City sinking booze cruises

Boat operators: It’s racism

The party’s over in Sheepshead Bay.

Owners of “booze cruise” party boats that have long operated from the Brooklyn bay’s piers were informed Friday that the city is putting an end to their predawn cruises.

It’s a move the boat owners claim will sink their businesses — and is being fueled by neighborhood racism over their predominantly Caribbean-American clientele.

“If they close down the midnight cruises, Sheepshead Bay might as well put up a sign saying ‘Blacks Not Welcome,’ ” said Duncan Peterson, a lawyer representing brothers Dan and Joe Lind, who own two of the six party boats.

In previous seasons, boat operators were allowed to set sail as late as midnight and return at about 4 a.m.

Starting in April, all boats have to be back by 11 p.m.

Members of a predominantly Russian community of merchants and residents on Emmons Avenue have long complained about that the boats attract drunken crowds that get into fights, litter and take up limited parking spots.

In response, City Councilman Chaim Deutsch and Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz, who represent the neighborhood, have been pushing legislation to curb the boats.

The Linds and another boat operator, Joe Poehlman, told The Post they don’t know how they’ll be able to survive without the midnight cruises — which attract the most passengers and bring in the most money.

Poehlman, who operates the double-decker River Rose, said 22 of his 50 charter trips last year set sail after 11 p.m.

Both he and Dan Lind, a retired firefighter, said it’s doubtful they can now keep their businesses afloat.

Deutsch said his neighborhood “is not racist” and that merchants and residents have legitimate gripes considering thousands of alcohol-fueled passengers spilling onto their streets in the predawn hours.