NYC Fleet week is back and we are running a selective number of Military History Tours to take you to these amazing ships in NY Harbor! 

Highlights along the way:

• Get up close with ships docked all over the city! This tour is a great way to get a waterside view of all of them. There’s also an exciting lineup of ships visiting this year, including the large-deck amphibious ship USS Wasp, as well as ships from allied navies of Italy, Canada, and the UK. 

• This tour is about the impact of the military on the harbor and the city, past and present.

• We visit parts of the harbor that most tours don’t, especially the working waterfront in New Jersey, Staten Island, and Brooklyn. One of the big highlights is seeing the Bayonne Dry Dock, built in WWII and still used today to repair ships for the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command. 

• We will also feature a few historic ships in the harbor, most notably Intrepid, which this year will celebrate its 80th birthday. But there are also several retired Coast Guard vessels and fire boats around the harbor that we will highlight.

• We will visit a number of historic military landmarks, most notably the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Today the Yard still plays an important role for the Sea Services, as it remains NY Harbor’s largest shipyard, doing repair work for working ships like tugboats and barges, as well as ships of the US Coast Guard. 

Grab your tickets for our NYC Military History Tour below!

It’s Fleet Week in NYC! New York Harbor hosts a number of special Navy Ships and sailors. Join this livestream tour in honor of our veterans! Learn about New York City’s extensive military history on this fully narrated tour by Turnstiles Tour Guide Andrew Gustafson. We’ll cruise by the visiting ships, historic military sites, monuments and fortifications including Staten Island Navy Pier, Brooklyn navy yard, Brooklyn Army terminal and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Questions and stories are welcome and we look forward to hearing from our Vets onboard and through the livestream event.

HRMM Executive Director Lisa Cline and fellow Hudson River historians, Ann Loeding and Gary Matthews co-host a tour. For nearly 400 years the Hudson River has served as a major commercial thoroughfare. We’ll be focusing this tour on the history of commercial towing and industrial transportation as we cruise from the Erie Basin to the Kill Van Kull. We’ll discuss the impact of the Erie Canal and why New York Harbor has been central to the global economy for centuries.

Join us on June 8th to watch our Livestream Series:

Join us alongside the Billion Oyster Project and learn about their vision for NY Waterways! Meet BOP Executive Director Pete Malinowski along with faculty including Katie Mosher, Anna Weiss, Charlotte Boesch and Ann Fraioli. Cruise past the Statue of Liberty and around the south side of Governors Island to the Buttermilk Channel to see BOP setting tanks in action at Atlantic Basin and discuss their restoration work with re-establishing our oyster reefs. We’ll end the tour at One 15 Brooklyn Marina where we’ll pull up oyster baskets alongside New York Harbor School students.

This adventurous livestream will take us to the Bronx River with Rocking the Boat! Take to the water with Rocking the Boat Founder and Executive Director, Adam Green, and learn about their hands-on student programs including boatbuilding, sailing and environmental science, along with their immersive summer boat camp for all school age groups! Weather permitting, see middle school students in action as they row boats, constructed and assembled by students in their wooden boatbuilding program, out to meet us at the mouth of the Bronx River. Rocking the Boat is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year!

Join the National Maritime Historical Society (NMHS) on a cruise down the Hudson River and learn about NY Harbor’s past and future in an exciting tour of important historical sites including Little Island and Pier 57, notable for its submerged concrete caissons and long steel girders resembling structures similar to those built as a part of the American military effort in World War II. Dennis Maika, Senior Historian at the New Netherland Institute will discuss how the Dutch shaped NY’s waterfront today. Architect Susannah Drake of Sasaki International, will discuss the New Urban Ground MoMA project that addresses how the city can cope with increased flooding due to climate change. Hear from Rick Scarano of Scarano Boat Building, designer and boat builder of the Classic Harbor Line fleet, and learn about 1920s commuter yacht history.

It’s launch day! Today’s harbor tour is co-hosted by the founders of Brooklyn Boatworks, local naval architects Carl Persak and Jeremy Wurmfeld. We are cruising with them to Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park for one of their biggest days of the year! Join us alongside more than 100 middle school students in the Brooklyn Boatworks boatbuilding program and watch as they launch 12 handcrafted Optimist sailing dinghies for the ultimate sea-worthy test!

Join us alongside the John J Harvey Fireboat team as we cruise around lower Manhattan. Hear stories about their heroic efforts on September 11, 2001. Now a museum and education center, the Harvey previously served 6 decades as an active FDNY steam fireboat since she was built in 1931. The boat is history afloat in NY Harbor playing an integral role in protecting our waterways throughout her active years, and also since then when she was called back into service to aid FDNY fireboats on 9/11. Weather permitting, we’ll cruise to meet the boat docked at Pier 66 and climb aboard for an exciting behind the scenes tour with Captain Huntley Gill. If time allows, we’ll watch as Harvey starts her engines and prepares for a truly spectacular full water cannon display from the Hudson River.

Meet the modern sail freight company delivering goods from the Hudson River Valley to New York City while netting zero emissions. Engage with Apollonia team members Brad Vogel, Supercargo, and Climate Strategist, Pat Nason, and learn about the team’s vision for a sustainable, resilient waterfront. Be inspired by Apollonia’s history and future. Hear from Brad and Pat about how climate resilience, green jobs, equity and justice are interrelated through Sail Freight operations as we tour NY Harbor passing by South Street Seaport, Governors Island and the entrance to the Gowanus Canal.

As we cruise along Manhattan’s West Side to the Hudson River Community Sailing docks, we’ll learn about the history of HRCS as they celebrate their 15th year! Meet Executive Director, Robert Burke along with Program Directors Don Rotzien, Mwenye Seville and Maeve Gately, and learn about their youth and adaptive sailing programs. We’ll also meet with student participants and learn first-hand what it’s like sailing in NYC as we embark on a sailing adventure aboard a J/80 sailboat. Launched in 2021, the HRCS Adaptive Sailing Program provides sailing education and recreation for youth and adults with disabilities.

