bridge at Third Avenue with a vertical clearance of 20 feet (6.1 m) above mean high water. Erie Basin is on the north side of Gowanus Bay, and is entered from Red Hook Channel. It is important on account of its dry docks and facilities for repairing vessels. Buttermilk Channel leads from the upper bay into East River between Governors Island and Brooklyn. It is described with East River. Hudson River (see p. 316) flows into the upper bay from northward, its mouth being between Manhattan Borough (New York City) on the east and Jersey City and Hoboken on the west. East River (see p. 251) flows into the head of the upper bay from northeastward, between Brooklyn Borough (city of Brooklyn) and Queens Borough (Long Island City and Flushing) on the south and east, and Manhattan Borough (New York City) and Borough of the Bronx (Port Morris and Westchester) on the north and west. These two rivers, together with Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, which connect the Hudson and East Rivers north of the city of New York, form the water front of the city. GENERAL INFORMATION New York City, with a population of about 7,000,000, consists of five boroughs, namely: Manhattan, at the southern end of Manhattan Island; Bronx, the northern end of that island; Brooklyn and Queens, on Long Island; and Richmond, which includes Staten Island. The port of New York includes the Lower Bay, The Narrows, Upper Bay, Hudson (or North) River, and East River. These waters form the main channels to and through the port as well as for local water traffic. The largest part of the most important of the port terminal facilities front upon these waters (excepting the lower bay). Leading off from these main channels are numerous waterways which are tributary to them and which form important elements of the port. On the New York side of the harbor are Gravesend Bay, Bay Ridge, and Red Hook Channels, Gowanus Creek, Buttermilk Channel, Newtown Creek, Flushing Bay, Westchester Creek, East Chester Creek, Bronx River and Harlem River, all within the limits of Greater New York. Also there should be included Jamaica Bay, which is rapidly developing into an important feature of the port. On the New Jersey side are Sandy Hook Bay, Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, Raritan Bay, Raritan River, Staten Island Sound (including Arthur Kill and Kill van Kull) and Newark Bay, with tributary streams. Terminals.-Steamship lines engaged in trans-Atlantic trade berth their vessels principally on the North River along the Manhattan water front and at Hoboken. Some such vessels are also berthed at South Brooklyn. Passenger and large express steamers engaged in this same traffic dock in the North River in Manhattan and at Hoboken. Steamers not pertaining to regular lines but engaged in trade to all parts of the world are berthed generally at South Brooklyn, but with some vessels berthing at Stapleton, Staten Island. Steamers plying to South American ports berth generally at South Brooklyn. Southern coastwise, as well as West India com merce is handled at the Manhattan piers on the North and East Rivers, and on the Buttermilk Channel and at South Brooklyn. New England coastwise traffic is handled mainly along the Manhattan water front in the North and East Rivers. Passenger vessels in this trade dock mainly in the North River. Hudson River passenger and freight steamers use piers in the North River. Steamboat lines engaged in local or intraport freight traffic dock mainly along the East River water front of Manhattan. Coal terminals are located along the New Jersey front from Edgewater to Jersey City and in Kill van Kull, as well as in Arthur Kill, at Elizabethport, Port Reading, and the Amboys. Terminals of railroads approaching from the west are located on the New Jersey side of the North River and at Greenville, Bayonne, and St. George, Staten Island. The terminals of railroads approaching from the north and east are located in Manhattan and in the Bronx. Port administration. The port administration of the port of New York is under separate control of the municipality of New York City, through its department of docks, and of the municipalities of Jersey City, Hoboken, and other towns in New Jersey. In 1921 the States of New York and New Jersey created by compact a joint harbor development commission, known as "The Port of New York Authority," which was ratified by Congress. The wharves and piers of New York City along the water front of the Hudson and East Rivers are numbered, the numbers, beginning at the Battery and following in sequence eastward along the East River and northward along the Hudson River water fronts of the city. Anchorage. The anchorage limits are given in the appendix. The New York Yacht Club maintains a landing station at Twenty-sixth Street, East River, off which there is good anchorage for yachts. There is also an anchorage off Eighty-sixth Street, Hudson River, which is used by yachts and small craft, and there is a landing for small boats. Caution-Telegraph cables.