# Considering Liveaboard on the Hudson...



## ujk (Sep 12, 2011)

Help!
Been wanting to liveaboard on the Hudson and considering purchasing 
an '84 Newport or '84 Cal...Would appreciate your experiences/recommendations! Would either weather well during winter???
Thanks to all, much obliged...K


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Big difference from Albany to NYC, where do you mean? We lived for two winters at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City and there were perhaps 80 liveaboard boats there. Worked well and most enjoyable. The age of the boat does not matter much, what size are you talking and how many people? You need to have good heating and some way to deal with condensation. Winter only dockage was available there and was not too costly - something like $2500 for a 45'. Summer dockage is quite pricey though. For a 50' dock, the annual cost is about $10k + electricity (you have your own meter and it can be expensive if you use electric heaters. But it is a great lifestyle.


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## peterchech (Sep 2, 2011)

I'm at liberty landing now and have to say it is fairly liveaboard friendly. Really nice people too, though I think that's true of most "real" boaters. I know several people who have lived aboard through the winter. Ice and snow on the docks can be dangerous, and as always heating is the issue. If the boat is big enough to have a shower and bathroom that can be used daily, then the complications of living aboard during the winter can prob be lessened greatly. A friend of mine plans on living aboard a 27' sailboat there this winter, it will be a real PITA getting to and from the marina showers every day in the cold, but I suppose you just get used to it.


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## SVArgo (Oct 10, 2007)

We were at Liberty Landing for about two years, and if you want to be on the Hudson in proximity to NYC, it is one of three choices. I can happily say I'm gone. It's in a nice setting in Liberty State Park. However, it is a dead end portion of the Morris Canal and doesn't flush very well. Combine that with the fact that Jersey City has a sewage overflow at the back end of the canal that pumps untreated, or at best partially treated, sewage directly into the canal, and it gets ugly. It stinks, sometimes gaggingly so, there are condoms (Coney Island Whitefish) and tampons floating everywhere. There is no pump out boat during the winter and the fuel pier pump out is usually not working in the winter either (no heat trace on the line so it freezes up). This effectively means that alot of people pump overboard so don't be surprised at brown sharks floating around.

The marina management leaves alot to be desired. Not very responsive. It was sold to some Texan marina group that want to turn it into a mega-yacht haven, so some of the amenities have been improved slightly. Maintenance is a joke, predominantly fixing what's broke and that's it. The yard, boy, I never had any work there and every single person that I spoke with that had nothing good to say. That included one of the old marina ownership's lawyers. Most of the slips do not have a center piling so you can't get a proper four-point tie up, if you care. 

The good stuff: Ferry to Manhattan leaves right from the dock (by the lightship), the park is great to get out in. Jersey City is a 15-20 min walk with lots of good bars and restaurants. Parking is never an issue. 

The other options are in Jersey City near the PATH station, I can't remember the name, but you can see it on google maps. Not a whole lot of water in there, 5-6 ft. The other is in Weehawken just north of Hoboken. It's in a kind of business, hotel type area, not very scenic. 

Hope that's helpful.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

The Jersey City Marina is " Newport Marina" As far as amenities go and proximity to services it's probably the best of the three. Path trains to NYC are right there, Tons of restaurants, hotels, shops ( newport shopping mall) is an easy walk.
The Light Rail gets you to Weehawken, Hoboken etc. 
The Dockmaster Greg and his wife are very nice. The showers and restrooms are clean and well maintained. The docks are in pretty rough shape...and the motion in a slip is pretty lively due to the ferry traffic on the river...need good snubbers here!! 
Nice little club house with Big Screen TV and they do bagels and coffee and OJ in season....the dockmasters wife maintains a fresh herb garden! 
There's a restaurant Bar right at the Dock, Michael Anthony's. Decent food..but nothing special. Stella on Tap! 

Weehawken...and Lincoln Harbor are next ( further north) The View is awesome! Mid-town Manhattan and the Empire State Building...There's a Charthouse restaurant right next door and a TGI Fridays accross the street..I think Ruth Chris is still there? and a decent deli. Ferries to manhattan down the street..Parking is accross the street with a tag from the dockmaster, Janer Vasquez. I stayed there for 4 months several years ago. Showers were no problem
Janer was a very helpful, good guy. The Place is VERY loud...helicopters all night..boat traffic, metal on metal docks..and it is probably rougher than Newport...I went through snubbers there like a hot knive through butter....sailboats get put on the outside slips due to their draft, so you'll feel every wake...it stops around 3 am...

Both have decent security gates..Not sure if I'd wander Weehawken late at night, JC Newport feel more like neighborhood, lots of joggers in the am, Tai chi people....dog walkers etc etc...

PS...I don't know if either of these places have wifi...I used to grab a signal @ weehawken from one of the condo's....shhhh.... not sure about newport..


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm curious. Are there any year round live aboard marinas further up the Hudson? I've not heard of any.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm sure there must be. Haverstraw has winter " in water " storage rates and offers bubblers....not sure if Newburgh stays open...it's a long river..