We’re celebrating the Coast Guard cutter, LILAC, in her 90th year! Learn about this historic steam-powered lighthouse tender that once carried supplies to lighthouses and maintained buoys from the 1930s to early 1970s. LILAC is now a museum ship owned and operated by the LILAC Preservation Project, celebrating its 17th year. Cruise from Chelsea Piers out to a channel marker in NY Harbor with LILAC founder Gerald Weinstein and Museum Director Mary Habstritt. We’ll then cruise to Pier 25 at Hudson River Park to board LILAC for storytelling and a tour on the buoy deck.

This livestream sailing event benefits the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI). Join us on this day during PRIDE month for an exciting 2-hour sail around New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty with fellow members and supporters of the community. We’ll raise our 400 square foot PRIDE flag from our mainsail on Schooner America 2.0. HMI is the nation’s oldest LGBTQIA+ youth organization serving queer and trans youth, primarily of color, between the ages of 13 and 24. Through a comprehensive package of direct services and referrals, the organization fosters healthy youth development. HMI’s staff promotes excellence in the delivery of youth services and uses its expertise to create innovative programs that other organizations may use as models. HMI serves a diverse community, the vast majority of whom identify as Black or people of color. The youth organization is dedicated to building its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels, throughout its operations and functions.

Join us live from Yacht Manhattan II on the busiest and most exciting night in New York Harbor: The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show! Gain an exciting firsthand look at what it’s like being a captain and crew working on board, learn about Coast Guard security zones, safety on the water and city planning that goes into organizing such a grand event. Then as the sky darkens and the city skyline lights up, enjoy the best views of the Macy’s Fireworks Show!

As sailors by trade we witness first-hand the pollutants in our waterways, sea level rise, and the increase in average daily temperatures occurring through Climate Change. We review and revise our operating procedures annually to cut our carbon emissions, to reduce or eliminate our use of single use plastics, to make purchasing choices that reflect these values and to create tours that educate and inspire change for the betterment of our planet’s health. 

There are no single-use plastic cups nor plastic bottled waters at Classic Harbor Line.  We make our own purified water and we use reusable cups in a collaboration with Cup Zero. In 2022, we kept 24K single use plastic cups from going into landfills!

Another fun fact: a portion of our beer is delivered to us down the Hudson River via a zero-emission sail freight with Schooner Apollonia! 

We have a plant-based catering menu for our charter clients who are looking to minimize the environmental impact of their gatherings.

We offer sailing, the oldest and greenest mode of transportation on the planet.  We support numerous food waste mitigation procedures.  We envision a world where more people, making small changes, make a big, positive difference for our planet and her future.

 

 

The best way to understand the many facets of climate change in New York City is by traveling along its waterways…

Welcome aboard Yacht Manhattan or Manhattan II for the AIANY Climate Change Tour: Resiliency, Sustainable Architecture and the Future of NYC and learn about how climate change is affecting our city and people, and the actions NYC is taking to mitigate pending threats and reduce its carbon footprint.

This tour will address the pressing need for sustainable design and greater resiliency, delving into how New York City is reducing fossil fuel consumption, strengthening its natural habitats, and reimagining its transportation infrastructure. The tour will also explore the importance of the environmental justice movement in New York City.

Get a compelling and comprehensive view of the steps that interdisciplinary teams of urban planners, architects, landscape architects, developers and community groups are taking to address storm surges, intense rains and hotter temperatures.

Admire many up-close examples of green buildings and sustainable designs that reduce energy consumption, water usage and pollution while creating healthy living environments.

Experience new wetlands and tidal marshes along the tour route that play a role in mitigating storm surges, fostering diverse ecosystems and creating new park space.

See first hand the importance of the environmental justice movement in New York City. People of color and low-income families have often been pushed into low-lying neighborhoods that are most prone to flooding, have the highest levels of pollution and suffer most from the urban heat island effect.

 

#Detalles de esta gira:

– 2.75 horas
– Presentado y narrado en español por un guía del Instituto Americano de Arquitectos – Nueva York (AIANY)
– Elegantes mesas privadas asignadas a cada reserva. Cada mesa cuenta con una sección acolchada, una gran ventana exterior que se puede abrir y particiones transparentes.
– $86 por persona para 4 o más adultos y $68 por estudiantes mayores de 14 años, $106 por persona para 2 o 3 adultos.
– Se ofrece a bordo de Manhattan o Manhattan II (yates inspirados en la década de 1920)
– Para navigar la isla entira de Manhattan
– Asientos con clima controlado en el interior y asientos al aire libre disponibles
– Se ofrece una cerveza, vino, champán o refresco de cortesía. Se pueden comprar bebidas adicionales y comidas.
– AIA CES 1.5 a 2.5 LU HSW – Se ofrecen créditos de educación continua.

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#Únase a nosotros a bordo de las cubiertas de teca de nuestros elegantes yates estilo años 20, el Manhattan y el Manhattan II, y disfrute de los sitios arquitectónicos de la ciudad de Nueva York, como se ven mejor desde el agua.

El recorrido “Alrededor de Manhattan” está narrado por miembros del capítulo de Nueva York del Instituto Americano de Arquitectos (AIANY). Es lo suficientemente general para los visitantes pero rico en detalles para los locales.

A bordo de los yates, experimente un recorrido cómodo y único a lo largo de los ríos Hudson, East y Harlem desde el observatorio cerrado y climatizado en la cubierta trasera, o pasee por las cubiertas exteriores para tomar aire fresco y la luz del sol con una bebida de cortesía en la mano.

