Lower Manhattan Offers a Panoply of Options to Float Your Boat
“That’s what a ship is, you know,” reflected Captain Jack Sparrow. “It’s not just a keel and a hull, a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is—really is—is freedom.” If you ever feel the need to slip the surly bonds of dry land and venture onto the waters that surround the island community that is Lower Manhattan, you are inundated with opportunities. From complementary to lavish, here is our boating Baedeker for this summer season. Or, in the parting words of Captain Sparrow: “Now, bring me that horizon.”
Moored in New York Harbor
One of the most idyllic Downtown nightlife destinations is a floating tavern moored just north of Ellis Island. Affording spectacular views of the harbor and the Manhattan skyline from the open-air bar on its upper deck, the Honorable William Wall (affectionately known as the Willy Wall) is exclusive without being exclusionary: the general public are welcome, along with members of the Manhattan Yacht Club, for which the Willy Wall doubles as a headquarters. The venue is accessible from the Battery Park City ferry terminal via the Little Lady ferry to and from Liberty Landing in Jersey City. Take this to the first stop in Jersey City and walk two blocks to the Manhattan Yacht Club at Eight Dudley Street, where the Admiral’s Launch will then take you to the Willy Wall, for $20 on weeknights or $30 on Saturdays. The Admiral’s Launch runs every 30 minutes between 5:30pm and closing at 10pm, Tuesday through Saturday. A signature experience is the Full Moon Party, during which guests watch the orb rise over the Brooklyn horizon, as the sun is simultaneously descending over New Jersey. Upcoming dates for this event are August 2 and 30.
Whitehall Terminal, the Battery
Two free public transit options in New York converge here: the Downtown Connection bus stops at the Staten Island Ferry. And while the shuttle is beloved among local residents, it simply can’t compete with the Queen of the Harbor, which runs 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Emblazoned in orange, sounding a majestic horn, she embodies history forgotten (part of the fleet was commandeered for use as gunboats during the Civil War) and history that never happened (a realistic-looking prank monument fashioned from bronze and marble periodically appears in the Battery, commemorating the tragic day in 1963 that a giant octopus capsized a ferry and drowned hundreds of passengers). Between these is the history that happens every day: more than 35,000 passengers lapping the harbor, a concatenation of working commuters and star-struck tourists, all of whom realize anew with each trip the best way to see New York is still the cheapest.
Pier 11/East River (near Wall Street)
Whether you’re a commuter, a tourist, or just doing errands, a ride on NYC Ferry makes the trip feel like a vacation. Launched in 2017, this public transportation alternative to the bus or subway has grown into a waterfront network of more than two dozen stops. The price for a boat ride? Just $4, or $2.75 if you buy a ten pack. From Pier 11, it’s a fast, breezy jaunt to Brooklyn—or take the 57-minute ride to the Rockaways, sunscreen and towel in hand, and you’ll disembark two minutes from salt water. Another adventure: zigzag up the East River to Throgs Neck in the Bronx and explore Ferry Point Park, a greensward more than half the size of Central Park, with a summer amenity that is something akin to catnip for those surfeited by the Manhattan trilema of eat out, order in, or cook at home: plentiful legal barbecue spaces.
North Cove Marina
This historic wooden sailing yacht, now four years into its second century, offers ticketed cruises and private charters for up to 30 passengers. On select evenings, sunset sails on Ventura—to which passengers may bring food and beverages—start at 6:30pm and continue for roughly two-and-a-half hours; tickets are priced at $99. Guests are treated to the unrivaled spectacle of twilight reflected against the jagged prisms of Lower Manhattan’s skyline, as the 70-foot, cutter-rigged sloop traces graceful figure-eights around the Upper Harbor. As darkness descends, waves slap gently against the mahogany hull, and the shimmering necklaces of the Verazzano, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and George Washington bridges begin to twinkle in the distance.
North Cove Marina
At 82 feet (slightly longer than the Mayflower), this Jazz Age, blue-water ocean cruiser has been around the world several times, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Epitomizing the spirit of elegant adventure that defined the 1920s, Shearwater offers deck service of beer, wine, and cocktails, while still providing an intimate setting for up to 37 passengers. The schedule also contains a broad variety of options, including the After-Dinner Golden Hour Cocktail Sail, the New York Wine Tasting Cruise, the Lobster and Beer Dinner Cruise, and the Evening Wine & Jazz Concert Sail. Prices range from $60 to $134.
North Cove Marina
Tribeca Sailing takes small groups out for two- and three-hour excursions aboard Tara, a racer-cruiser that is one of only five custom Pilot 35s built by the Henry R. Hinckley and Company in Southwest Harbor, Maine. This classic cabin sloop, outfitted in teak and mahogany, takes up to six passengers on private sailing tours of New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and the East River.
