SeaTV · Cruising Areas · New York
Sailing & Visiting New York — The East River, NY Harbor, Manhattan Skyline + The Major Marinas + What Not to Miss in the City
~40°41’N · ~74°00’W · sailing the East River + New York Harbor with the Manhattan skyline as your unfolding backdrop · 14 bridges along the 14-mile East River · the Statue of Liberty · the Brooklyn Bridge (1883) · 8+ working marinas accessible by yacht · plus the city itself — the museums, the rooftops, the food, the parks, the markets — everything you’d want to do once you’re tied up.
Best entry: NY Harbor via The Narrows · ⚠ shallow S of Liberty Island · ⚠ heavy ferry + commercial traffic · VHF Ch 16 · 2 floods + 2 ebbs daily · Liberty Landing Marina is the go-to overnight base · summer prime season but year-round operation
If you’re lucky enough to sail to New York, sailing up the East River is unmissable. The East River is a bridge-lover’s dream — crossed by no fewer than fourteen bridges. The most iconic is the Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883 and has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. Sailing the East River provides a unique opportunity to take in the architecture of New York City while enjoying the sight of bridges with names like Hell’s Gate and Throgs Neck (the newest of them all). The East River stretches 14 miles, taking you along the length of Manhattan and offering an unparalleled view of the city’s skyline. For sailors, this guide combines the on-water knowledge — entry, tides, bridges, marinas, anchorages — with a curated list of what to do once you’ve tied up. New York is one of the few major world cities you can arrive at by yacht, walk off the dock, and be in Times Square within 20 minutes by subway. The marinas covered: Liberty Landing Marina (NJ side · the SeaTV go-to), North Cove Marina (Lower Manhattan · directly opposite the World Trade Center), Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina (One°15), Chelsea Piers (Manhattan West Side), 79th Street Boat Basin (Manhattan Upper West Side, Hudson side), Dyckman Marina (Inwood · N Manhattan), Sheepshead Bay (S Brooklyn), and Port Washington / Manhasset Bay (Long Island Sound entry, the W LI base). The “what to do” list covers the iconic + the offbeat — Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, One World Observatory + 9/11 Memorial, Top of the Rock, the High Line, Central Park, Times Square, Broadway, the museums (MET + MoMA + Guggenheim + Whitney), the food markets (Chelsea Market + Smorgasburg), the photogenic neighborhoods (DUMBO + Williamsburg + Greenwich Village + SoHo), and the Hudson River + Coney Island for those wanting to escape Manhattan.
⚠ Reality check before you sail in:
→ ⚠ Heavy commercial + ferry traffic · NY Harbor is one of the busiest in the world · stay alert
→ ⚠ 2 floods + 2 ebbs daily · learn current patterns before entering East River or Long Island Sound
→ ⚠ Hell’s Gate · the East River-Long Island Sound junction · violent currents · time the slack water
→ ⚠ Shallow S of Liberty Island · rocks visible above water at low tide · narrow marked channel (“Red Right Return”) · use engine
→ ⚠ Bridge clearance not the issue · all 14 East River bridges have 130+ ft air draught · most yachts clear easily
→ VHF Ch 16 · maintain sharp listening watch for security announcements
→ ⚠ Anchorages near Liberty/Ellis · strong currents + heavy ferry wakes · Liberty State Park Anchorage is the safest
→ CBP clearance: yachts arriving from international waters must clear customs at a Port of Entry · advance arrival notice required (CBP ROAM app)
⚓ New York at a Glance
Coordinates
~40°41’N · 74°00’W
East River length
14 NM (Manhattan length)
Bridges over East River
14 (all with 130+ ft clearance)
Marinas covered
8+ (NJ + Manhattan + Brooklyn + LI Sound)
Tides
2 floods + 2 ebbs daily · ~1.5 m range
Sea-temp
~22-24°C summer · ~5-7°C winter
Sailing season
May-October prime · year-round possible
Currency
US Dollar ($)
Airports
JFK · LGA · EWR (3 international)
Population
~8.3 million (5 boroughs)
Sailing the East River + NY Harbor — Practical Notes
Bridge clearance & tides
→ Air draught is rarely the issue · all 14 East River bridges have at least 130 ft clearance · most cruising yachts clear easily