En este crucero de 2,75 horas, circunnavegará la isla de Manhattan (pasando por debajo de los 18 puentes) mientras contempla monumentos, arquitectura, parques e infraestructura.

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##Los aspectos más destacados de la arquitectura de la ciudad de Nueva York que veremos durante esta gira de AIANY incluyen:

– Los rascacielos clásicos de Manhattan, incluidos los edificios Empire State, Chrysler y Woolworth, así como el World Trade Center.
– La nueva generación de supertalls (rascacielos de más de 300 metros de altura) que ahora dominan el horizonte de Midtown.
– Los nuevos parques, muelles y monumentos que forman parte del renacimiento posindustrial de la ciudad de Nueva York.
– Las obras de arquitectos ganadores de premios nacionales e internacionales, incluidos muchos arquitectos españoles y latinoamericanos.
– Ahora es posible un mayor acceso al puerto con costas diseñadas ecológicamente que crean hábitats ricos, muchos diseñados por destacados arquitectos paisajistas.
– La Estatua de la Libertad, Ellis Island y el monumento más nuevo: el Parque FDR Four Freedoms de Roosevelt Island.
– Las obras maestras de la ingeniería de Nueva York: los puentes de Brooklyn y George Washington, así como los puentes giratorios menos conocidos a lo largo del río Harlem.
– La adaptación de Highline como un parque lineal elevado y su papel en el desarrollo de West Chelsea y Hudson Yards.
– La historia de la renovación urbana posterior a la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la vivienda pública a lo largo de los paseos marítimos del Lower East Side y East Harlem.

Compra entradas aquí

Recommended by Mapped!  A balance of boujee and wellness while in NYC. Click here to read more! 

YourAAA Daily sails NY Harbor aboard the schooner America 2.0!  Listed as one of the top 8 things to do in NYC! 

To read more click here. 

Captain Greg of Classic Harbor Line speaks of life on the water.  Epic Times interviews him to get the perspective of the person behind the wheel of a yacht.  

“You have to commune with Mother Nature, you have to deal with the elements. You’re not dealing with external forces, you’re not dealing with other people—something happens to you, you can’t blame somebody else,” Freitas says. “You have to be self-reliant, you have to rely on yourself. It’s just you. It’s proof of existence.”

Click here to read more. 

Life of a Captain

AIANY Architecture and the Lights of Gotham

Building on the successful ten-year collaboration between AIANY and Classic Harbor Line, this new architecture boat tour capitalizes on the remarkable skyline of Manhattan after sunset. From the time the Brooklyn Bridge was inaugurated with dazzling lights and fireworks in 1883, architects and lighting designers have understood the importance of presenting their structures in the night sky. “The city that never sleeps” is stunningly illuminated more than ever. Today’s designers have a sophisticated array of sources, colors and programs to operate their lighting systems. Take to the waters with an expert AIANY guide to see the latest in how architects and lighting designers are creating a new, more dynamic nighttime experience. View the famously mesmerizing lights of Manhattan and explore the latest trends and innovations in architectural lighting. There really is no better way to capture this view as the iconic NYC skyline reflects off the surrounding waters. This two hour-and fifteen-minute narrated cruise will depart at sunset from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan and will include the Lower Hudson River, the Upper Bay and the East River. Prominent examples include the Statue of Liberty from 1886, the Woolworth Tower in 1913, the 1931 Empire State Building, and New York City’s latest supertall building, One World Trade Center.. Duration: 2.25 hrs  Boat: Manhattan or Manhattan II  Cost: Adult $86 | Student $68

 BUY TICKETS NOW 

Read Our Reviews

Continuing education credits available »

Check out our other Architecture Tours by clicking here.

• AIANY Around Manhattan: NYC Architecture (AIA CES 2.5 LU/HSW)
• AIANY Around Manhattan: Bridges & Infrastructure (AIACES 2.5 LU/HSW)
• AIANY Lower Manhattan Architecture (AIA CES 1.5 LU/HSW)
• AIANY Architecture and the lights of Gotham (AIA CES 2 LU/HSW)

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We love weddings! Yes we do! And so does New York Magazine’s The Cut. To read the full article click here!

Cruise with us through NY Harbor with your loved one and take all of the magical views this city has to offer on your special day.

