# NYC Area Mooring



## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

I'm looking for an inexpensive mooring in the NYC area for a 26' boat. I don't need all the services of a yacht club, just a mooring and a place to launch the dinghy so I can get out to the boat. I was looking at the Sheepshead Bay area in Brooklyn. Does anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive marina in that area? The Parks Service manages that mooring field from what I've read.

Thanks,

Brian


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## CrazyRu (May 10, 2007)

brob76 said:


> I'm looking for an inexpensive mooring in the NYC area for a 26' boat. I don't need all the services of a yacht club, just a mooring and a place to launch the dinghy so I can get out to the boat. I was looking at the Sheepshead Bay area in Brooklyn. Does anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive marina in that area? The Parks Service manages that mooring field from what I've read.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Brian


I can recommend Great Kills field on Staten Island. It is nice protected bay inside of nice park with beaches and walking trails. Mooring is free. Permit is obtainable through National Park Service (718) 390-8000.
There was waiting list for boats over 25 ft long a year and a half ago, however I got my spot last spring. There is a boat ramp to launch a dinghy.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/facilities/marinas/pdf/2008boatingmap.pdf

here's a link to a map with phone numbers...


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks for the map Tempest, that's what I was look for. Also thanks for the suggestion on Great Kills, CrazyRu. I'm going to look into getting a mooring there.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Hi CrazyRU,

Free? really? Does the Park service maintain the moorings? 

Any concerns regarding security? Any launch service, or do you have to launch your own dinghy...any dinghy storage ashore? 

Thanks...


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## HPLou (Feb 25, 2002)

brob76
Great Kills Harbor is a well protected harbor. The mooring permit is free but you supply and maintain the ground tackle which include mushroom anchor, chain, etc. I belong to the Richmond County Yacht Club which provides tender service for members to get to their moorings.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Thanks HPLou,

So, is launch service is supplied only to Yacht Club Members?....

Not that it's a bad idea to be a Club Member...


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## CrazyRu (May 10, 2007)

Tempest said:


> Hi CrazyRU,
> 
> Free? really? Does the Park service maintain the moorings?
> 
> ...


Park doesn't maintain the moorings. It is boat's owner responsibility. There are vendors who will install and maintain balls for a fee.

Club is one option if you want to have a launch and dinghy storage. The club also has a barge for mooring installation and they store moorings on premises.

Nicholson Marina has small dinghy rack also.

I have small inflatable/cartopable kayak which I launch from fisherman beach - it is more convenient than boat ramp and it is close to my boat..
There is small dock at boat ramp. I motor my boat and pick up my guests there.

I don't think security is of any concern. I've spent about 1/3 nights of summer season on my boat, I didn't see any problems, except fishing hooks on my mooring lines. Police does regular rounds through the park also...


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Thanks CrazyRU,

That's great information, Much appreciated!...


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks for the info CrazyRU. Sounds like it may be worth the drive to Staten Is. I already have all the ground tackle (mushroom, chain, bridles, etc) as I have a mooring on City Island. Wish they had something like this in Brooklyn.


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## CrazyRu (May 10, 2007)

You are welcome!
I know a guy who kept his boat in Sheepshead bay mooring field. He wasn't member of any club. I know that he just blow up his dinghy somewhere and paddle to a boat. I'll try to reach him tomorrow and pry some info about Brooklyn.


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

I've spent a lot of time looking into Brooklyn options - seems you really need to go to Sheepshead Bay area, at which opint there are a lot of choices. I'm in Carroll Gardens and was hoping to find something a bit closer - in or around Red Hook, for instance, but no luck there. Supposed to get a Marina in Brooklyn Bridge Park, but who know when that will actually get built (and isn't, obviously, a mooring). If you come across any options in the Upper Bay I'd love to hear about it - good luck!


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## CrazyRu (May 10, 2007)

Sheepshead bay update.

I didn't reach the guy, but I spoke to his (and mine) friend. It seems like mooring permits are obtainable through same Park Office. 
There is a 24/7 launch service available for $800 year.
There is a yacht club.
However, for cash starved it is possible to launch very light/inflatable boat somewhere off commercial docks of Emmons avenue. Friend described it as "ladder down to water level". Parking can be scarce there - it is busy street with lots of waterfront entertainment.