→ 2 floods + 2 ebbs daily · learn current patterns to plan your harbor entry, especially heading up East River into Long Island Sound
→ Hell’s Gate (East River + LI Sound junction) is notorious for violent rip currents · time it for slack water if possible
⚠ Shallow waters S of Liberty Island
→ ⚠ Very shallow · rocks visible above water at low tide
→ ⚠ Narrow marked channel · red + green buoys · “Red Right Return” — keep red buoys to your right as you enter
→ ⚠ Use engine power · channel is incredibly narrow · slight wind shift could put you on rocks · don’t sail it
Liberty State Park Anchorage
→ SW of the Statue of Liberty · the marked narrow channel leads here
→ Good protection + excellent holding (mud)
→ Ideal for an overnight stop · iconic skyline view
→ Alternates: anchor between Liberty Island + Ellis Island, or N of Ellis Island
→ ⚠ Caution: the latter coves are affected by strong currents + ferry/large-vessel wakes
The Major NY-Area Marinas
Listed by approach order from S NY Harbor entrance northward + east into Long Island Sound:
SeaTV’s go-to NY base
Liberty Landing Marina · Jersey City, NJ
→ ~40°42.4’N · 74°02.4’W · directly opposite Manhattan’s Battery + Statue of Liberty · NJ side
→ ~520 berths · transient berths for visitors · accommodates LOA up to ~70 m · full marina services
→ From the dock to Manhattan · dedicated ferry to Liberty State Park + free shuttle to Liberty State Park PATH train station · or NY Waterway ferry to World Financial Center (Lower Manhattan)
Manhattan · directly opposite WTC
Brookfield Place / North Cove Marina
→ ~40°42.7’N · 74°01.0’W · Lower Manhattan · Hudson River shore · steps from World Trade Center + 9/11 Memorial
→ ~30 berths · transient + members · accommodates LOA up to ~60 m · the most central marina in Manhattan
→ Best for: city-walking access · finance district + WTC + Battery Park + Tribeca all within 10 min walk
Brooklyn · East River side
Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina (ONE°15)
→ ~40°42.0’N · 73°59.8’W · DUMBO/Brooklyn Heights · under the Brooklyn Bridge
→ ~100 berths · superyacht capable · the iconic Brooklyn Bridge view
→ Best for: Brooklyn Heights Promenade · DUMBO photography · Brooklyn Bridge walk to Manhattan
Manhattan · West Side
Chelsea Piers
→ ~40°45.2’N · 74°00.6’W · Pier 59-62 · Chelsea waterfront · Hudson River
→ Sport + Lifestyle complex · transient docking + tour boat hub · sailing school + golf
→ Best for: High Line access · Chelsea Market · Hudson Yards · Whitney Museum
Manhattan · Upper West Side
79th Street Boat Basin
→ ~40°47.0’N · 73°59.0’W · Hudson River · Manhattan Upper West Side · Riverside Park
→ ~110 slips + ~75 mooring buoys · transient available · ⚠ verify current operating status — facility has had renovation/closure issues
→ Best for: Central Park · American Museum of Natural History · Lincoln Center
Manhattan · Inwood (N tip)
Dyckman Marina (La Marina)
→ ~40°51.8’N · 73°55.5’W · Hudson River at Dyckman St · N Manhattan
→ Restaurant + waterfront venue · transient docking · the practical N Manhattan stop on Hudson trips
→ Best for: Hudson River trip launch · Cloisters Museum · Inwood Hill Park
Brooklyn · Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay (Marine Basin)
→ ~40°35.0’N · 73°57.0’W · S Brooklyn · sheltered bay · fishing + recreational fleet base
→ Multiple operators · slip + transient availability varies · contact in advance
→ Best for: Brighton Beach · Coney Island · the Russian-American food scene
Long Island Sound · W entrance
Manhasset Bay / Port Washington
→ ~40°50.0’N · 73°43.0’W · W end of Long Island Sound · 15 NM E of NY Harbor via East River + Hell’s Gate
→ Multiple marinas · Port Washington Town Dock + Manhasset Bay Marina + others · the LI Sound base for NY-bound visitors
→ Best for: LI Sound cruising · LIRR train to Manhattan in 35 min · the quieter alternative to Manhattan marinas
What Not to Miss in NYC — The Curated List
Iconic landmarks · the unmissable
→ Statue of Liberty + Ellis Island · ferry from Battery Park (or anchor right in Liberty State Park anchorage!) · Ellis Island Immigration Museum is moving + history-rich
