I have been waiting for the perfect conditions for this paddle and I was finally rewarded yesterday. I put in on the Jersey side, at the Liberty State Park and paddled up to the Statue of Liberty . There is a 150 yard exclusion zone, but its close enough for a good look. The swell was strong on the outer side of the island due to significant shipping and boat traffic, so I turned back and paddled north along the coastline. I paddled under a bridge that lead to Ellis Island only to find out later that it is a restricted area.It was just great paddling so close to the City.
The paddle was punctuated by a large boat heading towards me. I was surprised that they did not appear to be slowing down, when I noticed their insignia ( Police) and the flashing blue light - Yes, it was the police pulling me over- Turns out you cannot take photos within 150 yards of a passenger boat, and I was snapping near the Statue Ferry Cruises.
The officer was very nice and then proceeded to inform me that I was also not allowed to paddle under the Ellis Island Bridge(which I had just done) and would have to return around the outside of Ellis Island and then between it and Liberty Island to get back to the boat ramp- This I did, and the ride was a doozy - such a swell, but the kayak was fine-, but I did not hang around out in the open harbor. You can get a general idea from the video below.