Join the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee for a special networking architecture cruise focused on a wide range of waterfront projects designed or built by women. AIANY guide Julie Engh, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, will welcome several expert guest speakers (TBA), who collectively will provide lively narration covering architecture and engineering landmarks from all eras of the city’s history, as well as current urban planning and environmental issues impacting urban waterfronts. We’ll cruise the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers, and explore women’s contributions to the recent transformation of an industrial waterfront to one of booming real estate development, ecologically-driven landscape design, and resilient infrastructure. Tour features include iconic Art Deco spires, historic engineering marvels, adaptive reuse, and progressive waterfront parks. Featured women-led projects will include the Statute of Liberty Museum, Pier 55 (a dramatic public park and performance space in the Hudson River), Governors Island, Hudson River Park and Long Island City waterfront projects, Pier 42 (a critical missing link of public access along the shoreline), Rockefeller University, the East River Waterfront Esplanade, the new Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport, the Domino Sugar Refinery Development, and American Copper Buildings. Special guest speakers will include: Julie Engh, Assoc. AIA: Julie is a project manager at Urban Projects Collaborative, an owner’s representative firm representing mission-driven organizations. As a founding member of the AIANY Architecture Tour Committee, Julie helped develop the AIANY boat and walking tour programs and has guided a variety of tours across both platforms.  Signe Nielsen, FASLA: Signe is a Principal at Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, and has been practicing as a landscape architect and urban designer in New York since 1978. Her body of work has renewed the environmental integrity and transformed the quality of spaces for those who live, work and play in the urban realm.  Cameron Ringness: Cameron is an architect, artist and poet originally from Cleveland, Ohio, living and working in New York City. She was the lead designer of the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island with FXCollaborative Architects and is currently the lead designer for the new Children’s Museum of Manhattan to be completed in 2021. Hayes Slade: Hayes is the 2019 AIANY Chapter President and a Principal at Slade Architecture, which creates thoughtful and impactful architecture based on a considered examination of program potential, user perspective, and material sensibility. She co-authored Design Guidelines for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Slade Architecture has been part of the NYC Design Excellence Program at the NYC Department of Design and Construction for four terms.  Ayumi Sugiyama: Ayumi is the Director of Cultural Projects at SHoP Architects, and has expertise in the design and delivery of complex urban projects with significant public space programs and complicated stakeholder groups. Ayumi has acted as project director for several of the firm’s most prominent and award-winning projects, including the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the American Copper Buildings and the New Academic Building at FIT in New York. ****** Statute of Liberty Museum:  http://www.fxcollaborative.com/projects/175/Statue%2520of%2520Liberty%2520Museum/ Pier 55, Governors Island, Hudson River Park, and Long Island City waterfront projects, Pier 42 and Rockefeller University:   https://www.mnlandscape.com/projects East River Waterfront SHoP’s 14 million sf plan for the East River Waterfront Esplanade and Pier 15 brings an innovative approach to the integration of the city and its post-industrial urban edge, capitalizing on the opportunity to function as a recreational space totally unique to Manhattan. Unable to be rooted in the picturesque tradition prevalent in parks around the city, instead the park seeks to embody the heritage of its long history as a working waterfront and at the same time embrace the many urban anomalies, such as the FDR Drive. The design takes a systematic approach to revitalizing an area once overflowing with waterfront activity by focusing on connecting the city to the water’s edge, activating the waterfront year-round by providing new cultural, community, commercial and recreational nodes along its entire length. Pier 17 SHoP’s design for the new Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport re-imagines the mall to create a mix of boutique and large restaurant and retail spaces. The new 300,000 sf design echoes the typical New York streetscape, with smaller individual structures housing shops and restaurants, separated by open-air pedestrian thoroughfares. Two large floors stretch out above the small shops as a roof, each measuring 60,000 sf. Enormous glass garage-style doors descend in bad weather to seal in the lower levels of the complex, offering protection from the elements while still opening up previously blocked views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The new Pier 17 will completely transform the existing building into a vibrant destination that builds on Lower Manhattan’s commercial resurgence, continued residential growth, and evolution into a 24/7 live/work/play community. Domino Sugar Refinery Development / 325 Kent With Two Trees Management Company, SHoP and Field Operation’s master plan for the Domino Sugar Refinery Development replaces a city-approved 2010 plan with a new proposal that adds 60% more publicly-accessible open space on a new, highly accessible street grid; provides for a new 24/7 mix of office, residential, neighborhood retail, community facilities while retaining original commitments for affordable housing; and a new form of open architecture that connects the existing neighborhood to the new quarter-mile waterfront. The plan envisions a new skyline for Brooklyn—one that relates to the height of the Williamsburg bridge to the south and scales down to meet the neighboring lower buildings. The buildings are porous, featuring large openings that allow light and air to penetrate through the site and into the neighborhood beyond. 325 Kent, or Site E, is the first complete building as part of SHoP’s master plan. Retail storefronts occupy the ground floor perimeter, carefully sized to encourage continuity with the neighborhood’s pattern of smaller, independent businesses. Above, the residential floors step up in terraces from the east, forming a connection to the existing neighborhood. After over a year of on-site testing to study materials that would age gracefully and contribute to the dramatic industrial character of the area, two different sheet metals were chosen for the exterior—copper for the lower floors, and zinc above. The copper panels were installed without a factory produced finish, creating a dynamic building surface that will weather and patina over time, drawing in visitors and engaging the public as it adapts over the course of its lifespan. American Copper Previously the location of a razed power plant on First Avenue between 35th and 36th Streets, the American Copper Buildings have become a dynamic landmark on Manhattan’s East Side. Responding to an existing master plan for the block and the constraints of an envelope described by New York City’s zoning code, the two towers, reaching to 48 and 41 stories respectively, take on their characteristic form. The three-story skybridge was then located at the point at which the two towers are closest together. Lounge and amenity spaces for tenants—including the lap pool and gym—are located at the bridge level, while the roof of the north tower houses a second swimming pool and a rooftop bar overlooking the entire city. At grade, a through-block passageway opens to a new public park on the river side of the site. A structure as alive as the city it inhabits, the striking set of towers are already becoming icons on the Manhattan waterfront. The buildings’ façade will patina over time, transforming from the red copper they are today to a mint green that evokes the Statue of Liberty, just down the river from the project’s site. 

Every year during Fleet Week, we partner with Turnstile Tours to offer a memorable boat cruise about the military history of New York Harbor.  We will focus on the activity of the Harbor during World War II.  We will depart from Chelsea Piers, aboard the beautiful motor yacht Manhattan and visit the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, and USS Intrepid, as well as other historic and military sites along the New Jersey and Brooklyn shores. Along the way, we share the stories of sailors, shipbuilders, longshoremen and merchant mariners who built New York Harbor into the heart of the American war effort. So step aboard and enjoy this educational cruise with us out in the Harbor.    

By Marian Betancourt

Photos by Bridget McFall

Most of the curious crowds visiting the repurposed Hudson Yards are on land, strolling along a foundation built over rail yards, but this newly created West Side neighborhood makes an impressive addition to the Manhattan skyline when viewed from the water. The fittingly named art piece, “Vessel,” a staircase to the endless imagination, sits at center stage in an open space near the waterfront surrounded by new skyscrapers. New York has always been a city in progress and the skyline changes periodically, so it’s a good idea, even for natives, to take a water cruise around the city to get the lay of the land so to speak. 

