On the Water

blessing of the fleet
Column On the Water

Greenport Blessing of the Fleet Saturday: A Tradition As Old As The Sea

East End Beacon
by Erin Kimmel, Executive Director, East End Seaport Museum Few rituals speak to the soul of a maritime community quite like the Blessing of the Fleet. Its roots run deep — reaching back to the earliest days of seafaring, when sailors understood better than anyone that the sea's gifts come with no guarantees. The impulse to seek divine protection before heading out on the water appears in virtually every seafaring culture on
Read More
Environment On the Water Peconic Bathtub Recent The Business Accelerator

Federal Disaster Declaration Issued for Oyster Farms Devastated by Ice

Beth Young
The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a Disaster Designation for Suffolk County shellfish farmers due to this winter's heavy snowfall and multi-week severe freeze, which significantly impacted the county’s oyster aquaculture industry this February — an estimated combined $2.4 million loss. The Disaster Designation now allows affected farms to apply for disaster assistance and low-interest emergency loans. It is separate from another federal fishery disaster declaration also being sought
Read More
Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Councilmember David Lys at the Montauk Inlet |. Patrick Derenze photo for East Hampton Town
East Hampton Government On the Water Peconic Bathtub The Business Accelerator

East Hampton To Use Offshore Wind Fund to Offset Federal Shortfalls for Montauk Inlet Dredging

Beth Young
East Hampton's windfall from the South Fork Wind Farm is being used by the town to commence a much-needed federal dredging of the inlet to Lake Montauk, the biggest commercial fishing port in New York State. According to East Hampton Town, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' bids to perform the long-planned Lake Montauk Harbor Navigation Improvement Project this fall came in $1.1 million higher than expected, and the agency
Read More
Greenport On the Water Peconic Bathtub

Fireboat Fire Fighter To Return to Greenport

Beth Young
The retired FDNY fireboat Fire Fighter, a storied city fireboat that led the marine response to the terrorist attack on World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, will be back in Greenport Sept. 11 through Sept. 30. A photo of the Fire Fighter believed to have been taken on Sept. 10, 2001. |. America's Fireboat — Fire Fighter Facebook group photo The ship is now a non-profit museum, which called
Read More
greenport wf web
Government On the Water The Business Accelerator

Suffolk Approves Working Waterfront Preservation Program

Beth Young
The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously this morning to approve new legislation that would allow the county to purchase easements to protect sites that had historically been used for fishing docks, marinas, fish packing and aquaculture. Pictured Above: Greenport, one of the few deepwater ports on Long Island, as seen from the harbor. In conjunction with $9.5 million in Capital Project Funding earmarked in the county’s 2026-2028 Capital Project Plan,
Read More
greenport waterfront
Government On the Water The Business Accelerator

Cheers for County Working Waterfront Bill

Beth Young
The Suffolk County Legislature heard unanimous support for new legislation that would protect working waterfront properties at a public hearing Tuesday evening, Aug. 5. The legislature is expected to vote on the bill at its next meeting Sept. 3. Pictured Above: Greenport, one of the few deepwater ports on Long Island, as seen from the harbor. In conjunction with $9.5 million in Capital Project Funding earmarked in the county's 2026-2028
Read More
greenport waterfront
Government On the Water

County Working Waterfront Legislation Goes to Public hearing

Beth Young
A bill to allow conservation easements on “working waterfront” property goes before the Suffolk County Legislature for a public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the Legislature’s 6 p.m. meeting at the County Center in Riverhead. The bill is designed to help keep property that had historically been used for maritime purposes from being used for other purposes, in an attempt to protect threatened industries including aquaculture, fishing, marine repair
Read More
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand with local environmental and government leaders in Riverhead on Monday.
Environment On the Water Peconic Bathtub

In Riverhead, Sen. Gillibrand Highlights Funding Threats to Peconic Estuary

Beth Young
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Riverhead Monday to share her concerns with local environmental groups and the public about the president's proposed $8 million in funding cuts to the National Estuary Program in his 2026 budget. The Peconic Estuary, between the North and South forks, and the Long Island Sound are two of 28 National Estuaries throughout the country. Federal funding from the National Estuary Program is used to
Read More
blue water task force
Environment On the Water Peconic Bathtub Top Stories

Blue Water Task Force Warns of Bacteria at Beaches, as Volunteers Collect Record Amount of Data

Beth Young
The Blue Water Task Force, a volunteer science program involving three East End nature organizations, had a banner year on the East End in 2024, collecting a record 2,044 water samples to help generate a picture of the health of the waters surrounding Eastern Long Island. Their results show that many East End locations suffer from high bacteria levels that make them unsafe for swimming. Pictured above: A volunteer sampling
Read More
buoy
On the Water Peconic Bathtub

Coast Guard Seeks Feedback On Local Buoys To Be Removed

Beth Young
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently seeking feedback on a controversial plan to scrap 350 aids to navigation across the northeast, including several on the East End of Long Island. The project, known as the Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative, "proposes removal of a select number of buoys identified as having minimal system value in non-critical waterways," according to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, which posted a link
Read More
Community On the Water Top Stories

National Safe Boating Week to Be Celebrated in Greenport

Beth Young
This is an important year for safe boating in New York State, as Brianna's Law, the 2019 legislation requiring all operators of power boats in the state to take a boater safety course, goes into full effect. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has played a central role in providing these educational courses, along with providing a day-long series of safe boating demonstrations in Greenport's Mitchell Park to coincide with National
Read More