Pier 78 Vessel Berthing

In an effort to improve Pier 78 water-side access, Indigo River, working together with Hornblower New York and Persak & Wurmfeld, devised a three-phase approach to reconfigure the existing boat landing. 

Approaching to reconfigure an existing boat landing located just south of the West Midtown Ferry Terminal – an extremely busy terminal on the west side of Manhattan at 30th Street. The constant ferry traffic produces rough wakes on a consistent basis which makes berthing at the pier difficult, which causes with the current 20’x20’ timber landing since there is no wave mitigation between it and the ferry terminal. Additionally, the existing barge experiences a wide range of motion from these wakes which causes passenger discomfort. The size and displacement of the proposed barge is a notable improvement on the current one which will keep it steady and stable in the wakes from the neighboring ferry traffic. The larger landing also allows for accommodation of larger vessels to dock there and alleviates the queuing of approaching vessels since there is an opportunity to berth multiple smaller vessels on each side of the barge, rather than just one, as seen in the current barge’s capabilities. 

Acting as the Applicant’s Agent, Indigo River initiated permitting pre-application meetings with NYSDEC and USACE. Based on recommendations from the agencies, Indigo River developed the permit applications and submitted them each to USACE, NYSDEC, NYSDOS, NYSOGS.