→ Empire State Building · 102 floors · 86th floor open-air observatory + 102nd floor enclosed · 360° panorama · the original NY skyline icon
→ One World Observatory + 9/11 Memorial & Museum · the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere (1,776 ft, the year of US Independence) · the memorial reflecting pools sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers
→ Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) · 70th floor · the best view of the Empire State Building (so it’s in your photo) · less crowded than ESB
→ SUMMIT One Vanderbilt · the newest sky-experience (opened 2021) · mirrored rooms + glass ledges over Madison Avenue
→ Brooklyn Bridge walk · 1.6 km · always free · iconic at sunrise + sunset · cross from Manhattan to DUMBO
→ Times Square · once at night for the lights · don’t linger long — it’s chaos
Parks & outdoor
→ Central Park · 843 acres · 3.5 km long · rent a bike · Bow Bridge · Bethesda Terrace · Belvedere Castle · Strawberry Fields (John Lennon memorial)
→ The High Line · 2.3 km elevated park on a former rail line · Chelsea/Meatpacking District · the urban-design landmark that started a global trend
→ Brooklyn Bridge Park · waterfront from DUMBO to Cobble Hill · Jane’s Carousel · piers + lawns · best Manhattan skyline view from here
→ Hudson River Park · 7 km waterfront from Battery to Hell’s Kitchen · jogging + cycling · Pier 25 + Pier 26
→ Governors Island · ferry from Battery Maritime Building · former military base now public park · summer-only, May-October
→ Coney Island + Brighton Beach · S Brooklyn · the original American boardwalk · vintage rides at Luna Park · Russian food on Brighton Beach Avenue
Museums · the world-class quartet + more
→ Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) · Fifth Ave + 82nd · 2 million-object collection · plan a full day · Egyptian wing + European paintings + American wing
→ Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) · 53rd St · Van Gogh’s Starry Night · Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon · Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans
→ Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum · Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiral · 5th Ave at 89th · architecture is the artwork
→ Whitney Museum of American Art · Meatpacking District · adjacent to High Line · Renzo Piano building
→ American Museum of Natural History · Upper West Side · the dinosaurs · the Hayden Planetarium · the blue whale
→ The Cloisters (MET branch) · N Manhattan · medieval European art in a reconstructed monastery · day trip vibe
→ Tenement Museum · Lower East Side · the immigrant New York · 19th-20th century apartment tours
Neighborhoods to walk
→ SoHo + NoLita · cast-iron architecture · boutique shopping · galleries · cafés
→ Greenwich Village + West Village · brownstones + tree-lined streets · Washington Square Park · jazz clubs (Blue Note, Village Vanguard)
→ DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) · Brooklyn · cobblestones · Brooklyn Bridge view · Time Out Market · St. Ann’s Warehouse
→ Williamsburg · Brooklyn · creative + food scene · McCarren Park · vintage shopping · Smorgasburg (summer Saturdays)
→ Lower East Side · the original immigrant neighborhood · classic Jewish delis (Russ & Daughters, Katz’s) · Bowery + Houston
→ Harlem · 125th Street · Apollo Theater · Sylvia’s soul food · the Studio Museum
→ Chinatown + Little Italy · adjacent in Lower Manhattan · dim sum on Mott St · Italian cafés on Mulberry St
Theatre, music & performance
→ Broadway · 41 theatres in the Theater District · book ahead for popular shows · TKTS booth in Times Square for same-day discount
→ Off-Broadway · ~100 theatres · smaller venues · more experimental · Public Theater (Astor Place) is the institution
→ Lincoln Center · Metropolitan Opera + NY Philharmonic + NYC Ballet · summer + evening rooftop performances
→ Carnegie Hall · the legendary classical + popular music venue (since 1891)
→ Apollo Theater (Harlem) · Wednesday Amateur Night · since 1934 · launchpad for Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Michael Jackson
NYC Food — The Sailor’s Itinerary
The classics — what NYC does better than anywhere:
→ NY-style pizza · thin foldable slices · the Lower East Side + Brooklyn classics