Click here to continue reading!

 

Vive la France!

Step aboard the Manhattan II and back in time with the 1930s-inspired French-style Gypsy Jazz as you witness the city’s beauty and elegance from the water. Guitarist Alex Simon & his trio perform the musical stylings of Django Reinhardt with dazzling technique and lyrical impressionism. It is a bright but elegant style of acoustic swing that evokes the vibrancy of cosmopolitan life and the folkloric sounds of rural Europe, originating in France.

 

From aboard this elegant classic-inspired yacht, start the evening with a slow pass by our most famous gift from France, the Statue of Liberty.  Classic Harbor Line’s Gypsy Jazz Cruises are offered on select dates in 2019 including these French Holidays: Labour Day (May 1), Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11)

 

On this cruise you may hear a combination of 1930s French Swing as well as Louis Armstrong hits. Alex Simon has performed at The Guggenheim, B.B. King’s Main Stage, The Rainbow Room, as well as world-renowned cocktail lounges such as Milk & Honey, Bathtub Gin, NoMad, The Roxy, and many other of New York City’s finest venues.

 

Key points about this cruise:

– 2 hours

– $84 per person

– French-inspired Gypsy Jazz music with guitarist Alex Simon & his trio

– Offered aboard Manhattan II

– Includes one complimentary beer, wine or champagne from the bar (additional drinks French-inspired cocktails are available for purchase)

– Seating available in climate controlled cabin or on the outer deck

– Departs from Chelsea Piers Pier 62

World Pride 2019: Trans New York Harbor Pride Sail for the Hetrick-Martin Institute

Sponsored by Classic Harbor Line

For the benefit of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming youth support programs of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Classic Harbor Line hosts a series of five weekend benefit sails throughout the duration of the World Pride Festival in New York City.  100% of net ticket sales goes to the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

The benefit sails are Saturdays: June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, from 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. aboard either the schooner Adirondack or the schooner America 2.0.

Each sail will include a standard bar and mimosas as well as a triumphant flying of their nearly 400 square foot spinnaker cloth Pride Flag.  The flag will be hoisted to the aft-leaded edge of their mainsail as they glide from Chelsea Piers, south on the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty and back.  This Pride Flag is nearly half the size of schooner Adirondack’s mainsail and will certainly prove to be an epic and awe-inspiring experience for all those who see it. 

Take a look at NYC Pride activities Classic Harbor Line is running the month of June. 

Founded in 1979, Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit leader in LGBTQ youth service programming. Today, HMI serves more than 2,000 at-risk youth each year between the ages of 13 and 24 from more than 300 zip codes in New York and throughout the tri-state area, and an additional 8,000 young people through outreach efforts – as well as countless lives changed by our advocacy, training and capacity building work around the world.

Tickets are $75 per person.

 

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Twist and Shout! (and slope, and bend, and curve, warp….)

 

Recent advancements in computer software have allowed architects to explore unusual building types that could previously only be dreamt about.  Today, in New York City, we are witnessing a boom in the construction of staggering new shapes and forms, many built along the emerging new “gold coast” (aka New York City’s waterfront).

 

Join an expert AIA guide on a beautiful Classic Harbor Line motor yacht and experience first-hand many of these remarkable new additions to New York’s iconic skyline. We’ll see buildings that fold in on themselves, buildings that lean precariously to the side, defying gravity; and buildings that sparkle and undulate like the water of the Hudson River itself. This is truly a new era of building, and New York is the best place to witness the cutting-edge innovation; here, architecture truly is an art form!

 

We’ll see new structures transforming the skyline, including:

The Interactive Corporation – Gehry Partners, Architects

The XI – BIG Bjarke Ingels Group

Salt Storage Shed – Dattner Architects and WXY Architects

One World Trade Center – Skidmore Owings & Merrill

8 Spruce Street – Gehry Partners

American Copper Buildings – ShoP Architects

VIA 57 West – BIG Bjarke Ingels Group

The New York Staircase – Thomas Heatherwick Studio

 

AIANY Architecture Tour

Highrises, Skycrapers, and Supertalls

In New York in the early 20^th century, well-known highrise buildings like the Woolworth Tower, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building reached for the sky and were dubbed “skyscrapers”. Today, the iconic New York City skyline is marked by a recent proliferation of much taller, super-slim, ultra-luxury residential towers. These pencil-thin buildings constitute a new type of skyscraper, made possible by remarkable feats of engineering, advances in material strengths, and a real estate market that drives building heights—and prices—ever skyward. The AIA Around Manhattan Architecture tour highlights the architects and engineers composing a new vision of the NYC skyline with these height-shattering new buildings. We’ll will shed light on the engineering marvels and zoning requirements that allow these heights, as well as the range of architectural styles across the city: super-stretched art deco, purist 3-dimensional grid, and the sloping, chiseled or crystalline forms that visibly break from the traditional NYC skyscraper.

As of January 1, 2019, New York City has 8 officially completed Supertall buildings, and that number could be doubled by January of next year.  So, what’s the difference between a regular highrise building and a “Supertall” skyscraper? 

Highrise refers to any building in New York That is over 75 feet tall (or the limit of how high a FDNY ladder truck can reach). 

 

Skyscraper is a more metaphorical definition.  The term is borrowed from sailing and it describes the highest most point on the tallest mast on a sailboat.

 

Supertall, however, is a relatively new term by comparison, and is an official designation awarded by the organization called Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats to any building over 984 feet. The measurement marks the height of a building to the “top of the architectural expression” – not counting flagpoles, chimneys or antennae. However, “masts” are fair game—hence why we see such a proliferation of tall masts on top of recent supertall skyscrapers. 

