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64-514: The Sandy Hook pilots have been piloting ships in the New York Harbor for over 300 years and can be traced back to 1694. The group of men and women ensure safe passage for ships going through The Narrows , which is one of the entrances into the harbors of the Port of New York and New Jersey . Lying below the surface of the bay and extending from the tip of Sandy Hook to the south shore of Long Island

128-618: A fishing smack at the Fulton Fish Market , as the first New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilot for the ports of Perth Amboy, Newark, and New York Bay . For the first time there was competition between the two states. In 1837 the Board of Wardens was replaced by the Board of Pilot Commissioners charged with licensing and regulating pilotage. The new pilot commission could not overcome the shortcomings of its predecessor and by 1845 legislators repealed all laws governing pilotage. Complicated politics at both

192-400: A whaleboat at Sandy Hook, ready to place a pilot aboard incoming vessels. After two major shipwrecks in 1836, it became apparent that service for vessels entering and departing the port was necessary. A committee of merchants and citizens organized a small group of local seamen to assist the ship masters coming into the port. The sailor on the great Seal of New York City holds in his hand

256-439: A February gale in 1846 he called on the barque John Minturn . Seeing that he was a New Yorker, the master refused his service preferring a Jersey man, but when no other pilot called and the sea worsened, the master relented and boarded the pilot. Only now the situation was in extremis and the barque lay towards the lee shore of New Jersey. The pilot did what he could to soften the blow and went aground. He then gave his clothing to

320-414: A canoe party of Lenape. A party of his sailors may have taken on fresh water at a spring called "the watering place" on Staten Island—a monument stands in a tiny park on the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard at the approximate spot—but Verrazzano's descriptions of the geography of the area are a bit ambiguous. It is fairly firmly held by historians that his ship anchored at the approximate location of

384-648: A constant phenomenon, although there have been improvements in some areas of the harbor complex in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. A 2019 study of the harbor identifies water quality trends in nine regions of the harbor, using data collected during 1996 to 2017. The Lower New York Bay region has the highest quality, due to frequent exchange of water with the Atlantic Ocean. The poorest regions are those with limited exchange of water flows: Newtown Creek , Flushing Bay and Jamaica Bay . High levels of nutrient pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus) were observed throughout

448-773: A rate exceeding those of the other U.S. forces. Bright city lights made it easier for German U-boats to spot targets at night, but local officials resisted suggestions that they follow London 's lead and blackout the lights of coastal cities. However, some lights were darkened, including those of the amusement parks in Coney Island , Brooklyn , and the Coney Island Light , and Sandy Hook Lighthouse . The Harbor reached its peak activity in March 1943 during World War II, with 543 ships at anchor awaiting assignment to convoy or berthing (with as many as 426 seagoing vessel already at one of

512-559: A ship for a thousand miles only to work the last twenty. This system exposed their small craft to all the fury of the Atlantic and the casualties began to mount. Due to the nature of their work and proximity to the Bar, many pilots distinguished themselves with acts of heroism and rescue. One was Captain Thomas Freeborne of the pilot boat Blossom . A member of the old guard of New York pilots, in

576-586: A similar suit was brought against the International Longshoremen's Association local. In March 2006, the Port passenger facility was to be transferred to Dubai Ports World . There was considerable security controversy over the ownership by a foreign corporation, particularly Arabic, of a U.S. port operation, this in spite of the fact the current operator was the British-based P&;O Ports , and

640-520: A stately ceremonial barge rowed by thirteen pilots in white uniforms to the Battery for his inauguration. In 1784 the New York legislature recognized and strengthened state pilotage law. Under this legislation Zachary Rusler became the first New York State-licensed Sandy Hook Pilot. His license was signed by Governor George Clinton . During the war of 1812 New York pilots distinguished themselves by running

704-594: A very diverse population of marine species, allowing for recreational fishing, most commonly for striped bass and bluefish. The original population of the 16th century New York Harbor, the Lenape , used the waterways for fishing and travel. In 1524 Giovanni da Verrazzano anchored in what is now called the Narrows , the strait between Staten Island and Long Island that connects the Upper and Lower New York Bay , where he received

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768-575: Is a public agency, created by the New York State Legislature, to provide for the selection, training, licensing, and regulation of pilots, who navigate oceangoing vessels, which operate on New York State waters and Connecticut and New Jersey waters. New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay and an extremely small portion of the Lower Bay . It is at

