Exploring Staten Island's Boat Graveyard (with a drone)

[@nowisthetime12]

Great video, nice drone work . . . glad you guys had access and the guts to get up on the thing. Climbing to the very top is not advised, but the view from up there would be fantastic.

[@OutDehExplorer]

Hi Marty, this was super cool. I want to kayak to the ships and explore a little!

[@johneastman1905]

Hello Marty, In the last three days of watching various Author Kill ship graveyard videos. Yours popped up this Sunday morning : As you started walking towards the shoreline... I thought to myself, This dude ain’t gonna get too far without tall rubber boots, a clown. And suddenly you switch over to some stunning skillfully piloted low level videography. The original wood piling wharf dockage is extensive along the shore, then all the deck load “lighter” barges with flat top decks supported by extensive framework from under. Those with large fully roofed tops were employed by the rail roads & more lighters used to unload sail and steam cargo ships that could not find dockage in the crowded city. Literally dozens of smaller steam powered and motorized tug boats from 1880-1930’s The larger ship handling sea tug boats, several from the WW2 period built of wood in order to save on steel during the war... but not competitively commercially viable after. Everything there was worn out and used up, no longer fit for continued service any more. Driven or pushed into the shoreline shoal mud and left to rot and rust safely away from the harbor traffic lanes of busy still active commerce. The most important thing to do. If you look, many of the old tug boats have a large hole behind the smoke stalk as the still viable steam engines were hoisted out, presumably to be re installed & used again. I hope this will help with putting what you see into some context for your curiosity. Cheers !

[@martyotm5624]

Yea lol that was the plan, see how close I can get to the boats without crashing, glad you enjoyed it!

[@waynejones205]

I saw it once from a Kayak! I paddled over from the NJ side in Woodbridge then across the Kill. Just be careful of metal just underwater that could tear your Hull! The Red and White Tugs were mo favorite, a still-photog's Dream Come True this place!!

[@luvmydeck]

Very cool. Thanks!

[@dougleclair]

My wife and I just spent a week in NYC (in celebration of me getting my commercial FAA drone pilot license). Inspired by your video I took my drone all the way out from California. We navigated the ferry and the bus over two hours to get to the spot not knowing if the wind would be good to fly, or if we would encounter someone to tell us to leave. I flew four batteries and am putting a video together. Such an awesome hidden historic spot and one of my most uniquely memorable drone sessions. The "abandoned" graveyard from the 1800s is super cool too.

[@martyotm5624]

Awesome to hear about your adventure and dedication to check out this spot! Only a few places in the states where you can find a boat graveyard, enjoy your stay and there is plenty of other spots to check out as well in the NY area

[@dougleclair]

@@martyotm5624 Awesome and thanks for taking the time to reply! I'm a native Long Islander, so it's always good to get back to NY and reconnect. We had a great trip doing off-the-beaten path stuff this time around. Here's a raw cut of my video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJvEdHikh7ymj6c Wishing you all the best.

[@minipakistannewyork8671]

Amazing stuff. I only live 10 min walk from it. Had no idea about it

[@martyotm5624]

Thanks for checking out the video! Glad you got to find out something new in your area

[@doordieace5high]

This is one of the coolest urbex videos I've ever seen.

[@martyotm5624]

Thanks alot glad you enjoyed it!

[@Francis362003]

Somewhere in there is an old or remains of an old paddle wheeler, from the late 18 hundreds

[@bennybenitez2461]

The USS PC-1264 a sub chaser of keen interest.

[@anthonyjspataro]

Gorgeous shots

[@leepacoindustries55]

That was amazing! I've always wanted to explore this place myself. Greetings from another fellow urbexer and KZbinr. I just subbed. I explore and film in St. Louis and Minneapolis mostly. You have some interesting locations and videos!

[@martyotm5624]

Thanks alot! Nice I have been to St. Louis but have not explored there, always interested to see what's there that's abandoned, I'll be sure to check out your vids!

[@adamfiedorczuk5969]

Awesome!

[@ronaldlanger5081]

Nice

[@elebeu]

It sad to think that there was a time when each of these vessels were being carefully constructed and getting their fresh paint and finishing touches before being launched.

[@johneastman1905]

You speak with the mind and heart of a professional ship boatbuilder, very nice !

[@danielsweeney6742]

Where is the EPA? If I dumped anything into the water I'd be fined and made to pay for clean up!

[@johneastman1905]

Yes that is true... but this ship grave salvage yard was begun turn of century or before when then worn out and derelict wooden and later steel vessels were too numerous, and had to be moved someplace safe before they eventually sank. The authorities then knew the wood timbers would rot and the steel would also eventually rust away without actually doing any great harm to the ecosystem. Lastly, most all the fuel oil has already been pumped out as it had useful value. So just relax a bit, and see it for what it is, and what they once were as vessels. Take a moment the contemplate the hundreds of thousands of ships that have sunk over the centuries of mans travels upon the seas, or lost during wartime’s w/ a great loss of life. Step yourself back and see the world in historical context.

[@anthonymanoo9345]

Would you be interested in filming me dive there?

[@martyotm5624]

That would be awesome! You going in with a scuba tank?

[@bobdee6925]

That’s a disgrace they don’t have them leave that all there I need to clean all that up all the money that this country stands all over the freaking world need to clean that up that looks horrible if that was you or me or did that we’d be in big trouble nice video I like your videos

[@westonkenyonmusic]

Eventually it'll all be gone, eaten away by decay and sea life. It really doesn't have any negative environmental effects. Provides shelter and homes for the creatures.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

@@westonkenyonmusic It would, if it was in the sea.

[@westonkenyonmusic]

@@ukaszwalczak1154 Arthur Kill is the sea, or at least connects to it.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

@@westonkenyonmusic Yes, but there aren't FISH in the waterway. Plus, these aren't artificial reefs unless they're in deep water, and aren't mangled pieces of metal-

[@westonkenyonmusic]

@@ukaszwalczak1154 You're right I guess, but the biggest threat it poses is to humans boating through there.

[@MrJeep75]

That mess needs cleaning up

[@amymariettevilleneuve6872]

Some may think it 'cool', but from another perspective, this place was probably a beautiful nature reserve - until man came to trash and destroy it by dumping their junk there. How cool is that? Surely all that wood and metal could have been salvaged and recycled, instead of being wasted?

[@westonkenyonmusic]

Actually, it wasn't dumped there. All of those ships were good at some point and were parked there for sale. No one ever bought anything, so they wasted away.