 

It has been several decades now since New York held the record for the tallest building in the world (with the Empire State building and World Trade Center North both holding that title at different points). Today, the distinction goes to Burj Khalifa in Dubai at a whopping 2,723 feet.  Still, New York is experiencing a new bumper crop of “Supertall” buildings.  So, here they are – THE SUPERTALLS OF NEW YORK, many of which you’ll see on our AIANY Around Manhattan tour:

 

1. One World Trade Center: 1,776 FT

2014     

Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Architect

 

2. 432 Park Avenue: 1,397 FT

2015

Rafael Viñoly Architects

 

3. The Empire State Building: 1,250 FT

1931

Shreve Lamb and Harmon, Architects

 

4. Bank of America Tower: 1,200 FT

2009

Cook + Fox Architects

 

5. 3 World Trade Center: 1,079 FT

2018

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

 

6. New York Times Tower: 1,046 FT

2007

Renzo Piano Building Workshop with FXFOWLE Architects

 

7. Chrysler Building: 1,046 FT

1930

William van Alen, Architect

 

8. One57: 1,004 FT

2014

Atelier Christian de Portzamparc

 

 

NYC Valentine’s Day Champagne Tasting Cruise

If you’re looking for something other than a dinner date this Valentine’s Day, we’ve got your back.

From love-themed comedy shows and salsa classes to burlesque performances and acts of kindness, New York City is full of unique ways to spend time with your Valentine.

Here are some of our favorite ideas. Click here to read more of the article! 

 

 

This month, 24,000 architects from across the county will gather in New York City for the annual conference of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In honor of the event, our AIA Around Manhattan architecture tours will highlight some local recipients of the AIA’s Gold Medal, considered one of the most prestigious awards in the architecture world.

Since 1907, only 15 New York-based architects have received this award. This year, James Stewart Polshek, founder of the New York firm now known as Ennead, is the 2018 Gold Medalist. Ennead’s Standard Hotel project from 2009 is a star of our architecture tours—it’s the only newly constructed building allowed to straddle over the top of the High Line.

Altogether, 20 projects can be seen by AIA Gold Medalists on our tour including Steven Holl FAIA, Lous I. Kahn FAIA, and Cesar Pelli FAIA.

 

The Standard High Line Hotel
Meatpacking District
Ennead Architects, 2009
Rising above a former elevated train line that has become downtown’s favorite public park, the Standard High Line hotel includes and an outdoor public plaza with rotating art installations and a winter ice rink.

 

 

Hunters Point Community Library
Long Island City
Steven Holl FAIA, Architect
2018
Located on a prominent site along the East River against the backdrop of recently built skyscraper condominiums, this 22,000 square foot library brings community-devoted space to the increasingly privatized Long Island City waterfront. The concrete structure of the building is exposed and aluminum painted, giving the exterior a subtle sparkle.

 

Four Freedoms Park, FDR Memorial
Roosevelt Island
Louis I. Kahn FAIA, Architect
2012
Located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City, the FDR Four Freedoms Park is the last work of the late Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th century. Executed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, the Park celebrates the Four Freedoms, as pronounced in President Roosevelt’s famous January 6, 1941 State of the Union speech.

 

Brookfield Place Commercial Center
Battery Park City
Cesar Pelli FAIA, Architect
1985
Brookfield Place is a familiar presence on the New York City skyline, the four stepped towers forming the western wall of Lower Manhattan. While the architecture is unmistakably modern in detail and construction, the buildings reference architectural history, expanding the possibilities for skyscraper design and expressing the aspirations of the contemporary city.

NYC 4th of July Fireworks Cruise

Step aboard one of our classic boats for a magical NYC 4^th of July Fireworks cruise out into NY Harbor and the East River!  We will have the best seats in the house over by the Brooklyn Bridge for the 41^st annual Macy’s Day Fireworks display.  This display is the largest display of fireworks in our nation and celebrates our freedom with the most famous skyline in the world as the backdrop. What better place to be than on a yacht and sitting right under them!?

Listen to the ooo’s and aah’s and watch the sky light up with colorful bursts of light on our NYC 4^th of July Fireworks Cruise.  Sip on Champagne with those that you love and let our most hospitable crew cater to your every need. 

Make your evening as magical as the display of fireworks and step aboard one of our luxury yachts for an evening that you will not forget. 

We all know that the Macy’s Fireworks are something that just cannot be missed and the best place to view them is from the crowd free decks of one of our yachts.  An added little bonus of being on one of our classic boats is that you will also get to see the Fireworks that are set off of the Statue of Liberty!  Two displays of Fireworks in one night!? 

Choose from one of our five different yachts that will depart from Chelsea Piers, Pier 62.  Enjoy our climate enclosed all glass observatory on one of our motor yachts or sit on the open decks of one of our stunning sailboats.  Each of our NYC 4th of July Fireworks cruise will have complimentary drinks (beer, wine, Champagne and soft drinks) and the food will vary depending on which boat you are on.  

Enjoy some live music this summer on one of our NYC Music Cruises!  Whether it be live Jazz or a live Irish Band you can’t go wrong.  Cruise with us out into NY Harbor with a loved one, friends, co-workers or family and have the time of your life whether it be relaxing or dancing the night away. 

The classic Yacht Manhattan II will host our in house Jazz Trio – The Boat Band for a live jazz cruise.  Sip on Champagne and enjoy an evening on the water while our most professional crew caters to you on this fabulous boat ride. Not into Jazz then step aboard for a live Irish Music Cruise. Dance the night away while listening to live Irish music played by the well traveled band: Sláinte!  You may hear anything from classic old Irish tunes, to Dropkick Murphy covers (and anything in between) and are sure to have a once in a life time experience.

Looking for some romance?  Then step aboard the 105 foot schooner America 2.0 for a live Jazz City Lights Sail.  Sit under the star filled sky and listen to tunes by the world renowned Ginetta’s Vendetta.