North Cove Marina
This restored 1950 yacht from legendary Henry C. Grebe & Company takes passengers on the Statue & Skyline Cruise each Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 4:30pm, for $28 per child and $64 per adult. The Mimosa Statue & Skyline Cruise departs at 12:30pm (also on Saturdays and Sundays), and includes, for the same price as above, one complimentary Mimosa. The Sunset Cruise, departing at 7pm six days per week (excluding Mondays) is priced at $86 per passenger, and sometimes offers a circumnavigation of Liberty Island, when the tides cooperate.
North Cove Marina
Taking the name from its origins as a platform for photographers and news crews, this adventure-sightseeing operation whisks groups of 14 guests around the harbor in 30-foot-long, open-topped, rigid-hull inflatable speed boats, equipped with 600 horsepower outboard engines, at velocities approaching 30 miles per hour. Originally designed for military and law-enforcement use, these vessels effortlessly cut through chop and wakes from larger ships, with their prows pointed upward at almost 45 degrees. Half-hour runs to the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty are priced at $50 per person. One-hour excursions, which get within photo distance of 40 sites, are priced at $95 per person.
Pier 25/Hudson River Park
Sunset is a 37-foot yacht built by O’Day in 1982 that can hold up to six guests and is ideal for smaller intimate sailing charters. Sunset comes equipped with a center cockpit and two separate cabins. When the O’Day 37 first launched in 1978, the design was applauded for its layout and the boat’s sailing performance. Sunset is owned by Captain James Brooks, who took over ownership and operations of Ventura in 2018.
Pier 26/Hudson River Park
The world’s largest free kayaking program is headquartered in Tribeca, at the Pier 26 Boathouse. The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization provides not only kayaks, but also brief instruction and life vests (use of which is mandatory), along with changing rooms, lockers and locks, sun block, and first aid equipment. There is even an outdoor shower. The fleet consists of unsinkable, self-bailing, sit-on-top kayaks. No reservations are needed, but users must know how to swim and are required to sign a waiver before going out on the water. Hours are Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10am to 4:30pm, plus Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30pm to 7pm.
Pier 17/South Street Seaport
The only passenger-carrying tall ship in New York Harbor is a 158-foot-long, steel-hulled vessel, flying 5,000 square feet of sail on two steel masts that rise to a height of 12 stories. Clipper City is a full-scale replica of a lumber schooner launched a few years before the Civil War, built from the original plans that were discovered in the archives of Smithsonian Institution. This mighty ship displaces 200 tons; passengers are barely cognizant of the water’s motion around them. With an eclectic menu of sailing options (similar to that of Shearwater, which is managed by the same company), Clipper City offers options like Moonlight & Music, Craft Beer and Music Sail, and the Sunset Wine & Jazz Cruise. Prices range from $60 to $134.
Pier 16/South Street Seaport Museum
The only iron-hulled American merchant sailing vessel still in existence (and one of only two ever built in this country), Pioneer was launched in 1885. As part of the South Street Seaport Museum’s fleet of historic vessels, she offers affordable and edifying sailing experiences, such as the two-hour daytime sail every Saturday and Sunday, at 1pm and 4pm, priced at $20 for children and $50 per adult. The Sunset Sail weighs anchor every Wednesday through Saturday at 7pm, and costs $30 per child and $70 per adult. Pioneer also hosts Sunday-afternoon themed excursions, such as History on the Hudson (August 20) and Music on the Harbor, at $20 for children and $50 for adults.
Pier 16/South Street Seaport Museum
The last surviving New York-built, wooden tugboat is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an exemplary model of the types of steam tugs that were once an abundant sight in New York Harbor. W.O. Decker shoves off on Saturdays and Sundays for 75-minute sightseeing cruises that pass by the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Battery, and Governors Island, starting at 1pm and 2:30pm. Tickets are $15 for children (ages ten and up) and $30 for adults.
Manhattan Sailing School / Manhattan Yacht Club
Liberty Harbor Marina/Jersey City
The Manhattan Yacht Club’s waterside facility in Jersey City features a grass lawn, multiple decks with rocking chairs, and outdoor barbecues several nights per week. The club’s headquarters is a floating tavern, the Honorable William Wall (see above), which is moored adjacent to Ellis Island and is accessible via launch from the Jersey City clubhouse. In addition to a robust calendar of social events presented by the Manhattan Yacht Club, the sailing school offers more than a dozen courses, from beginner to advanced, along with American Sailing Association certifications. The shared fleet of boats includes two dozen J/24 sloops, and the flagship Arabella, a 157-foot mega yacht that doubles as a floating hotel. Annual membership (which includes reciprocal privileges at 22 yacht clubs around the world, and another ten in the United States) starts at $1,700.
North Cove Marina
A combination sailing school and club, this organization offers lessons, social events, and racing, along access to a fleet of Colgate 26 sailboats, where they are paired with other members and qualified skippers. The Sailing 101 and 102 courses cost $750 each. Memberships start at $1,500 for the season.