The Baykeeper Boat

On Patrol in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary The Story of the NY/NJ Baykeeper Boat

Boats thrill us. They lure us to journey into unknown waters. They transport us to uncharted islands, inlets, and coves. They link us to history—taking us back to the days of sailing ships, to the time of explorers, great races, and sea battles.

The boats of the NY/NJ Baykeeper—there have been three since 1991—have a different, but no less compelling story to tell. These boats have patrolled the waters of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary—the most industrialized and densely populated estuary in the world—and have boldly fought the battle for clean water.

"For the past fifteen years, our boat has served as a symbol and a tool," says Andy Willner, the NY/NJ Baykeeper. "It puts polluters, developers who commit illegal acts, and others on notice that we are watching. It shows that the people have an environmental stewardship presence on the Bay. The boat is a living symbol of our commitment to preserving and restoring the Estuary."

"Our first Baykeeper boat, a Grover Skiff was a fiberglass replica of a traditional New Jersey and Long Island fishing boat," says Willner. "Our second boat, a Romarine which we purchased in 1996, was bristling with antennae and had a military police look. It made the statement that we were building a serious stewardship effort, that we were rough and ready, and could be on the water and reach the site of a problem at a moment's notice. The boat we purchased in 2001 is not just a replica, but a 26 foot long Sea Bright Skiff built by Hans Pederson and Sons boat yard in Keyport, New Jersey. It proudly keeps alive our region's cultural heritage for great boat building."

This Sea Bright Skiff is also the flagship for the Baykeeper Boat Auxiliary—an inspiring symbol of the Baykeeper's environmental crusade. The Auxiliary has been on-guard since 1991, and consists of a flotilla of pleasure craft—ranging from 30-foot seagoing skiffs to aluminum canoes. Each is equipped with nothing more than a funky vinyl "Baykeeper" banner, a log book, and the diligence of their skippers. Still, the fleet has nailed polluters, spotted bulldozers running amok, nabbed illegal fishing and crabbing operations, and witnessed and reported illegal dredging and dumping.

One Boat Auxiliary skipper says, "Over the years I've spotted people throwing garbage in the water. I've learned to look for slicks and sniff for odors, and to watch the storm drains during dry spells to see if there is something gross flowing out of them. I'm proud of what we do. We're a presence on the Bay. Those who know us, and see us, give us a thumbs up."

On-Board the NY/NJ Baykeeper Boat

In the past decade, the Baykeeper boat has diligently served the Estuary. It has carried legislators and lawyers, environmental regulators, and newspaper and TV journalists to the scene of oil spills and protests. "The boat gives us the ability to be somewhere fast, to extend our range from Sandy Hook to Jamaica Bay," says Willner. "The boat, allowed politicians to see and smell the damage caused by Arthur Kill oil spills firsthand." The boat also joined a watery protest against the Army Corps of Engineers' doomed plan to build a massive mud dump island from contaminated dredge spoils, and was present at a Statue of Liberty protest against the discharge of toxic chemicals into the Bay.

The boat has played a leading role on happier occasions too. It was part of the effort to restore oysters to the Estuary, 100 years after the species was nearly eliminated from our region's waters by pollution. Thousands of seed oysters, raised by volunteers, were placed on an experimental oyster reef at Keyport Harbor, where they continue to grow

The Baykeeper boat was on hand for another New York milestone: Operation Sail 2000. The boat led the Baykeeper Auxiliary and joined the Coast Guard cutter Eagle, as it entered the harbor to celebrate the new millennium.

The boat even played a very small role in providing assistance on September 11, 2001. That Tuesday morning—with more and more terrible events unfolding minute by minute on television—a Baykeeper friend and New York City auxiliary policeman phoned the Baykeeper, asking if he could be taken by boat to the police harbor unit in Brooklyn. "What is usually an exhilarating ride, with the wind out of the west, and a bit of chop on the Bay, was that day filled with the dread of what we might see, or worse, that we would be too late to do anything," recalls Willner. "As we neared the City, we noticed the seeming normalcy. Ships were at anchor, and small boats were traveling in all directions. Except there was this oily, dirty, dark cloud where lower Manhattan used to be. Then we noticed that larger boats were converging on the Island. Coast Guard cutters, and small navy vessels, tug boats and pilot vessels. It seemed that every commercial vessel in the harbor was rushing to the scene to help."

As the new century unfolds, the NY/NJ Baykeeper will continue to stand on guard, a symbol of public vigilance, and a protector and advocate for others with little or no voice in the Estuary: for the seabirds and fish that live there; for the baymen and fishermen whose livelihoods and avocations are threatened by polluters; and for communities, neighbors and friends who want a clean bay in which to boat and swim.

"People have come to recognize us and appreciate our work," says Willner. Recently, when the Baykeeper skiff rounded New York's Battery, one person among a group of people standing ashore pointed. The skipper waved back, and the group broke into spontaneous applause. The NY/NJ Baykeeper had arrived.