832-493: Is a series of shoals that separate New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary from the deeper waters of the Atlantic; known as the Bar of Sandy Hook. For over three centuries the mariners tasked with guiding the ships across this bar have been known as Sandy Hook pilots. As the port of New York-New Jersey grew and the ships evolved so did the role of the pilot and the craft with which he used to ply his trade. The earliest pilots were employed as explorers, tasked with sounding and surveying

896-565: Is consolidated for easier automated transfer to land conveyance. As a consequence, the waterfront industries of the Harbor experienced a decline leading to diverse plans for revitalization, though important maritime uses remain at Red Hook , Port Jersey , MOTBY , Constable Hook , and parts of the Staten Island shore. Liberty State Park opened in 1976. In recent years, it has become a popular site for recreation sailing and kayaking . The harbor

960-462: Is much healthier than it was 30 years ago." The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest oil importing port and third largest container port in the nation. The commercial activity of the port of New York City, including the waterfronts of the five boroughs and nearby cities in New Jersey, since 1921 has been formalized under a single bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . Since

1024-704: Is still served by cruise lines , commuter ferries , and tourist excursion boats. Although most ferry service is private, the Staten Island Ferry is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation . Passenger ship facilities are New York Passenger Ship Terminal , the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Red Hook , and MOTBY at Bayonne . 40°40′06″N 74°02′44″W  /  40.66833°N 74.04556°W  / 40.66833; -74.04556 Board of Commissioners of Pilots of

1088-653: Is the responsibility of the bi-state Waterfront Commission . The commission was set up in 1953 (a year before the movie On the Waterfront ), to combat labor racketeering . It is held that the Gambino crime family controlled the New York waterfront and the Genovese crime family controlled the New Jersey side. In 1984 the Teamsters local was put under Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) trusteeship, and in 2005

1152-474: Is traversed by the Staten Island Ferry , which runs between Whitehall Street at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park ( South Ferry ) and St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace in Staten Island near Richmond County Borough Hall and Richmond County Supreme Court. NY Waterway operates routes across the bay and through The Narrows to locations near Sandy Hook . The harbor supports

1216-517: The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1878) discovered a new, deeper channel through the Narrows into New York Harbor. Previously, the passage was complex and shallow enough that loaded ships would wait outside the harbor until high tide, to avoid running into the huge sandbar, which was interrupted in a number of places by channels of fairly shallow depth: 21 feet (6.4 m) at low tide and 33 feet (10 m) at high tide. Because of

1280-679: The War Board labor ruling and ended on April 20, 1919 after new terms had been offered by both public and private port employers. After the United States entered World War II , the German navy's Operation Drumbeat set the top U-boat aces loose against the merchant fleet in U.S. territorial waters in January 1942, starting the Second happy time . The U-boat captains were able to silhouette target ships against

1344-651: The 1950s, the New York and Brooklyn commercial port has been almost completely eclipsed by the container ship facility at nearby Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Newark Bay , which is the largest such port on the Eastern Seaboard . The port has diminished in importance to passenger travel, but the Port Authority operates all three major airports, La Guardia (built 1939) and JFK/Idlewild (built 1948) in New York, and Newark (built 1928) in New Jersey. The harbor

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1408-409: The 750 piers or docks). Eleven hundred warehouses with nearly 1.5 square miles (3.9 km ) of enclosed space served freight along with 575 tugboats and 39 active shipyards , the largest being Brooklyn Navy Yard . With a large inventory of heavy equipment, this made New York Harbor the busiest in the world. Deterrence and investigation of criminal activity, especially relating to organized crime,

1472-640: The British at Cowes in 1851. In 1846 the pilot boat Romer raced to Great Britain to deliver news of the treaty over the Oregon Territories . New York levied an extra fee for any vessel boarded outside 15 miles of the Hook. This drove the pilots further offshore. Competition was so great that pilot vessels found themselves cruising out to the Sable Banks to the east and Hatteras to the south. Pilots would be aboard

1536-523: The British naval blockade and bringing news of war to American vessels in European ports as far as Gothenburg and Archangel. This service allowed American vessels valuable time to escape to neutral ports for safety. The blockade of American ports devastated America's maritime commerce and many pilots took to privateering. The Board of Wardens became part of the political machine and pilot appointments were given out as political favors. Many unqualified men crowded

1600-636: The Chamber of Commerce. Pilot boats working under the Underwriters' Commission took on licensed pilots that proved to be more insurable because of their strict rules and regulations. On June 26, 1845, George W. Blunt was appointed to the Board of Pilot Commissioners and became Secretary of the Board. Blunt helped to organized the pilot service for the New York Harbor. He was re-elected by the Chamber of Commerce to