Which ever cruise you choose, our yachts will give you a whole new perspective of this stunning city and will keep you coming back for more. So sit back and relax and enjoy a NYC Music Cruise while live musicians accompany the evening! 

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Spend this Memorial Day weekend out on the water with us!  Whether you jump aboard for a cruise up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain for some hiking and canoeing or sail with us out to the Statue of Liberty, it is sure to be a fun filled day.  Soak up the sun and the deep history on our Military History Tour as you cruise around this famous Harbor.  Sip on Champagne as you sail aboard one of our stunning schooners.  Start your summer off with joining us on Memorial Day Weekend and cruise into it with style.  

Looking for some other fun things to do? Join us the second weekend of June to kick off our City Lights Jazz sail aboard the Schooner America 2.0 or step aboard the luxury yacht Manhattan II for our brand new Live Irish Music Cruise!  Whatever it is that you are looking to do we will have the perfect solution on one of our cruises. 

 

Time Out NY has listed as one of the best dinner cruises in NYC. 

Time Out gives us a shout out to join us on our Morimoto Sushi and Sake Sunset Sail aboard the Schooner America 2.0 for a magical sunset dinner cruise. 

Sail with us into the sunset as you enjoy top rated sushi for dinner by the Iron Chef: Chef Morimoto.  Watch the sun dip behind the Statue of Liberty and take in the view of the most famous skyline in the world.  Sip on your sake and sail with us for this magical dinner cruise. 

Click here to read more. 

In honor of AIANY and Classic Harbor Line’s ninth season of architectural boat tours, AIANY guides voted on their favorite projects from each of the past nine years. With so many dazzling buildings featured on the architecture tour, this was no easy task!  Join AIANY and Classic Harbor Line this spring and see if your favorites made the list.

 

2010: 8 Spruce Street, Financial District

Still the tallest residential rental building in New York City, 8 Spruce Street is one of two projects by Frank Gehry and Partners featured on the tour. It’s Gehry’s first skyscraper, and it has redefined the downtown skyline. We think the façade’s characteristic stainless steel and furrowed surfaces are particularly mesmerizing from the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011: Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park

Over the course of 25 years, Jane Walentas painstakingly restored this 1922 carousel by hand in her studio in DUMBO. She hired her favorite architect, Pritzker Prize-winning Jean Nouvel of France, to create this jewel box to house the carousel, now installed between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Though it may appear delicate, in 2012 it successfully withstood the surge from Hurricane Sandy. 

 

 

2012: Four Freedoms Park/ FDR Memorial

Originally designed in 1972 by the esteemed architect Louis I. Kahn, this park and memorial to FDR’s famed “Four Freedoms” speech was finally completed posthumously just one week before hurricane Sandy struck in 2012. Located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, the park has become one of New York’s most memorable urban spaces.

 

 

2013: 4 World Trade Center

The second tower to be completed in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, 4 World Trade was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. We’re especially moved by the minimalist glass tower’s quiet deference to One World Trade Center. Look for its immediate neighbor, 3 World Trade Center, designed by Sir Richard Rogers of London

 

 

2014: Governors Island Park

Located opposite Ellis and Liberty Islands, Governors Island functioned as a military outpost for over 200 years. Today, it has been transformed into a new public park and cultural mecca, anchored by its iconic three Hills at the southern tip. We appreciate the way West 8 Landscape Architects’ design has created a new communal backyard for the city. If you haven’t been to Governors Island, the view from the water may entice you after it opens again on May 1.

 

2015: Spring Street Salt Shed

Resembling the faceted makeup of salt crystals, the design of this striking utilitarian structure by Dattner Architects and WXY Architecture directly mimics its purpose. The Spring Street Salt Shed actually stores 5,000 tons of winter salt for the Department of Sanitation New York. It has won numerous architecture awards, and is one of our favorites on the tour. The adjacent service building was also designed by the same team.

 

 

2016: It was a tie!

It’s hard not to recognize these two instant icons added to the Hudson River waterfront. 

 

Via 57 West
Called a trapezoid or hyperbolic parabola by some, Via 57 West is described by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group as a marriage between a courtyard building and a skyscraper: or a “courtscraper”, if you will. It contains over 700 rental apartments; note how the building’s its striking geometry unfolds as the boat passes.

 

 

 

56 Leonard Street
By contrast, the upper penthouses of the luxury condominium tower at 56 Leonard Street in TriBeCa are characterized by distinctive offset glass boxes: no wonder Herzog & de Meuron’s tower has acquired the nickname “Jenga Block Tower.” The unique view from the water of this icon is unsurpassed, and not to be missed!  Look for nearby 180 Leroy Street in the West Village nearing completion also by this Swiss team of architects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017: American Copper Buildings

These unusual leaning twin towers by SHoP Architects on the East River gesture to each other in a playful and unmistakable way that has earned them the nickname the “dancing buildings.” The sky bridge connection contains the resident amenities such as the fitness center and a swimming pool.  Keep an eye on the emerging Domino Sugar site across the river for more fanciful residential buildings by this architect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join us on an AIANY Architecture Tour this spring and see these and other landmarks, and discover some of your own new favorites!

 

 

Our Executive Chef Wendy Crispell gets mentioned in Forbes Magazine as a Top Hospitality Pro!  Wendy has been with Classic Harbor Line for over 11 years hosting our Wine and Cheese Pairing Cruises as well as creating scrumptious menus as our Executive Chef.  She is a wealth of knowledge and a creative force in the wine and culinary world.  She leads with dedication and creates a delicious experience which will keep you coming back for more.  

 

 

 

FORBES: 

Which life-and-career advice do successful pros put front and center? I asked travel-and-culinary mavens for their most meaningful maxims, their guiding-light phrases — and discovered that the simplest mottos inspire greatest strengths. These short (but mighty) behavior beacons have proved essential for the long haul. 

