Here are the state regulations.
http://www.nysparks.com/boating/docs/boaters_guide.pdf . They look almost identical to the Maryland laws. I remember taking both the boater's safety and the hunter's safety courses. They let me self-study for the boaters safety and just take the exam. For the hunters safety, they made me take the course. I remember there were a lot of skinheads and they gave me a shotgun and some rifles to fire. Too bad the law didn't allow the ammo to be put to better use.
I'm sure the city has their own regulations to take rights away from citizens just like the FAA does. One thing I would love to do would be a downwind run along the Hudson on a Kiteboard. I'm not sure where I could put in and put out or if it would be wide enough that the buildings wouldn't interfere, but that would be awesome and I could take the train back to my car. Has anyone ever seen a wakeboarder on the Hudson.