1664-669: The Federal naval commandants. On September 29, 1864, the William Bell, No. 24 ventured out to sea and was captured and burned by the Confederate raiding steamer the CSS Tallahassee . With the arrival of steam fewer and fewer ship Masters were willing to slow and take pilots offshore. To them scheduling was everything and the competition for passengers meant you had to make the passage as fast as possible. This economic pressure combined with

1728-618: The New York Board of Pilot Commissioners from 1868-1870. By 1873, Blunt was President of the Board of Pilot Commissioners. On June 30, 1853, the New York Legislature passed a Pilot bill that created the Board of Commissioners of Pilots. Today the board is called the Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the State of New York . In 1893, the model of the pilot-boat Alexander M. Lawrence, No. 4,

1792-479: The State of New York The Board of Commissioners of Pilots of The State Of New York is the New York state agency responsible for licensing and regulating pilots within one of the largest harbors in the world. It licenses and regulates up to 75 pilots of the Sandy Hook Pilots . They are called "Sandy Hook pilots" because they maneuver ships across a large and dangerous sand bar along the coast of New Jersey at

1856-558: The State of New York. Today the board is called the Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the State of New York . On December 23, 1903, Frank P. Van Pelt was secretary and superintendent of the New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association . By August 24, 1922, he became President of the Pilots' Association and chairman of the executive committee of the New York and New Jersey Pilots' Associations. This era of competition coincided with

1920-422: The Underwriters' Commission took on licensed pilots that proved to be more insurable because of their strict rules and regulations. By 1846, the Underwriters' Commission became the official body for governing the pilot service. By 1853 the state of New York made it official, making the members of the Board of Underwriters officials of the state, and recognized the board as the official Board of Pilot Commissioners for

1984-400: The United States. The freight was ferried across by the competing railroads with small fleets of towboats , barges, and 323 car floats , specially designed barges with rails so cars could be rolled on. New York subsidized this service which undercut rival ports. Major road improvements allowing for trucking and containerization diminished the need. The harbor saw major federal investment at

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2048-493: The colonial period pilotage continued to develop. In 1718 competition began to be recognized as a problem; legislation was enacted to punish those who would pose as a pilot by fines or seizure of property. By 1763 the Board of Wardens was created to regulate and license pilots and to strengthen compulsory pilotage established by early acts. When the first American president, George Washington, arrived in Elizabeth, New Jersey he boarded

2112-568: The completion in 1825 of the Erie Canal New York became the most important transshipping port between Europe and the interior of the United States, as well as coastwise destinations. By about 1840, more passengers and a greater tonnage of cargo came through the port of New York than all other major harbors in the country combined and by 1900 it was one of the great international ports. The Morris Canal carried anthracite and freight from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to its terminus at

2176-554: The deepening of the East Bank Channel into what is now called Ambrose Channel and the development of the petroleum industry in New Jersey that opened the Arthur Kill between Elizabeth and Perth Amboy and made the circumnavigation of Staten Island possible. Additionally this was the time of the great immigration. The leviathans could now enter the port and for the countless would-be Americans who crossed thousands of miles of ocean

2240-423: The difficulty of the navigation required, since 1694, New York had required all ships to be guided into the harbor by an experienced pilot. The new channel Gedney discovered was 2 feet (0.61 m) deeper, enough of an added margin that fully laden ships could come into the harbor even at slack tide. Gedney's Channel, as it came to be called, was also shorter than the previous channel, another benefit appreciated by

2304-504: The end of the 19th century, when the beds succumbed to pollution. Historically, it has played an extremely important role in the commerce of the New York metropolitan area . The Statue of Liberty National Monument recalls the immigrant experience during the late 19th and early 20th century. Since the 1950s, container ship traffic has been primarily routed through the Kill Van Kull to Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal , where it

2368-616: The end of the century when Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 . Over $ 1.2 million of initial funding was appropriated for the dredging of 40-foot-deep (12.2 m) channels at Bay Ridge , Red Hook , and Sandy Hook . The Statue of Liberty ( Liberty Enlightening the World ) stands on Liberty Island in the harbor, while the nearby main port of entry at Ellis Island processed 12 million arrivals from 1892 to 1954. The Statue of Liberty National Monument , encompassing both islands, recalls

2432-696: The entirety of New York Bay including Lower New York Bay . The harbor is fed by the waters of the Hudson River (historically called the North River as it passes Manhattan ), as well as the Gowanus Canal . It is connected to Lower New York Bay by the Narrows , to Newark Bay by the Kill Van Kull , and to Long Island Sound by the East River , which, despite its name, is actually a tidal strait . It provides

