Fleet Week 2008, New York City: Not Much Room at the Piers?

It's the first day of Fleet Week in New York City.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum won't be open until November 8, 2008, so this warship-turned-museum won't be quite the center of attention it usually is.

The Intrepid will be part of Fleet Week 2008, though. "Intrepid Museum’s staff will be conducting educational demonstrations throughout the weekend for the public to enjoy at Homeport Pier. The Museum will also be hosting the annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday May 26 at Pier 84 in Manhattan."

There's plenty of information about Fleet Week online, at the official website:

• "Fleet Week New York City 2008"
  May 21- 28, 2008
  "Thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships will be in town for Fleet Week New York.
  "Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of the sea services. This annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team."

Except for nuclear-powered craft. New York City doesn't permit them in its harbor.

There's not much about Fleet Week 2008 in the news, as far as I can see:

• "Ships Head To New York For Fleet Week "
  Queens Gazette (May 21, 2008)
  "A flotilla of U.S. Navy ships and thousands of Sailors and Marines set sail the morning of May 19 from Norfolk, Va., to participate in the 21 Fleet Week New York, which will take place May 21 - 28.
  "The ships heading up the East Coast for the Fleet Week commemoration are the amphibious...."
• "With 5 Ships Smallest Ever Fleet Week Kicks Off in New York"
  FoxNEWS (May 21, 2008)
  "Associated Press NEW YORK - The annual U.S. Navy invasion known as Fleet Week opened in New York on Wednesday with a flotilla of five American warships and three Canadian entries to add an international flavor to the 21st annual observance.
• "With five ships, Fleet Week 2008 is smallest ever"
  New York City News (May 19, 2008)
  "NEW YORK (AP) -- The annual U.S. Navy invasion known as Fleet Week opens here on Wednesday with a flotilla of five American warships and three Canadian entries to add an international flavor to the 21st annual observance...."
  "Beth Baker, a Navy spokeswoman at Norfolk, Va., said the number of ships taking part in Fleet Week this year was not affected by naval deployments to U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but by a shortage of dock space.
  "The World War II aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, a museum ship that traditionally serves as host for Fleet Week, is still undergoing a two-year overhaul at Staten Island, where it takes up one entire side of a pier normally used for Fleet Week, Baker said."