Upper Bay Local Knowledge

Upper Bay boundaries

From The Narrows to The Battery

Main passage through Upper Bay

Anchorage Channel

Project depth of the main channel (sea to deepwater terminals / Hudson River)

$$45\,ft$$

Main Brooklyn-side channels in Upper Bay

Bay Ridge Channel, Red Hook Channel, and Buttermilk Channel

Path followed by Bay Ridge, Red Hook, and Buttermilk Channels

The Brooklyn piers from The Narrows to the East River

General midchannel depths in Bay Ridge, Red Hook, and Buttermilk Channels

Generally $25\text{–}40\,ft$, with lesser depths toward the sides (subject to shoaling)

Bay Ridge Flats

Shoal area east of Anchorage Channel with depths of about $8\text{–}20\,ft$

Location of Gowanus Flats

At the north end of Bay Ridge Flats

Jersey Flats

Shoal area on the New Jersey side west of Anchorage Channel, with a least depth of about $5\,ft$

Channel leading along the New Jersey pierhead line

New Jersey Pierhead Channel

Course of New Jersey Pierhead Channel

Leads from the main channel (about $0.7\,mi$ south of Liberty Island) along the New Jersey pierhead line to Kill Van Kull

Project depth of New Jersey Pierhead Channel

$$20\,ft$$

Islands positioned across the main channel from each other in Upper Bay

Liberty Island and Governors Island

Location of Fort Jay

On the northeast side of Governors Island

Location of Castle William

On the northwest side of Governors Island

Position of main channel relative to Governors Island

West of Governors Island

East River

A $14\,mi$-long tidal strait connecting Upper Bay with Long Island Sound

Narrowest clear width of The Narrows

Over $0.6\,mi$ (between Fort Wadsworth and Fort Hamilton)

Vertical clearance of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

$$215\,ft$$

Impact of traveling maintenance platform on Verrazano-Narrows Bridge clearance

Reduces vertical clearance by $15\,ft$

Location of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge sound signal

At the eastern end of the bridge

Location of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge safety zone

Near the eastern end of the bridge

Location of Coast Guard Station New York

On the east side of Staten Island, about $0.6\,mi$ northwest of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Flood current velocity in The Narrows

About $1.7\,kt$

Ebb current velocity in The Narrows

About $2.0\,kt$

Current conditions north of Governors Island during first 2 hours of flood

East River current sets eastward while Hudson River is still ebbing southward

Current conditions north of Governors Island during first 1.5 hours of ebb

East River current sets westward while Hudson River is still flooding northward

Crosscurrents phenomenon north of Governors Island

The Spider

Peak danger time for The Spider crosscurrents

About $2\text{ hours}$ after high water at The Battery

Hudson River current set direction during The Spider

North

East River current set direction during The Spider

West

Prevailing wind in Upper Bay (Nov–Apr)

Northwest

Prevailing wind in Upper Bay (May–Oct)

Southwest

Predominant direction for gales of $35\,kt$ or more

Northwest

Recommended main channel through Upper Bay

Anchorage Channel

Primary hazard to monitor in improved channels

Shoaling, particularly along the edges

Coast Pilot warning on current predictions in local channels

Reported currents in The Narrows, Arthur Kill, Kill Van Kull, and Hell Gate can deviate significantly from official NOAA predictions

New York VTS call sign

New York Traffic

VHF channels for New York Traffic (VTS)

Channel 11 ($156.550\,MHz$) and Channel 14 ($156.700\,MHz$)

VHF channel for bridge-to-bridge communications

Channel 13 ($156.650\,MHz$)

Upper Bay VTS reporting point at Verrazano Bridge

Verrazano Bridge

Kill Van Kull Upper Bay VTS reporting point

Kill Van Kull LWB “KV”

Liberty Island VTS reporting point

Liberty Island

Buttermilk VTS reporting point

Buttermilk LGB “1”