What's the motive for having an old boat but to sail, party, or live on it? When they let the Yankee back in, with people living on it, I'll say things are better in the Hudson River Park." The Yankee was built as a single-ended ferry in 1907, quite luxurious in her day. After a varied and distinguished career, she wound-up as a liveaboard, following restoration to condition sufficient for listing on the National Register of Historic Places -- an honor the Park considers requisite for access to its tie-ups. But it's not the only requisite. "The Yankee was driven out of the park," according to the dissident board member, Julie Nadel, because of its human habitation. Squatters on the Tamaroa went unnoted, but a national landmark was expelled because its owners called it home.
They Think They Can
The severest criticism, the most frequent one of the Park and its Trust and its directors, is inconsistency, arbitrary
decisions, choices based on personal taste more than policy. "The criteria are not clear to me," says Julie Nadel, "and I'm on the board. I would like the waterfront to be handled fairly, and the rules made clear." Says another observer, "No boats can stay overnight, except for historic vessels approved by the Trust. That's the Frying Pan and the Harvey. If there are other historic boats that would like to tie-up in the Park, we have to get approval from them. We just don't know why." Adds Julie Nadel, "There are a lot of vessels that are operated by not-for-profits that would like to dock at the park -- but staff hasn't made it easy." The bureaucratic shuffle, performed with a smile, is characterized by an attitude of "Yes, you can't" in the words of one boat restorer. Meetings with Park engineers and planners are characterized as fragmented, sometimes contradictory. Things happen slowly -- more slowly than old boats can endure in good health. "It took them three years to get electricity to the Lilac," says Ms. Nadel, which hangs-on at Pier 40 on
New York Central 13 on March 2. The hull has been substantially re-plated, with rivets like the originals holding her together. She had a starring role in the early 1990s movie, "Billy Bathgate." But whether she'll star at the Park remains to be seen. (Photo: Don Sutherland)
40 MN
March 2008