boating

1909 Lake George Club Nominated to Historic Register

August 10, 2026 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

The destruction of the Lake George Yacht Club’s building in Basin Bay in 1896 was as much a loss to Lake George’s architectural history as the demolition of the Gilded Age-
era mansions along Millionaire’s Row.

Today, only a few privately-owned properties on Lake George are protected through the State and National Registers of Historic Places. New York State’s Board for Historic Preservation is attempting to remedy that deficit. [Read more…] about 1909 Lake George Club Nominated to Historic Register

Erie Canal Lock One Could Anchor Albany Waterfront Redevelopment

August 9, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Advocates and archeologists seeking to leverage the legacy and impact of the Erie Canal to imagine a brighter future for Albany, gathered Thursday at the site of Lock 1 in Albany’s Warehouse District to share initial findings of an exploratory excavation that confirms the lock’s location.

The initial excavation has uncovered the location of the lock walls where they were expected be found based on previous magnetic imaging and historic maps and surveys. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Lock One Could Anchor Albany Waterfront Redevelopment

Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues

July 29, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers spent a busy week rescuing numerous people from backcountry dangers, including: a 77-year-old rescued by helicopter in the Adirondack High Peaks; Lows Lake campers stranded by a violent storm; a teen medical emergency near Cranberry Lake; a capsized boat; an injured cliff jumper on the West Branch Ausable River which included a technical rope rescue; and dehydrated hikers and hikers with lower leg injuries in the Adirondacks and Catskills.

Be sure to eat before hiking and bring plenty of water and extra food that’s high in protein and calories. Read the Ten Hiking Essentials. [Read more…] about Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues

New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

July 19, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In 2020, New York State adopted the nation’s strongest state ban of expanded polystyrene, single-use foam food and beverage containers, and polystyrene loose fill packaging materials, commonly known as packing peanuts. On January 1, 2026, the state’s Foam Ban expanded to include a ban on polystyrene foam coolers and other containers designed or intended to be used for cold storage. [Read more…] about New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

July 11, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted a permit for an archeological excavation to confirm the location of historic Lock One of the Erie Canal in Albany’s downtown Warehouse District.

This according to a recent message to supporters of The Albany Waterway’s project to uncover the old lock, buried for a century, and transform the site. The lock was once connected to a boat basin, an associated weigh lock, and the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

Lake Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Plan Updated

July 3, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Canal Corporation announced revisions this week to the Rapid Response Plan (RRP) that was implemented in 2022 to mitigate the spread of round goby, an invasive species, into the Lake Champlain Basin.

After first being discovered in the Hudson River near Troy in 2021, to date, round goby has not been captured north of Champlain Canal Lock 1 in Waterford, though there were two positive eDNA detections north of Lock 2 in Halfmoon in 2024. [Read more…] about Lake Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Plan Updated

Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

June 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The results are in after the first year of the New York State Black Bass Fishing Tournament Permit and Reporting System. This system is provides DEC with information on the type, scope, and scale of black bass tournaments in New York, in order to understand and track tournament impacts on black bass fisheries.

Below are some key takeaways after the first year: [Read more…] about Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

Lake George’s Mailboat & A Near Lightning Disaster

June 16, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 1 Comment

For decades, the unofficial slogan of the United States Postal Service was: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” That phrase was chiseled over the entrance of the James A. Farley Building, a post office facility in New York City.

The spirit of that tagline was demonstrated one day when a pilot of the Lake George mailboat briefly interrupted his postal duties to rescue a boater in distress. [Read more…] about Lake George’s Mailboat & A Near Lightning Disaster

Clean Ferries Bill Would Transition NY Ferries from Diesel to Electric

May 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Clean Ferries Bill (A11303/S10381) sponsored by Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and Senator Brian Kavanagh has been introduced in the New York State Legislature.

The bill calls for publicly funded ferry companies to purchase only zero-emission vessels starting in 2028, and for other public vessels in New York State waters to be zero-emission by 2032. [Read more…] about Clean Ferries Bill Would Transition NY Ferries from Diesel to Electric

Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder

May 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Water currents can be strong at any time of year, but early season boaters, paddlers, anglers and swimmers are at a greater risk in spring when waters are still cold – cold enough to cause cold water shock, hypothermia and death in minutes.