-The Compagnie Française des Cables Telegraphique, 25 Broad Street, New York, reports serious interruptions of international telegraphic communication resulting from repeated recent breaking of its cables by vessels anchoring southeastward of Ambrose Lightship. The company will be glad to compensate any vessel which, having fouled the cable, cuts away its anchor and chain in order to save the cable from interruption. Vessels making New York in thick weather and finding it necessary to anchor before entering Ambrose Channel should do so in the area southward of Scotland Lightship and westward of the meridian passing through Ambrose Lightship. Masters of vessels are cautioned not to anchor on the line of cable running from the west dock, Bedloes Island, to dredged channel, approximately 100 yards east of nun buoy 4, thence approximately 830 yards in the direction 120° along the dredged channel and fairway to a point just beyond the limits of the adjacent anchorage areas, thence in the direction 60° to a point on the northwest shore of Governors Island, approximately 430 yards from the southwesterly end of Governors Island. Caution-Pipe-line areas.-Vessels are especially cautioned against anchoring in the vicinity of the pipe-line area across the Narrows as shown on the chart. These pipes carry the water supply for Staten Island. Pilotage is compulsory for foreign vessels, vessels from a foreign port, and all vessels sailing under register. Pilots generally cruise westward of a line drawn from Fire Island to Sea Girt. Pilot boats are always found near Scotland and Ambrose Channel Lightships. The fees for piloting for the port of New York, by the way of Sandy Hook, are as follows: For every vessel, inward bound and not exempted from pilotage by any law of this State or any regulation thereunder, and drawing less than 14 feet of water, $2.78 per foot. For every vessel drawing 14 feet, and less than 18 feet, $3.38 per foot. If the master of owner of any vessel shall request the pilot to moor said vessel to any place within Sandy Hook, and not to be taken to the wharf or harbor of New York, or the vessel to be detained at quarantine, the same pilotage shall be allowed, and the pilot entitled to his discharge. When any ship or vessel bound for the port of New York and boarded by any pilot appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the City of New York at such distance to the southward or eastward of Sandy Hook Lighthouse as that said lighthouse could not be seen from the deck of such ship or vessel in the daytime, and in fair weather, the addition of one-fourth to the rates of pilotage hereinbefore mentioned shall be allowed to such pilot, provided the commander of such vessel shall have agreed to pay such addition. But such additional rate may be waived by the pilot boarding or offering his services to any vessel, and if waived he shall be taken on board and shall be entitled to pilot such vessel, and to be paid at the ordinary rates established by law. In case of the refusal of the commander of any vessel to take such pilot after such waiver, he and the owner or consignee of the vessel shall be liable to pay such pilot at the ordinary rate, the same as if he had piloted the vessel to the port of New York. In case the same additional rate of pilotage is not waived by the pilot so boarding or speaking any vessel, the commander, owner, or consignee shall not be liable to pay any pilotage, except that in case of failing to take a licensed pilot before such vessel reaches the port of New York, the pilotage shall be paid at the ordinary rate to the pilot who first offers his services. * * * The pilotage on vessels, outward bound, not exempt from pilotage, shall be as follows: For every vessel drawing less than 14 feet of water, $2.02 per foot. For every vessel drawing 14 feet, and less than 18 feet, $2.33 per foot. (a) For vessels having had death or sickness on board, double outward pilotage, etc. (b) For vessels from sickly ports but having had no sickness on board, single outward pilotage. (c) Pilotage of vessels from New York to Perth Amboy or from Perth Amboy to New York, except on the voyage to or from sea shall be $2.50 per foot of the vessel's draft. (d) Pilotage of vessels from the North River or from the East River to Bayonne or Yonkers, or vice versa, $10 each way. (e) For moving any vessels from the North River, the East River, Atlantic Dock, Erie Basin, Kill van Kull, or any pier or dock in the upper bay of New York Harbor (excepting such places as have a different rate established for them), to an anchorage in the said upper bay, or vice versa, $5 each way, unless such moving is done on the same calendar day as the vessel enters or leaves port. (f) In case of vessels bound over Sandy Hook Bar to or from points in Newark Bay, Staten Island Sound, the Passaic, Hackensack, or Raritan Rivers, only one full pilotage shall be paid, of which two-thirds shall be paid to the pilot piloting the vessel over Sandy Hook Bar and one-third to the local pilot: Provided, however, That if the bar pilot is competent to pilot the vessel the whole way, he shall be entitled to do so and to receive the full pilotage the same as if the vessel was piloted to or from New York, Jersey City, or Brooklyn. (g) Vessels boarded north or west of a line drawn from the lights of the Highlands of Navesink to the black buoy No. 1, of the bar, thence to the red buoy No. 2 of Gedney Channel, shall pay half pilotage only. If boarded above the Narrows, quarter pilotage. (h) No pilotage, except the regular inward pilotage, shall be allowed when vessels are detained from the nonvisiting of the health officer. (i) Vessels returning from sea in consequence of head winds or stress of weather shall pay full pilotage. (j) For delivering a letter on board a vessel coming to New York ordering her to go instead to another port, without