NYC Naval Vessel Protection Zone for Fleet Week

23 May 2023 / New York, United States

For the upcoming NYC Fleet Week, a Naval Vessel Protection Zone (NVPZ) and Safety Zone will be in effect from midnight on Wednesday 24 May through to 8:00pm on Wednesday 31 May.

As stated in the Coast Guard Advisory Notice 2023-005 dated 22 May, all naval vessels have a 500 yard Naval Vessel Protection Zone around them. This zone is in effect AT ALL TIMES except when the naval vessel is moored in a restricted area. When within this 500 yard zone, all vessels shall operate at the minimum safe speed necessary to maintain course and shall proceed as directed by the Coast Guard or Navy. No vessel or person is allowed within 100 yards of naval vessels without permission of the Captain of the Port. Other law enforcement agencies will assist the Coast Guard in maintaining the NVPZ and safety zones.

General information & restrictions for the Hudson River & Upper Bay during the parade of ships:
Commercial passenger vessels on established ferry routes may need to pass through the parade of ships within the 500 yard Naval Vessel Protection Zone boundary. Commercial passenger vessels that need to transit through the military warship section of the parade must make passing arrangements with the Coast Guard and receive authorization to cross via VHF Ch 13. Passenger vessels must pass a minimum distance of 250 yards from all military warships.
Vessels must operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain safe course while crossing the parade formation and take all direction that may be provided by the Coast Guard or Naval warship.
All vessel traffic in the Hudson River and Upper Bay shall transit to the west of the parade column and shall operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain safe course.

The following waterway restrictions and closures will be in effect during Fleet Week 2023:

  • No vessels are authorized within the restricted area around the Stapleton Homeport Pier on Staten Island from midnight, Wednesday, May 24, 2023 through 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

  • No vessels are authorized within 250 yards of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on the Hudson River between the south east corner of Pier 86 and the northeast corner of Pier 92, from 4:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 24, 2023 through 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2023, with the exception of scheduled cruise ship arrivals and departures.
    Wednesday, May 24, 2023
    - Midnight: Stapleton Anchorage 23B, and Gravesend Anchorage are closed to commercial vessels.
    - 4:00 a.m.: Last inbound tug/barge, or deep draft vessel, permitted to pass through the Alpha buoy and enter Ambrose channel.
    - 4:30 a.m.: Last outbound tug/barge, or deep draft vessel, permitted to pass through The Narrows (Verrazano Bridge) & out Ambrose Channel.
    - 8:00 a.m.: Inbound traffic permitted in Ambrose Channel.
    - 12:00 p.m.: Upper Bay open for transits of tug/barge and deep draft vessels. (Coordinate exact timing of transits with VTS New York.)
    Stapleton Anchorage 23B (immediately adjacent to Homeport Pier) will remain closed until May 31, 2023.

  • Please note that all times listed above are approximate. The potential exists for unanticipated delays due to ship movement and/or implementation of additional vessel controls with little or no warning within the Port of NY/NJ from Wednesday, May 24 through May 31, 2023. For the most up to date information on current restrictions please contact VTS New York at (718) 354-4088.

  • Entry into or movement within the restricted zones is prohibited unless authorized by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port or a designated on-scene representative. Any person violating this regulation is subject to a penalty of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than 5 years.

Additional waterway information is available at: http://homeport.uscg.mil/newyork

For information about operations in the United States, contact GAC North America at [email protected]

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.

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