I did a lot of dog walking in the area in past. There is also access to water at the mouth of the bay, off Brigham street, it is fishermen's favorite spot. Small light boat can be launched there if you don't mind to curry it a hundred or so yards and row/paddle into bay, sometimes against a tide...


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

$800 is very reasonable for a mooring/launch service. The yacht clubs in Sheepshead I checked with were in the range of $3K/yr. Thought that was quite excessive since all I need is a mooring/dink launch. Thanks for checking...I'm going to look into that.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

I love that Sheepshead Bay area. I grew up in Manhattan Beach right there. My uncle taught sailing out of Kingsborough Community College. It has undergone a bit of a revitalization. A benefit of mooring there is that once you get off the boat there are tons of things to do within walking distance. 

That said, it isn't known as the greatest sailing area around, depending on what type of sailing you want to do. If you're dead set at being in NYC, how about the 79th Street Boat Basin?


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

I lived in the area (Midwood) when I was growing up and love the bay. I was attracted to Sheepshead because of easy offshore access. I'm trying to get all the offshore experience I can as I would like to do at least a partial circumnavigation in a few years. 
I moored a boat at the 79th st BB a few years back. It was very convenient since I lived on the UWS but the commercial/recreational traffic and current made it almost unbearable. Plus, how many times can you sail up and down the Hudson. Beautiful scenery but it gets boring after awhile.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

brob76 said:


> Plus, how many times can you sail up and down the Hudson. Beautiful scenery but it gets boring after awhile.


I agree with that for sure, but you're going to have the same issue at Sheepshead. Out to the ocean, get beat up a little bit, then back home, with less scenery. At least at 79th, you can easily sail down to the upper harbor where the sailing and scenery are great, though there is a fair bit of traffic.

The concept of having places to go and things to do is an issue you should consider. I get the concept of wanting ocean experience, but you're not really going to get that by doing day sails from Sheepshead Bay. You are going to need to do passages for that, even if they are just one or two nighters at first. Keeping the boat in Sheepshead is not going to make much of a difference for that kind of thing, IMHO.

If it were me, and these things are entirely personal preference and subjective, I'd pick a spot that offers more in the way of easy access to good places to go. For your (our) area, that really is Long Island Sound. I know you say you've had a boat at City Island, so I presume you know the pluses and minuses of the western Sound, but perhaps consider something out east (Sag Harbor, Three Mile Harbor, Conn. River, Mysic/Noank). It's very pretty, the wind is great, plenty of places to go for great weekend and week trips, and it gives you relatively easy access to the ocean, depending on where you choose to keep the boat. The negative of course is that you would need to drive the better part of two hours to get to the boat from the city. Just food for thought.


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

Very good points. I really enjoy sailing the upper harbor...can't beat the scenery. And you're right...how much ocean sailing can you really do after work? I love City Island and sailing the LI Sound in general but for me, it's not worth doing the "Cross Bronx Crawl" each way. Starting to think about a live-aboard situation possibly in Liberty Harbor. The slip/electric/water charges would be about 1/4 of my current rent. I also work downtown so the commute would be shorter than my current commute. Now to sell this idea to the little lady.....


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## NaviGsr (Sep 17, 2009)

danielgoldberg said:


> If it were me, and these things are entirely personal preference and subjective, I'd pick a spot that offers more in the way of easy access to good places to go. For your (our) area, that really is Long Island Sound. I know you say you've had a boat at City Island, so I presume you know the pluses and minuses of the western Sound,


Could you elaborate a bit on the pluses and minuses of keeping a boat at City Island?


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

I don't have first hand experience, but spent a fair amount of time researching it. Seemed that the pluses included: sheltered waters so no ocean swell, interesting places to go for overnights on no. shore of LI and CT shore, relatively easy access to NYC (closer than LI and westchester/CT ports), less boat traffic/currents than the upper bay and pretty reasonable cost wise. Big downside, as I was told, was light winds during the summer months (I was told that "the western sound is where wind goes to die") - spring and fall are supposedly good though. Like I said, I don't have first hand experience, but spent a fair amount of time looking into it and that was what I came up with.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

I think that sums it up nicely. 

One thing about city island..from my research, there's no diesel fuel at least none that I'm aware of... where does everyone get fuel, Manhasset?


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

Pluses for CI are that it is accessible by public transit from the city (though it takes over an hour and the line is not all that safe after hours), access to Manhasset Bay and the entire north and south shore of the LI sound, lots of restaurants and shopping all within walking distance, handful of full service marinas and yacht clubs.

