Gov. Cuomo suspends work permits for Irene damage repair. Please read.

It is a letter from Gov. Cuomo suspending necessary permits for any work done adjacent to our wateways. As you know many of our clubs were rocked by Irene and require repair work......this will help them save months of red tape enabling immediate repair work. Read letter here.

Welcome

A big hello to all who are visiting our website, especially any first timers.

Briefly, we are an organization representing thirty-six boat clubs, on both sides of the Hudson. Our clubs collectively have over 5,000 members from Poughkeepsie to below Yonkers and from Marlboro to North New Jersey.

We try to do as much as we can to make the Hudson River a hospitable and safe place for all who want to enjoy it. Power boaters, sail boaters, kayakers and canoeists, people on the shores - all are involved in club programs.

As an organization, we have been working with the Mohawk/Hudson Council – our sister organization from Hyde Park north – to have greater influence in Albany. As such, we have been meeting with several legislators to try to put together what I would like to call "a Hudson River caucus". We are also participating members in the Greenway Council and the Hudson River Estuary Program.

Our regular meetings take place every other month starting in January on the last Tuesday. These are held at various member clubs. We have a social hour from 7 PM and the meeting usually starts by 8 PM. Our many interesting guest speakers bring us up-to-date on activities related to boating and the Hudson River.

For the months that we do not have a regular membership meeting, we do have a board meeting. These are usually held on the last Tuesday of the months when there are not regular membership meetings at the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club (914-762-9724) at 7 PM. All members are welcome.

I hope to see you on the river over the summer and at our meetings!

Yours truly,

Frank Bergman

President
Hudson River Boat &
Yacht Club Association

Letter from the President – HRBYCA

Well, 2013 brings old and new challenges to us the boating community. The old ones include the myriad of cop stops on the River and trying to be resources for law enforcement and not their targets. They also include making sure the Hudson keeps getting cleaner and safer for all users – power boaters, sail boaters, kayakers, canoeists, swimmers…

New challenges are in the wings – ethanol 15, the rising price of fuel, more federal and state regulation…

But, together we will survive them all and make sure that the mighty Hudson continues to be the source of enjoyment for all of us for many years to come. I know that my blood pressure drops a few points every time that I am out there on my boat. Doesn't yours?

We continue to have really great relations with the many conservation organizations like Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, Greenway, the Estuary Committee, Historic Hudson River Towns, and more… We may not always see eye-to-eye, but we understand what they are trying to do; and they understand us. All of us are necessary. We also have contacted many NYS politicians and will continue to contribute to their knowledge of the Hudson so that legislation is based on fact and not just good feelings.

In addition, we have been working well with the Mohawk/Hudson Council – our sister organization from Hyde Park north – to ensure that we send a consistent message to our politicians on Hudson River issues as well as continuing our reciprocal policies.

I think that the Hudson River Boat & Yacht Club Association over the years and under a great number of leaders has done a great job for stewardship of the Hudson and for the communities that line its banks. Let’s keep that going for many more.

Yours truly,

Frank Bergman

President
Hudson River Boat &
Yacht Club Association

Attending Commodores honored at our annual brunch.
Hotel Thayer. West Point. May 1, 2011.