I've ridden back and forth from Rockaway to Wall Street but not with a bike. Was looking at images of the bike racks on board and looks like the back wheel may rest against a bar on a wall while the front wheel is secured or semi-secured by a hook higher on that wall. Difficult to assume it works well with little risk of cracking a rim or causing a pinch flat. Anyone with experience with a bike on the ferry and/or hook material and/or rate of success?

I've used hooks like what you describe, I think, on regional trains. The River Line trains south from Trenton have them, and also the Shoreline East trains in CT. The first couple times you lift your bike up to the hook, it feels clumsy... but you get better at it. No damage to the bike.

The problem with lifting the bike to attach it to a wall rack comes if you have saddle bags. It is a big pain in the neck to have to remove the saddle bags for the trip, just to put them back on after less than an hour.

Have taken the ferry a couple times with bike and it's really no problem at all

also keep in mind that it only costs a subway ride. Before they swept the water taxis into the MTA umbrella it was 8$ each way and an extra $2 for your bike each way. It's pretty much the only thing that useless fake liberal Deblasio did that I appreciate.

I've taken the Far Rock ferry a few times. I don't like the bike racks provided. The bike tends to sway back and forth during the ferry ride. It's ok if there is no bike next to yours. I just as soon they let us lean the bike against the wall or rail. Of course this becomes a problem if there are lots of bikes.