Minuses are the that it's a pain to get to by car or public transit (Port Washington just across in Manhasset bay is actually easier via public transit), western sound is very crowded on a nice day (although less than the upper bay), wind sucks in the summer (predominate SW breeze goes over a lot of land before reaching the western sound), marinas I've dealt with on the island are overpriced and the people running them are rude and don't seem to want your business.

I don't have personal experience with the clubs on the island but I've heard good things about each. If you really like the western sound, I recommend that you check out Port Washington or New Rochelle.


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

A lot of the people I met on CI go up to Nichols in Larchmont for diesel.


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

I looked into a club there that was pretty reasonable - think it ran about $500-$600 for launch service and they would prorate, which worked for me as I keep the boat in maine for the summer and was looking for a place to keep her in the fall around NYC (also mitigated the wind problem for me as I understand the winds to be generally good September-Thanksgiving). I was concerned about access. Kept imagining getting stuck on the BQE after a great sail and arriving back in Brooklyn having lost my post-sail peace of mind. As for public transport, I've taken that 6 train before and it gets _real local once you hit the Bronx. Never did check out manhassat/port wash as it didn't occur to me that it was quicker - makes sense though with the LIRR (solves the traffic problem anyway). Any recommendations/experience on clubs out that way?_


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## jjablonowski (Aug 13, 2007)

*Pleased with Western L.I. Sound*

A good tool to graphically search out mooring fields/marinas/yacht clubs is Active Captain ActiveCaptain - The Interactive Cruising Guidebook - Marina Reviews, Fuel Prices, Anchorages.

Just put my Catalina 25 up for the winter at a club (Stuyvesant YC) on City Island after two seasons in Mamaroneck. Pleased with the new place...friendly, competitive, accessible.

Re: public transport from NYC, if you're thinking about the LIRR's Port Washington branch, consider also MetroNorth's New Haven division out of Grand Central Terminal. From New Rochelle station (about 30 min. from GCT), New Rochelle Harbor is 1.25 miles and Echo Bay (municipal marina) is 1 mile. From Mamaroneck train station (35 min. from GCT), entrance to Harbor Island Park (surrounded by YCs and marinas in two harbor basins  ) is 0.5 miles walk down a main shopping street.


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

Great - thanks. Will check those places out.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

NaviGsr said:


> Could you elaborate a bit on the pluses and minuses of keeping a boat at City Island?


I was talking about the pluses and minuses of western LIS, not City Island specifically. To sum it up, western LIS offers tons of great places to go with deep harbors, you sail in relatively protected water, there are lots of services for boaters, and there are many active sailing fleets. The negatives are light wind in the heart of the summer, the water is not the cleanest (though getting better), and there's a bit of traffic in certain spots.

I've never kept a boat at City Island, so I don't have that level of personal experience. The general story with City Island though is that it has a lot of really good restaurants, even more so-so restaurants, and it's got a sort of "urban art deco" kind of feel. Hard to describe, but it's the Bronx, you know you're in the Bronx when you're there, but it's also a yachting center, and it's got that kind of feel too. There are places where you can get good and serious work done, and there are places to keep your boat as well, whether on a mooring or at a slip. It actually is not that convenient of a place to get to by land, particularly from Manhattan. Though it's got its merits, it would not be my first choice for a place to keep a boat in the area, particularly if you live in the city and are looking for a place to keep a boat.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

AndrewMac said:


> ... I was concerned about access. Kept imagining getting stuck on the BQE after a great sail and arriving back in Brooklyn having lost my post-sail peace of mind. ...
> Any recommendations/experience on clubs out that way?


We used to keep our boat out at Great Neck in Steppingstone Marina/Park (available to Great Neck residents only) and commute from Bklyn & Manhattan. I can attest to the phenomenon of a traffic jam harshing my after sail mellow. The LIE and any roadway around NYC in the summer time can be choked with traffic, especially in summer. Using mass transit makes sense if you don't have too much gear to carry. LIRR from Bklyn to LI is not a bad way to go but most stations are at least a mile from the shore with the exception of Oyster Bay which is right at the water front 
Consider the Hempstead Harbor Club as well: Hempstead Harbour Club - Since 1891
It is a working club and the dues used to be a lot cheaper then most 'yacht clubs' (<$2k/year including winter IIRC). They only have moorings but have a launch service and a nice club house. It is about a mile from the Sea Cliff and Glen Street stops on the Oyster Bay line and about an hours train ride from Bklyn. 
There is also the Glen Cove Yacht Club which should cost <$1K/year but does not include winter haul out. Glen Cove Yacht Club - Glen Cove, Long Island, New York
As JJ noted, the Mamaroneck train station is walkable (about 1/2 mile) to the waterfront. I am fairly certain that the marinas there are full price/full service places like Brewer's - I could be wrong though.