2496-524: The fact that Orient Overseas Investment Limited , a company dominated by a Chinese Communist official, has the operating contract for Howland Hook Marine Terminal . An additional concern is the U.S. Customs "green lane" program, in which trusted shippers have fewer containers inspected, providing easier access for contraband material. The water quality in New York Harbor has been affected by centuries of shipping activity, industrial development and urbanization . Water pollution from these sources has been

2560-608: The fastest crafts of her day, since the pilots were forced to race for ships. New York pilots and their boats were involved in several notable events. When Charles Wilkes left on the United States Exploring Expedition in 1838 two of the five ships of the fleet were New York pilot boats. Captain Dick Brown, master of the Mary Taylor, took time away from the service to race the schooner America to victory against

2624-468: The first American many would see was a Sandy Hook Pilot. As the ocean going ships traded their sails for steam, so did the pilots. Later they traded their oars and yawls for motorboats. They saw their port grow for a time to the largest in the world. They also serviced many times the normal number of ships during the two World Wars while serving as Coast Guardsman. They continue to make their vessels available in times of emergencies. The twentieth century saw

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2688-453: The glow of city lights, and attacked with relative impunity, in spite of U.S. naval concentrations within the Harbor. Casualties included the tankers Coimbria off Sandy Hook and Norness off Long Island. New York Harbor, as the major convoy embarkation point for the U.S., was effectively a staging area in the Battle of the Atlantic , with the U.S. Merchant Marine losses of 1 of 26 mariners,

2752-460: The green isles which rise from its bosom, like guardian centinels of the fair city, the setting sun stretched his horizontal beams farther and farther at each moment, as if to point out to us some new glory in the landscape. In 1824 the first American drydock was completed on the East River. Because of its location and depth, the Port grew rapidly with the introduction of steamships ; and then with

2816-506: The harbors for their respective European governments. Henry Hudson used his pijl lood for three days from the deck of the Halve Maen sounding and charting the Lower Bay. The channel he found lay close to the spit of land called Sant Hoek; known today as Sandy Hook . The English term pilot comes from the two Dutch words pijl (pole) and lood (lead). The early colonist of Manhattan Island, kept

2880-423: The kind more beautiful than the harbour of New York. Various and lovely are the objects which meet the eye on every side, but the naming them would only be to give a list of words, without conveying the faintest idea of the scene. I doubt if ever the pencil of Turner could do it justice, bright and glorious as it rose upon us. We seemed to enter the harbour of New York upon waves of liquid gold, and as we darted past

2944-571: The main passage for the waters of the Hudson River as it empties through the Narrows. The channel of the Hudson as it passes through the harbor is called the Anchorage Channel and is approximately 50 feet deep in the midpoint of the harbor. A project to replace two water mains between Brooklyn and Staten Island, which will eventually allow for dredging of the channel to nearly 100 feet (30 m),

3008-579: The master’s wife and child exposing himself to the cold. He was found frozen to death and later interred at the Green-Wood Cemetery where a large monument marks his grave. Many of the Sandy Hook men volunteered for naval service during the American Civil War . They helped the federal government in blockading about 1,500 miles of coast. Some of the pilots were so skilled that they won tribute from

3072-454: The modern Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge 's approach viaduct in Brooklyn. He also observed what he believed to be a large freshwater lake to the north (apparently Upper New York Bay). He apparently did not travel north to observe the existence of the Hudson River. In 1609 Henry Hudson entered the Harbor and explored a stretch of the river that now bears his name. His journey prompted others to explore

3136-682: The mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York/New Jersey Bight near the East River tidal estuary , and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of the United States . New York Harbor is also known as Upper New York Bay , which is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan , Brooklyn , and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne . The name may also refer to

3200-566: The mouth of the Hudson in Jersey City . Portions in the harbor are now part of Liberty State Park . In 1870, the city established the Department of Docks to systematize waterfront development, with George B. McClellan as the first engineer in chief. By the turn of the 20th century numerous railroad terminals lined the western banks of the North River (Hudson River) in Hudson County, New Jersey , transporting passengers and freight from all over

3264-468: The national and state level prompted industry to take matters into their own hands and underwriters and ship-owners collectively began licensing pilots. There were three different groups of pilots competing for work on the bar. In 1845, an unofficial Pilot Commission was established with two representatives from the Marine Underwriters and three from the Chamber of Commerce. Pilot boats working under