Three recent stories highlight the dangers of recreating on and around cold and fast waters in Spring: [Read more…] about Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder

New York State Canal System Opening May 15th

May 5, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Conditions permitting, all portions of the New York State Canal System are scheduled to open Friday, May 15, 2026, for the annual navigation season.

As the Canal Corporation continues to recruit seasonal staff, lock operating hours may differ from previous seasons at various locations. [Read more…] about New York State Canal System Opening May 15th

Lake George’s Forward Shipwreck

May 4, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

The 1906-built Forward launch was one of the first gasoline-powered vessels on Lake George. The 45-foot-long watercraft was initially a recreational boat for the Bixby family of Bolton Landing.

It later served as an excursion watercraft under different ownership. According to local lore, in the 1930s, the wooden runabout sank. [Read more…] about Lake George’s Forward Shipwreck

Davis Dalton & The Volunteer Life Saving Corps

April 13, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

It was the year 1898, and only days from the end of summer. A group of boaters and swimmers at Lake George had just finished organizing a training session by the recently established Volunteer Life Saving Corps.

This was an era when organized water safety and life-guarding were virtually nonexistent, and swimming was more often viewed as “bathing,” requiring no formal skill. [Read more…] about Davis Dalton & The Volunteer Life Saving Corps

Jesse Sexton’s Lake George Boat-Building & Photography Shop

April 8, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 1 Comment

During its glory years of operation, the first two decades of the 20th century, the J.E. Sexton Boat Shop, located in Hague, was one of the most respected boat-building businesses on Lake George.

Years later however, the decaying wooden structure where Jesse Sexton and his colleagues built many excellent vessels, finally tumbled to the ground. [Read more…] about Jesse Sexton’s Lake George Boat-Building & Photography Shop

Lake Champlain’s Crown Point Pier Closed

April 2, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced an immediate, temporary closure of the fishing pier located at the Crown Point Campground and Day Use Area in Crown Point, Essex County, due to the discovery of structural damage to the pier roof.

“Out of an abundance of caution to ensure public safety, fishing and walking on the pier will not be allowed while DEC works with a structural engineer to evaluate the infrastructure and any next steps,” DEC’s announcement said. “This closure may continue for the duration of the 2026 season.” [Read more…] about Lake Champlain’s Crown Point Pier Closed

New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort

March 27, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a sweeping plan to address one of the most challenging water quality issues facing communities across the state — Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

Harmful Algal Blooms are over-growths of algae (in New York State primarily cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae) that can produce dangerous toxins, appearing primarily but no longer exclusively during the warm months of August and September. [Read more…] about New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort

Court Temporarily Halts Adirondack Marina’s Dock Installations

March 20, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On March 18, 2026 the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department, in Albany has granted a motion by Adirondack Park advocates for a preliminary injunction preventing LS Marina, LLC (LSM) from installing new docks and dock covers at its two marina sites located on Lower Saranac Lake. The injunction will remain in effect pending resolution of the appeal. [Read more…] about Court Temporarily Halts Adirondack Marina’s Dock Installations

The Smith Rowboat: A Unique Contribution to Watercraft History

February 16, 2026 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

There is no such thing as dead wood. Any wood boat, even one as modest as my sixteen-foot rowboat, will teach you that. Wood is moody; it swells and contracts; it looks and feels different on different days.

But wood also gives you the impression that it is collaborating with you; you have an undeniable sensation that your boat is actively supporting you as you row, keeping you afloat (aloft, even), pulling you onward. [Read more…] about The Smith Rowboat: A Unique Contribution to Watercraft History

Leslie Day’s River: A Hudson Memoir

December 19, 2025 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Leslie Day’s life changed forever when, in 1975, she moved to a tiny houseboat on the Hudson River at the 79th Street Boat Basin ― a new home umbilically tied to Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

In her heartfelt memoir, River (Cornell University Press, 2025), Day reveals how she fell in love with ― and married ― her neighbor, a biology professor at Brooklyn College, became a naturalist, educator, and author, and raised her son on the boat. [Read more…] about Leslie Day’s River: A Hudson Memoir

Rangers Make Lake Champlain Ice Rescue; Recover Body of Missing Man

December 18, 2025 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.

This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Rangers Make Lake Champlain Ice Rescue; Recover Body of Missing Man

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