U.S. Navy combat ship coming up the Hudson River on Friday

CATSKILL — Fourth of July weekend in Greene County will include a rare sight on the Hudson River as the USS Marinette LCS25, a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy, makes its way north to the Port of Albany-Rensselaer on Friday, July 3.

For local residents, one of the best viewing opportunities is expected to be at Dutchman's Landing in Catskill, where the ship is scheduled to pass by at approximately 6 p.m. The timing coincides with Greene County’s America 250 activities in the Village of Catskill, giving those gathered to celebrate an opportunity to witness a modern U.S. Navy vessel sailing beneath the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

Commissioned in September 2023, the USS Marinette is homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. Designed for operations in coastal waters, the 378-foot vessel is capable of conducting surface warfare and mine countermeasure missions while operating in shallow environments.

Its visit to Albany is part of nationwide celebrations marking the nation’s semiquincentennial and in conjunction with the International Naval Review and July 4 festivities in New York Harbor.

According to the Port of Albany-Rensselaer, this marks the first visit by a major active-duty U.S. Navy ship to the Port of Albany in more than 30 years, the last being the USS Capodanno in 1993.

Residents planning to watch the passage are encouraged to arrive early, as actual arrival times may vary depending on river traffic, tides, weather and navigational conditions.

Estimated Hudson River Schedule

Ambrose Channel - 5:30 a.m.

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge - 7:00 a.m.

Battery Park - 7:30 a.m.

George Washington Bridge - 8:24 a.m.

Mario Cuomo Bridge-Approximately - 11:00 a.m.

West Point - Approximately 1:30 p.m.

Newburgh-Beacon Bridge - Approximately 2:45 p.m.

Kingston Area - Approximately 4:45 p.m.

Catskill / Dutchman's Landing - Approximately - 6:00 p.m.

Port of Albany - 7:59 p.m.

Following its arrival, the USS Marinette will be open for free public tours from July 4 through July 7. Tours are approximately 25 minutes long and require advance registration. While all tours are sold out, a waitlist remains available through the Port of Albany website in the event of cancellations. No walk-in visitors will be admitted.

For Greene County residents, however, no reservation is necessary to experience one of the highlights of the holiday weekend. As crowds gather in Catskill for Fourth of July festivities, the passage of an active-duty Navy warship up the Hudson promises to be a memorable and distinctly patriotic moment before the nation celebrates Independence Day.