Party Boats Will No Longer Pick Up Or Drop Off Passengers in Sheepshead Bay

SHEEPSHEAD BAY – The boats are not leaving, they will still dock at the piers, they just will not be picking up or dropping off passengers along Emmons Avenue, according to the latest arrangement worked out by the city to placate Sheepshead Bay residents.

“Starting May 1st, party boats will no longer be able to pick up and unload passengers in Sheepshead Bay, effectively ending the problems of drunken revelers and out-of-control litter, crowds and traffic that have long plagued the community during the months when the charter vessels operate,” Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) announced last week.

A total of 5 boats will be affected. Party Boats are separate and different from the long-standing tradition of fishing boats in Sheepshead Bay, and the latter are not affected by the new regulations.

“This is a fair and reasonable resolution that will help restore Sheepshead Bay’s quality of life during the summer months and bring in weekend visitors who were reluctant to come here because of the crowds and backed-up traffic on Emmons Avenue,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. “I’ve said all along that you can’t have thousands of people boarding and disembarking from party boats in the middle of a residential community.”

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has been working with the Mayor’s Office for several years to address the party boat issue. At a town hall in Sheepshead Bay in 2017, Mayor de Blasio committed to ending late-night party boat pick-ups and drop-offs from the pier.

Following the implementation of an 11 p.m. curfew on May 1, 2018, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz continued to advocate to move all pick-ups/drop-offs to other locations. There was the talk of Mill Basin. There was the talk of Sunset Park.

“I’m pleased that the city listened to us,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. “This is an important change for Sheepshead Bay – one that’s been a long time in coming.”

The new rules take effect on May 1st, and NYC Parks Department says “boaters can reach out to DockNYC for information on alternative operating sites”. Of the ones listed that could accept the boats, the most likely location for pickups and dropoffs in Brooklyn is in Sunset Park.