→ Bagels (with lox + cream cheese) · the Russ & Daughters institution on the Lower East Side · Murray’s, Ess-a-Bagel, Tompkins Square Bagels are local rivals
→ Jewish deli · Katz’s (East Houston St) · pastrami on rye · matzo ball soup · the “When Harry Met Sally” booth
→ Cheesecake · Junior’s (Brooklyn + Times Square)
→ Bodega coffee + bacon-egg-and-cheese on a roll · the NY breakfast institution · ~$5
→ Halal carts · The Halal Guys (53rd + 6th) is the original · chicken-and-rice plates · the workday standard
Food markets & halls:
→ Chelsea Market · adjacent High Line · 30+ vendors · seafood + tacos + cookies + lobster
→ Smorgasburg · Saturdays Williamsburg · Sundays Prospect Park · the open-air food festival May-October
→ Time Out Market (DUMBO) · 21 vendors · Brooklyn Bridge Park location
→ Eataly (Flatiron + WTC) · the Italian food + market · pasta + pizza + wine
Practical Information
Airports: JFK (Queens · main international · ~30 km from Manhattan) · LaGuardia (LGA · Queens · domestic mostly · ~13 km) · Newark Liberty (EWR · NJ · ~25 km · convenient if at Liberty Landing)
Local transport: NYC Subway (24/7 · MetroCard or OMNY tap) · NY Waterway ferries (Manhattan ↔ NJ) · Yellow Cab + Uber/Lyft
Currency: US Dollar ($) · tipping is mandatory (18-22% in restaurants · $1-2 for taxis + bartenders)
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC-5 standard / UTC-4 DST)
Emergency: 911 · VHF Ch 16 · USCG NY Sector +1 718-354-4119
Customs (CBP) for arriving yachts: use the CBP ROAM app for advance arrival notice · clear in at a designated Port of Entry
Best season: May-October (warm + most pleasant) · September is peak (warm + clear) · winter sailing possible but cold
Hurricane season: June-November · monitor National Hurricane Center · most storms miss NY but late Aug-Sept are peak risk
⛵ Continue Exploring · The US East Coast
Adjacent cruising areas (US East Coast):
→ Long Island Sound · E of NY Harbor through East River + Hell’s Gate · ~100 NM E to Block Island · classic New England cruising
→ Hudson River N · upstream from NY Harbor · ~150 NM to Albany · Bear Mountain · West Point · the Hudson Valley
→ New Jersey shore · S of NY Harbor · Sandy Hook + Atlantic Highlands · Cape May · the bayside route
→ Block Island, Newport, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket · classic New England 200-NM E itinerary
→ South to the Caribbean · NY → Bermuda → BVI/St Maarten · ~1,500 NM total · the classic fall snowbird route
All SeaTV cruising areas: SeaTV global hub
SeaTV New York · Pages Index
Docking pages currently available:
→ Liberty Landing Marina · the SeaTV go-to overnight base · Jersey City NJ side · ferry/PATH access to Manhattan
More NY-area marina pages coming soon — including North Cove (Lower Manhattan), Brooklyn Bridge Park (ONE°15), Chelsea Piers, and others.
“If you’re lucky enough to sail to New York sailing up the East River is unmissable · the East River is a bridge-lover’s dream crossed by no fewer than fourteen bridges and the most iconic is the Brooklyn Bridge which opened in eighteen eighty three and has been featured in countless movies and TV shows · the East River stretches fourteen miles taking you along the length of Manhattan and offering an unparalleled view of the city’s skyline · for sailors this guide combines the on water knowledge entry tides bridges marinas anchorages with a curated list of what to do once you’ve tied up · New York is one of the few major world cities you can arrive at by yacht and walk off the dock and be in Times Square within twenty minutes by subway · the marinas covered include Liberty Landing the SeaTV go-to and North Cove in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge Park and Chelsea Piers and seventy ninth Street Boat Basin and Dyckman Marina and Sheepshead Bay and Manhasset Bay at the Long Island Sound entrance · the what to do list covers the iconic and the offbeat from Statue of Liberty to Empire State Building to One World Observatory to Top of the Rock to the High Line to Central Park to the museums to the food markets to the photogenic neighborhoods · sail accordingly.”
— SeaTV · New York · The Skyline Cruising Hub · Marinas + What Not to Miss in the City