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

Caleb - 

Thanks for the info. Looked at the links - very helpful and interested to check them out in the spring.


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## brob76 (Aug 6, 2009)

If you're interested in CI, you can get a mooring for $35/ft with launch service from New York Sailing Center. They operate out of Consolidated Yacht's yard. I had my boat there last season and was pleased with the service. Just don't like the drive. Also, North Minneford marina which is right next door has a good deal on winter storage: $30/ft for boats under 30 ft.


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## AndrewMac (Sep 11, 2009)

I went up and checked out NY Sailing Center in September. Liked it a lot actually. Can't remember the guys name who runs it (Steve maybe?) Anyway, he seemed great - enthusiatic and knowledgable. Mooring field looked reasonably well sheltered. Main drawback for me is the schlep - can't handle the traffic (at least you can read on the train). I'm in Carroll Gardens and office is at 46th & Park (next to Grand Central), so metro north to Mamaroneck or LIRR from Flatbush to Glen Cove/Hempstead area probably makes the most sense for me. Thanks for the ideas guys.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

AndrewMac said:


> I'm in Carroll Gardens and office is at 46th & Park (next to Grand Central), so metro north to Mamaroneck or LIRR from Flatbush to Glen Cove/Hempstead area probably makes the most sense for me. Thanks for the ideas guys.


I know a few people who do the NYC to Mamaroneck thing, and it seems to work for them. You can get a slip at the Brewer's there, or you can try to get a town mooring and keep a tender at the town dock. I believe there is a waiting list for a mooring. Brewer's is not cheap, but if it were me, and if it were economically feasible, I would do the slip if you're coming up from the city. It would be a nice convenience to leave the boat plugged in, have the fridge cold, and all you need to do is show up on Friday night after a 30 minute train ride and crash on the boat before taking off for a weekend sail. And everything you'll need is walking distance from both the train and the boat. it's a nice setup. If there were easier transient dockage/mooring/anchorage, I firmly believe Mamaroneck would be a very popular transient destination. But then again, I'm biased.


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## aferlazzo (Jul 7, 2005)

brob76 said:


> $800 is very reasonable for a mooring/launch service. *The yacht clubs in Sheepshead I checked with were in the range of $3K/yr. *Thought that was quite excessive since all I need is a mooring/dink launch. Thanks for checking...I'm going to look into that.


Miramar YC in Sheepshead Bay is less than $2k/yr., or less if you are young enough. Nice club, good people. Sheepshead Bay YC is right next door and a bit more expensive, I believe.

As for the discussion of pros and cons of Western LIS, I'd say the comments about lack of wind are understated. I finally got fed up with the total lack of wind on most days and just stopped sailing... that's how bad it is. If you love to sail, you simply have to get out of Western LIS in the summer, it's that simple. You have to either get on the other side of Queens and Nassau County to the south, or at least as far as New Haven to the east on Long Island Sound.

If you are a racer, forget Western LIS, because you will be racing either in frustratingly light and fickle winds, the occasional northwester once or twice a season, or not at all. If you are a cruiser with only weekends available, it's just as bad because you can't get far enough on weekends to get to the wind.


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## Capt Porkchop (Jul 3, 2011)

NY Sailing Center is nice. The guy who runs it is Steve. Very knowledgeable. I'm in the process of purchasing, and have been seriously considering NYSC. Never thought about Port Wash if Mamaroneck, but they sound interesting as well. Dilemma?


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## Capt Porkchop (Jul 3, 2011)

*NY Sailing Center*

I almost forgot. NYSC on the east side of City Island is attractive for moorings due to the fact that no motoring is needed. You literally raise the jib and your off your mooring. Plenty of room to maneuver straight into the Sound. FYI


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## fsp421 (Feb 4, 2009)

I work on 47th and Park and also live in Brooklyn.

We joined North Shore Yacht Club in PortvWashington and have found it to be a quick trip to the boat( timed right) and club location is quick out to Sound

Sugar Magnolia


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