entering the port of New York, the charge shall be a sum equal to one-half the inward and outward pilotage of the said vessel. Winter pilotage is charged from November 1 to April 1 at the rate of $4 additional for each pilotage. For pilotage of vessels from New York to Albany a charge of $50 is made, plus inward pilotage fee, if piloted from outside. The same charge is made for the return trip ($50), plus outward pilotage, if continued outside. Quarantine regulations for the port are changed from time to time, as found necessary by the local authorities. The quarantine headquarters and boarding station are just above Fort Wadsworth in the Narrows. A Coast and Geodetic Survey field station is located at 328 South Ferry Building, No. 6 State Street, New York City. Complete files of Charts, Coast Pilots, Tide and Current Tables, and other publications relating to navigation may be consulted here, and other information affecting navigation obtained without charge. A United States Branch Hydrographic Office is established at No. 6 State Street, New York City. Bulletins are posted here giving information of value to seamen, who are also enabled to avail themselves of publications pertaining to navigation and to correct their charts from standards. No charge is made for this service. Storm warnings of the United States Weather Bureau are shown in New York City from the Whitehall Building. They are also displayed at Sandy Hook. Time ball.—A time ball is dropped at noon each day on the Seaman's Church Building. Daylight-saving time.-From May to September each year New York City uses daylight-saving time, which corresponds to 60th meridian time, the standard meridian for the locality being 75°. Reporting stations.-Vessels_are reported to the Maritime Exchange at New York from City Island, Sandy Hook, Highlands of Navesink and Quarantine. Repairs. For the dimensions of the largest dry docks and marine railways see page 5. Ice. The large number of ferryboats, towboats, and steamers navigating the waters of this harbor usually keep the channels open, but in severe winters ice seriously interferes with navigation for short periods. For tides see page 18, also the Tide Tables for the Atlantic Coast of the United States, in which the tides are predicted for every day of the current year for Sandy Hook, Governors Island, and Willet Point. CURRENTS, NEW YORK BAY AND HARBOR Approaching New York Bar from seaward the flood current rarely attains a velocity of 1 knot, and sets fair for the entrance, except that it is disposed to press upon the outside shores of Sandy Hook and Coney Island. At the beginning of the flood the current sets in at the bottom, while the surface current is still running out. The ebb current issuing from the harbor is stronger than the flood, even when the river is low, the excess being never less than 10 per cent, except near Coney Island and the outside shore of Sandy Hook, where the flood and ebb approach equality. Caution. The action of the current in the channel northward of Governors Island is very erratic, and great care must be taken by large vessels in navigating this channel. It is reported that the most dangerous conditions occur near the end of the flood current, about 2 hours after high water at the Battery (see Tidal Current Charts, New York Harbor). At this time the current is flooding north in the Hudson River while a subsurface current ebbs westward from the East River. These cross currents are known locally as The Spider. Their effect on a large vessel, coming from southward and turning into the East River, is to throw her stern to port and her bow to starboard, thus casing a sheer to starboard toward the shoals off the north end of Governors Island. When coming from northward in the Hudson River the same effect tends to prevent the vessel from turning and to cause her to overrun her course. In Ambrose Channel slack water occurs about 1 hour before the corresponding slack at the Narrows (about 3/4 hour after high and low water at the Battery). The mean velocity at strength of the flood current is about 134 knots and of the ebb current 24 knots. In the Narrows slack water occurs about 1 hour 45 minutes after high and low water at the Battery. The mean velocity at strength of the flood current is about 111⁄2 knots and of the ebb current 2 knots. Daily predictions of slack water and strength of current are given in the Atlantic Coast Current Tables. In Hudson River, off the Battery, slack water occurs about 11⁄2 hours after the corresponding slack at the Narrows (about 314 hours after low and high water at the Battery). Off Thirty-ninth Street slack water occurs about 134 hours after the corresponding slack at the Narrows (approximately 31⁄2 hours after low and high water at the Battery). The mean velocities at strength of the flood and ebb currents are about 14 and 214 knots, respectively, off the Battery, and 11⁄2 and 214 knots, respectively, off Thirty-ninth Street. Between the Battery and Yonkers the current at a depth of about 15 feet is running flood approximately 4 hour before the turning from ebb to flood at the surface. The direction and velocity of the current throughout New York Harbor for every hour at the tidal cycle is shown in the Tidal Current Charts, New York Harbor. Copies of this publication can be -obtained from the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C., its field station, New York City, or any of its agencies, price 25 cents. |