Since the early 19th century, when the opening of the Erie Canal allowed for water trade between New York and the Midwest, New York harbor has been a bustling blur of commercial watercraft. More recently however, recreational boating has come to the forefront in this region with over 170,000 recreational vessels registered in the New York-New Jersey area.
This growth in the number of recreational vessels, especially in and around the Jersey City area, has lead to the development of numerous boat yards, yacht clubs and marinas, which offer urban dwellers various different services such as: 24 hour refueling, boat repairs and part sales, as well as the (in and out of season) storage of their vessel. Due to the high population density in Jersey City over 35 percent of vessel owners choose to store their watercraft at a marina.
JERSEY CITY MARINA STORAGE: AVAILABLE STORAGE OPTIONS FOR WATERCRAFT
There are consequently many different wet and dry Jersey City marina storage options offered by most large marinas such as: vessel mooring, wet slips, boat yard storage and indoor boat storage. The form of storage that a vessel owner chooses will generally depend upon the size of the vessel and the weather conditions.
VESSEL MOORING AND WET SLIPS
Vessel mooring is generally undertaken by fastening the vessel to a privately owned buoy and consequently requires the use of a dingy to get to and from shore. This form of storage can be a little risky regarding security, as the vessel is basically tethered somewhere unattended. Mooring may also mean that the watercraft is exposed to the weather, which in the case of Jersey City can encompass extreme weather such as hurricanes.
Wet slips, like mooring involve the vessel remaining in the water; however the watercraft is docked directly at the marina. This allows for a better level of security with many larger marinas employing state of the art security systems, as well as limiting access to the docks. The only issue with wet slips is boat size, as some marinas are limited regarding the length of watercraft they are able to store.
BOAT YARD STORAGE AND INDOOR BOAT STORAGE
Boat yard storage in comparison to mooring and wet slips is utilized ‘out of season’, or in the winter period, mainly owing to the fact that many vessels were not built to withstand freezing conditions. Leaving vessels in the water over the winter period can therefore, potentially cause the hull to be damaged, if not completely crushed, due to the formation of ice and the associated pressure on the vessel. Indoor storage plays much the same role as a boat yards however it allows for tighter control regarding the conditions that the vessel is exposed to, as well as providing better security.
It can therefore be noted that Jersey City marina storage options are vital to the existence of the thriving recreational boating industry. These different storage alternatives allow for convenient vessel utilization in season, and proper protection out of season, thereby allowing for the efficient operation of recreational boating within the region.