GL: Marinas near NYC

[Lawrence Zeitlin]

There are many alternative marinas for a New York visit equally  
convenient but lower priced than Lincoln Harbor.

Starting south of the city, Great Kills harbor in Staten Island is in  
a well protected bay lined with six marinas. It is part of the  
Gateway National Park. Use the Waterway Guide to find the marina to  
your liking or just anchor in the middle of the harbor and dinghy to  
shore. Staten Island is a borough of New York City but I suppose most  
of you want to go to Manhattan. Simple, walk three blocks to Hylan  
Avenue and take the city bus to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, a  
15 minute ride. The Staten Island Ferry takes you on a 20 minute sea  
voyage past the Statue of Liberty to the ferry terminal in the  
Battery. From the Battery you can take busses or the subway to any  
part of Manhattan. Or you can simply walk to Wall Street and see  
brokers leaping from tall buildings.

North of Manhattan the Tarrytown Marina is very close to the Metro  
North commuter railroad to NYC. The station is just in back of the  
marina parking area. It is a 30 minute train ride with several trains  
an hour. Tarrytown is an affluent village with a variety of good  
restaurants and shopping. The marina has received mixed reviews  
recently, goose poop on the dock and low voltage electrics, but if  
you can put up with these minor problems, the train link to Manhattan  
is the best way into the city. The train lets you off at Grand  
Central Station at 42nd St., right in the heart of NYC's action. It  
is only a few minutes walk to the theater district and the best  
shopping. The marina also sells fuel.

A bit further north is the Westerly Marina in Ossining, in the shadow  
of Sing Sing prison. This marina is also close to the Metro North  
railway station. The ride to NYC is about 40 minutes. The marina has  
a well equipped marine store and sells fuel. It also has good engine  
mechanics. There are no supermarkets within walking distance.

Half Moon Bay just north of Croton Point is a quiet, very well  
maintained marina next to an upscale waterfront housing development.  
It is about 100 yards from where I moor my boat so I know it well.  
The area is beautiful but the marina has few services. It is  
basically meant as a place for the development residents to keep  
their yachts. On the other hand, it is a few minutes walk to Croton- 
on-Hudson's excellent restaurants, supermarkets, marine stores and  
the Metro North commuter railroad. No fuel is available but there is  
a free pumpout station. However if you stay near Croton Point, you  
might as well anchor in the bay, the best anchorage on the Hudson  
River, dinghy in to the Croton town dock and avoid paying any marina  
charges. The train ride to NYC takes about 50 minutes.

Further north in Green Cove in the town of Verplanck is the Viking  
Marina. It has ample berths for transients and a good marine store.  
No fuel though. It is also fairly close to the Metro North line.  
There is a good restaurant adjacent to the marina but no supermarkets  
within walking distance.

Across the river on the west shore is the large Haverstraw Marina.  
There is no convenient access to either shopping or train service.  
Valvtec fuel is available. You pretty well have to rent a car or take  
taxis to get around.

Basically if you want to visit NYC on a Hudson River trip and you  
decide not to stay either in Staten Island or Lincoln Harbor, it is  
best to choose a marina on the east shore of the river. The railroad  
line to the city hugs the shoreline and you can board the train at  
every town from Yonkers to Peekskill. If you stay on the west shore,  
you have to find a way across the river. In the Tappan Zee/Haverstraw  
Bay area north of Tarrytown, the Hudson is about 3 miles wide.

Larry Z