What Are These Colossal Boats Doing in the Hudson River?

Hudson Valley residents may notice a new guest on the Hudson River recently: a massive boat slowly making its way south to New York City.

The ship is like nothing that has floated on the Hudson River before. It's not a barge, a dredger, or even a cruise ship. Instead, it's a specialized vehicle that is part of a huge international project.

Big Ships Seen on the Hudson River

The main purpose of the boat is to help lay hundreds of miles of underwater cable that will eventually transmit hydropower from Canada down to New York City (below). Called the Champlain Hudson Power Express project, some very special care needs to be taken in order to safely install the hulking cables into New York's most beloved river.

The Champlain Hudson Power Express Project in the Hudson River

The sheer scale of the project could intimidate even the most seasoned project manager. The cables, which originate in Canada, will travel nearly 100 miles through Lake Champlain before transferring to the Hudson River. The cables will eventually terminate at a power converter station currently under construction in Queens, NY.

Environmental Supervision of the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project

Close supervision of the project by Riverkeeper, a New York organization devoted to the protection of the Hudson River, is meant to not only assure the safety and usability of the river, but for the countless plants and animals that depend on the famous waterway for their survival as well. The current phase of the project is called "grapnel runs" (below).

What Are Grapnel Runs?

Grapnel runs will help clear the underwater path before the cables are installed. Defined as a line with barbed hooks (think the grappling hook that Batman had), the grapnel cable will remove superficial debris on the riverbed that may interfere with the large cables, much like a hoe in a garden bed.

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The next step will be the laying of the cable itself, which will be buried roughly seven feet beneath the riverbed. Hudson Valley residents can expect to see the cable-laying ship on the Hudson River between September 14th and October 15th. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2026.

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Organizations close to the project say there should be little-to-no effect on recreational boaters or other water-based activities during both the grapnel runs and cable laying. They do, however, offer several recommendations to boaters such as keeping 500 feet from the cable-laying vessels, passing in front of the ships instead of behind (to avoid the cables) and to keep an eye out for divers involved with the project.