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3328-504: The once noble ranks of the New York pilots. It took tragedy to spur change. It came in December 1836 with the wreck of two immigrant ships: the "Mexico" and the "Bristol". During the winter gale both ships came upon the Hook and signaled for pilots. No pilots responded, and the ships wrecked with the loss of the lives of 400 men, women and children. The public was outraged. The state of New Jersey took action and licensed Theophilus Beebe, owner of

3392-548: The period of massive immigration to the United States at the turn of the 20th century While many stayed in the region, others spread across America, with more than 10 million leaving from the nearby Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal . After the war, the 1919 New York City Harbor Strike by the Marine Workers Union shut down the port for weeks. It started on January 9 and was paused on January 13 for arbitration. The strike resumed March 4 after workers rejected

3456-548: The pilots engaged in many rescue efforts including the Morro Castle and the Bronx Queen . The twenty first century dawned with the attacks of September 11, 2001. There was an impromptu marine evacuation of lower Manhattan, the likes of which the world had not seen since the battle of Dunkirk , and for which the pilots, boats, and crews played no small part. Pilots continue to embrace the newest technologies available to provide

3520-541: The port of New York’s ascension to the preeminent U.S port. The Erie Canal was completed opening the Northwest Territories, the arrival of the Liverpool Packet boats , and the lack of a competitive, ice-free, deep water port for one hundred miles in either direction, all led to the consolidation and expansion of the Port of New York. This fierce competition led to the development of the pilot schooner , one of

3584-434: The region and engage in trade with the local population. The first permanent European settlement was started on Governors Island in 1624, and in Brooklyn eight years after that; soon these were connected by ferry operation. The colonial Dutch Director-General of New Netherland , Peter Stuyvesant , ordered construction of the first wharf on the Manhattan bank of the lower East River sheltered from winds and ice, which

3648-402: The safest and most efficient service for their port. The Sandy Hook Pilot base is located on Staten Island , New York. Pilot stations are maintained at the entrance to the Port of New York and New Jersey by Ambrose Light , City Island by Long Island Sound , and Yonkers for the Hudson River." Their fleet includes more than a dozen modern vessels. The Board of Commissioners of Pilots

3712-417: The ship owners and the merchants they sold to. Gedney received the praise of the city, as well as an expensive silver service . In her 1832 book Domestic Manners of the Americans , Fanny Trollope wrote of her impressions upon entering New York Harbor for the first time: I have never seen the bay of Naples , I can therefore make no comparison, but my imagination is incapable of conceiving any thing of

3776-422: The southern entrance of Lower New York Bay south of New York City. The Board of Commissioners is a public agency, created in 1853 during the first session of the New York State Legislature , Chapter 467, Laws of 1853, to provide the selection, training, and regulation of New York pilots. In 1845, an unofficial Pilot Commission was established with two representatives from the Marine Underwriters and three from

3840-496: The staggering loss of life to the service during the Great Blizzard of 1888 spelled the end of the era of competition. By 1895 both states had combined to form the two Associations in existence today. Assets were liquefied and the first steam powered pilot vessel named New York went into service. The era of the Association brought better wages, a regular balanced work rotation, and more structured training. Many surnames of current pilots descend from this time. This era coincided with

3904-449: The traditional tool of the pilot; the lead. This is a testament to the importance of the craft to early New Yorkers. Over the seventeenth century as populations increased, pilotage became a more local profession. The need for local knowledge of tides, currents, shoals, and navigational hazards prompted this change. On March 9, 1694 legislation passed by the Colony of New York appointed the first local mariners as Sandy Hook pilots. Throughout

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3968-422: The various harbor regions, although there has been a general lowering trend in total nitrogen, and some other indicator parameters show improvements. The implementation of the Clean Water Act and related pollution control laws, along with cleanup programs and conservation measures throughout the region, have begun to yield some improvements since the 1970s. The study authors state that "the New York Harbor ecosystem

4032-444: Was begun in April 2012. The harbor contains several islands including Governors Island , near the mouth of the East River, as well Ellis Island , Liberty Island , and Robbins Reef which are supported by a large underwater reef on the New Jersey side of the harbor. The reef was historically one of the largest oyster beds in the world and provided a staple for the diet of all classes of citizens both locally and regionally until

4096-435: Was completed late in 1648 and called Schreyers Hook Dock (near what is now Pearl and Broad Streets). This prepared New York as a leading port for the British colonies and then within the newly independent United States . In 1686, the British colonial officials gave the municipality control over the waterfront. In 1835, Lieutenant Thomas Gedney of the Survey of the Coast (renamed the United States Coast Survey in 1836 and

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