Anchorage Regulations; Port of New York

The Coast Guard proposes to disestablish 13 anchorage grounds and 1 special anchorage area that are now obsolete in Newark Bay, the East River, Western Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay, and Lower New York Bay. It also proposes to reduce the size of three anchorage grounds in Raritan, Sandy Hook, and Lower New York Bays. This proposed rulemaking is necessary due to the increased size and draft of current commercial vessels operating in the Captain of the Port New York zone, as the existing anchorages have insufficient water depths to accommodate these vessels; the exposure of these anchorages to winds, tides, and currents; and changes in recreational vessel usage patterns in Newark Bay. This proposed rulemaking would provide a higher degree of vessel and environmental safety by reducing the risk of vessels grounding in shallow water, and accurately reflect the anchorages currently in use.