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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. – After months of watching their boats sit perched on top of cinder blocks, Westchester boaters are itching to hit the open water.
While the normal spring anticipation of the upcoming boating season has been mounting, many say this year they are even more eager to get on the Hudson River after a hurricane and pair of sewage spills cut last season short.
“The conditions of river at the end of last season put a damper on the season,” said Tom Andrus, president of Sleepy Hollow’s Philipse Manor Beach Club. “People began looking forward to this year very early on.”
While some river-goers got a head start on the season, launching their boats when the docks were set in April, many won’t get on the Hudson until mid-May. By Memorial Day, most of the docking stations in the Rivertowns' boating clubs will be full, directors say, and boaters will be going up and down the river.
“This is a really exciting time of the year,” said John Nadasi, Rear Commodore of the Tarrytown Boat and Yacht Club. “We are in scramble mode, getting the boats ready and getting people excited about boating.”
Last year, boaters and swimmers were on dry land earlier than usual after Hurricane Irene scattered debris throughout the Hudson River and a pair of sewage leaks dumped millions of gallons of wastewater into the river.
While Westchester Riverkepers and county health officials have yet to publish any water testing results this season, boaters agree the water is as good as ever.
“All of murkiness and brownness from last fall is gone and was gone within about two or three months,” said Ossining Boat and Canoe Club Commodore Tom Earle. “We forgot all about it. We’re not even worried about it.”
It’s not all clear sailing for the captains and their vessels. With gas prices approaching $5 per gallon, boaters can end up pumping $1,000 to $2,000 worth of fuel into their boats during the course of the season, Nadasi said.
“It’s a costly hobby,” he said. “But we try not to worry about the gas prices.”
Instead, Nadasi and his crew focused on prepping the 35 boats still resting in the club’s parking lot for re-entry into the water. Westchester is the perfect place for boating, he said, standing on the dock with the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background.
“This is one of the most beautiful areas around,” Nadasi said. “Up and down the river it’s scenic and there’s a lot of history.”
Comments (1)
A nice article. Reminded me of an initiative I've been promoting for a while...
Every time I drive past Sprain Lake (on the border of Hastings/Yonkers/Greenburgh) I think about missed opportunities. If Westchester would be more fun- property values would increase and more people would want to live here. A more fun county would help local governments attract high quality businesses to our communities.
Westchester County should authorize boaters to launch boats on Sprain Lake for recreational purposes. There are possible launching areas at the lake that would not interfere with golfers who enjoy golfing at Sprain Lake Golf Course. Currently, the only other lower Westchester County place to row is on Glen Island and the course is almost full to capacity. The NYAC, Pelham Community Rowing Assoc, Iona College, Pelham H.S., Riverdale H.S. and various other individuals are all using this site. It is essential that another site be opened for these booming water sport. Rowing and kayaking provide a tremendous opportunity for H.S. kids to participate in lifetime a sport, and may even help them acquire college scholarships. It would be great for the Greenburgh and Yonkers High Schools to be able to start programs for their students.
There has also been an incredible surge in Masters rowing programs. Many are returning to the sport they loved in college, and many more first time rowers are experiencing the joy of being on the water and improving their health through the great cardiovascular benefits of rowing.
Photos have been submitted to the county re: possible launch sites for boats.. These site are at the northern end of the golf course and do not in any way interfere with the golfers. There is also plenty of land that would be suitable to erect a temporary fenced in area to store boats for a trial use of the water. If all goes well and the community embraces the use of the lake, a permanent structure could be built for the storage of the boats.
There are several colleges in the area that are also looking for a better site to row. They may be able to assist with the installation of the fenced in area and help provide equipment for the high school programs to use to get started. This could be a revenue generator for the county. We have an asset that is not being taken advantage of by Westchester residents. We can enhance the quality of life for many people if we open up the lake to boating.
I would welcome your feedback. What do you think? If Westchester County would allow non power driven boats to use the Sprain would it increase YOUR property values? Would it encourage more people to want to move to neighborhoods on the Yonkers/Greenburgh border? What are the downsides?
I am writing to the County Executive, Rob Astorino, to members of the Board of Legislators and to Larry Gottlieb, office of Economic Development asking them to reconsider the county's rejection of this initiative. I am also planning to reach out to realtors and will solicit thier feedback re: what this suggestion would do for property values. Your thoughts welcome: e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com.