When I lived up in the Hyde Park area..the River would get some pretty good ice flows.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

I'm a bit skeptical that Haverstraw allows 'live aboards' during the off season. 
I'd bet it is an insurance 'thing' if they don't allow live aboard all winter long.

NY Harbor and Liberty Landing are much closer to the ocean where the water has a much higher salt content where 32* water will not freeze solid. The surface of the Hudson has frozen over by the Tappan Zee bridge as it has a much lower salt content, sometimes. One or 2 weeks of 20* weather and even the LI Sound can freeze or turn to an icy soup.


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## peterchech (Sep 2, 2011)

SVArgo said:


> We were at Liberty Landing for about two years, and if you want to be on the Hudson in proximity to NYC, it is one of three choices. I can happily say I'm gone. It's in a nice setting in Liberty State Park. However, it is a dead end portion of the Morris Canal and doesn't flush very well. Combine that with the fact that Jersey City hams a sewage overflow at the back end of the canal that pumps untreated, or at best partially treated, sewage directly into the canal, and it gets ugly. It stinks, sometimes gaggingly so, there are condoms (Coney Island Whitefish) and tampons floating everywhere. There is no pump out boat during the winter and the fuel pier pump out is usually not working in the winter either (no heat trace on the line so it freezes up). This effectively means that alot of people pump overboard so don't be surprised at brown sharks floating around.
> 
> The marina management leaves alot to be desired. Not very responsive. It was sold to some Texan marina group that want to turn it into a mega-yacht haven, so some of the amenities have been improved slightly. Maintenance is a joke, predominantly fixing what's broke and that's it. The yard, boy, I never had any work there and every single person that I spoke with that had nothing good to say. That included one of the old marina ownership's lawyers. Most of the slips do not have a center piling so you can't get a proper four-point tie up, if you care.
> 
> ...


This has not been entirely my experience yet... I have seen a condom floating in the water, but I haven't really been bothered by it yet. No weird smells yet, but the water is usually muddy. And god, the mosquitoes are radioactive!


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## ujk (Sep 12, 2011)

Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. As with any place, there are certain pros/cons. Have decided on LH as it's mostly convenient. As much as I like Libery Landing, getting in/out via car is a hassle. Weehawken is fairly easy to commute from. The staff at LH very friendly. And of course, hopefully, they'll still display the fireworks there. Have decided on the Newport and upgrade to 38+ in 2-3 years. It has most features required for a liveaboard. Currently researching insulation for the winter. Perhaps there is a material out there that i can tailor to button during winter to absorb moisture in the interior? Will post my findings down the road...


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"The surface of the Hudson has frozen over by the Tappan Zee bridge "
Thank you stars for global warming. In the 50's and 60's winters were much colder and "every" boater in NYC and the Hudon expected icing conditions.
In 1776, folks could walk or ice skate from Brooklyn to Staten Island during the winter. Yes, the entire upper NY Harbor has frozen over and that's perfectly NORMAL. Not needing bubbles, not expecting ice damage to hulls, this is all a very abnormal and recent thing for New York.


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## ujk (Sep 12, 2011)

A friend of mine showed pic of one year in the 90's? where it did partially freeze & there were brave souls crossing the river by foot that year! Hopefully, it won't get that cold...I do ski but prefer water ...LH has bubbles & about 20 liveaboards i was told. In the meanwhile, resarching to optimize for winter living. Maybe, i will find some material beneficial for the boat industry. Thanks for the info, Waterlily.


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## redhead78 (Dec 7, 2009)

I am pretty sure Haverstraw has some liveaboards in winter...


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## ujk (Sep 12, 2011)

Haverstraw is nice but it's a bit out of the way for me. am currently in the Bronx across from City Island. Will sail down to Lincoln this coming weekend...Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

JEESS What a thread. Makes liveaboard and winter cruising up here in the 'frozen' left coast look pretty easy. I've lived on board for nearly 40 yrs.much on the hook and never noticed the issues described here.In case you're impressed. I should tell you that the fishing is not as good as it used to be and it rains ALL the time. That evens things out,eh?


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## Natty (Jul 15, 2020)

Urgently need to find a place for my 34 x12 houseboat. Somewhere between Croton on Hudson and Catskill. I just acquired this floating paradise and need so guidance from someone that is a little more water worldly than I am. Seriously I would like to keep her in the water this year, bubbles would be good, or other in water storage. Apart from winter, I need to get her in the water real quick. Please help, Nat 917 623 0152. thanks


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I looked into this years ago. I had a fleeting idea to store in the water, in that region for a winter. I grew up in NYC metro and still have family there. The problem with the Hudson is the ice flows. It's not good enough to simply keep it from freezing around your hull. You also need pumpout services, or you can't use the heads aboard, not to mention reliable power and available fresh water. I think you need to head down toward NYC to find these. Let us know, if you learn differently.


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

towards NYC, Weehawken, Jersey City on the west and the marinas on manhattan are quite, if not always - in motion, and the floating docks out of phase AND in motion. Even more so with a flat bottom houseboat. all the way through the marina to the seawall is one stack of waves upon another. Then there is the cold, quite breezy and cold.

Good thing - NJ metro walking distance, water ferry walking distance and many restaraunts.


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