "adult supervision" if it is needed, they would rather resolve problems while they're still small ones.

If you've had a USCGAux inspection (free) or can get one ahead of time...that also makes everything smoother when they see that sticker on your boat, and know you're probably on top of things.