Click here to read more!  

New York, NY (March 26, 2018) Classic Harbor Line (CHL) to kick off 2018 season by adding a new boat and location to the New York City fleet. CHL will continue operating out of Pier 62 of the Chelsea Piers Complex and will begin offering additional cruises departing from North Cove Marina in Battery Park City.     

 

Beginning April 14, CHL’s 54-foot yacht Kingston, a 1920s-inspired, plumb-bowed, fan-tailed Scarano Boat Building design, will be docked at the northeast side of North Cove Marina to kick off the Spring cruising season. Then the newest addition to the CHL fleet, a 65-foot restored 1950s Grebe Yacht, Full Moon, will take over for its inaugural cruise later in the season. Each of these yachts is ideal for up to 40 guests and will feature a bar, comfortable seating and relaxing ambiance.     

 

Perfect for a night on the water with friends, or a private charter for special occasions, the North Cove Marina location offers New Yorkers and corporate groups working nearby a convenient after work meeting point for a Sunset Cocktail Cruise, or if time allows, a One Hour Harbor Sightseeing Cruise offered most days in the late afternoon. “Wow” out of town clients after a meeting or incentivize current employees.

 

Tourists visiting the One World Trade Memorial can take a short 7-minute walk from the museum through Brookfield Place and step aboard one of Classic Harbor Line’s yachts to enjoy unobstructed views of Manhattan’s Financial District, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Some tours will cruise up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges and take in midtown Manhattan icons such as the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building along with Brooklyn and Queens infrastructure.    

 

Yacht Full Moon is the tenth boat to be added to the Classic Harbor Line fleet, which began operating in New York Harbor in 2000 with 1890s-style pilot schooner Adirondack, built by Scarano Boat Building in Albany, NY. Classic Harbor Line also operates in Boston, MA., Newport, RI., and Key West, FL.

 

Scarano specializes in historic looking boats that are built for accommodating guests in comfort and style. It is their combination of the best of old world charm and today’s most advanced, proven technologies that set them ahead of the curve. With teak decks, mahogany trim, and carbon fiber rigging these boats are, by far, unique to their kind. With the craftsmanship of Scarano Boat Building, Classic Harbor Line operates safe, comfortable boats that are sure to impress and meet everyone’s needs.   

 

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Classic Harbor Line expands to North Cove Marina in Battery Park City starting April 2018.  One of the smaller classic wooden yachts from the fleet will offer excursions departing from North Cove throughout the season until October.  Expect to see the 54-foot yacht KINGSTON (1920s-inspired, plumb-bowed, fan-tailed Scarano Boat Building design) or the newest addition to the fleet, a 65-foot restored 1950s Grebe Yacht, FULL MOON.  Each of these yachts is ideal for up to 40 guests and will feature a bar and comfortable seating and ambiance.  Not only are these yachts perfect for a private charter but to enjoy an evening out on the water after work in NY Harbor for a NYC sunset cruise with friends and co-workers. 

What is a Grebe Yacht?

Henry C. Grebe & Company was the successor to Great Lakes Boat Building, which had started in Milwaukee in 1915 and moved to Chicago in 1921.  Grebe was famous for the style and quality of the leisure yachts he designed and built.  It was located on the west side of the North Branch of the Chicago River, just north of the West Belmont Avenue Bridge.  They built their last boat in 1970 but did not finally close until 1994.  

The Grebe yacht acquired by Classic Harbor Line, Full Moon, was a 65 foot production in 1950. Another 65 foot production they completed a decade later, was “Florencia”, later renamed, “Sam’s Place”, which was obtained by the famous actor and comedian, Jerry Lewis.  Jerry used the boat for leisure and relaxing with family in the San Diego area.  This photo of “Sam’s Place” is comparable to the spirit and look of Full Moon once she is fully restored. 

The weather is getting colder, but we’ve got you covered! Cozy up in Classic Harbor Line’s heated, enclosed boats this month, and discover why the waterfront has inspired architects to develop new forms and facades for residential projects.  You’ll have a front row seat as our expert AIA guides explore what has come to be known as New York’s new Gold Coast.

See some of the newest and most talked about waterfront residential buildings in New York City, including:

Via 57 West, Hudson River

Also known as “the Pyramid” or “the Sail,” the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has dubbed this building a “Courtscraper,” alluding to its marriage of a European courtyard and a New York skyscraper. 700 rental apartment units are stacked to maximize views for the residents, and from the exterior it is a dramatic addition to the NYC skyline.

 

160 Leroy Street, West Village

This is the fourth new building in New York by Pritzker Prize winning Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The double curved plan on the west side was inspired by the “curvaceous, seductive and sexy” architecture of the great Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer.

 

56 Leonard Street, Tribeca

Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron at work here again; however, this time the result is a supertall, super slender luxury condominium tower.  The building has already become iconic, and the stacked condominium boxes at the top have endeared the popular nickname “the Jenga Building.”

 

325 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn

The first new residential building as part of the Domino Sugar complex, this project by SHoP Architects of New York offers 30% designated affordable units, and has a distinctive donut hole shape that permits greater transparency to the Williamsburg neighborhood.

 

The American Copper Buildings, East River

This pair of tall leaning towers, also by SHoP Architects are connected by a bridge that contains the shared pool and fitness facilities. The facades have copper cladding on the north and south that will age to an elegant green patina.  The residential towers have already been nicknamed the “dancing buildings.”

As you know Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we have the perfect NYC date idea for the evening.  Step aboard the luxury yacht Manhattan II and enjoy an evening of Champagne tasting with your loved one or your best sidekick bestie.

As you enter our heated glassed in observatory you will be greeted with warm welcoming smiles from our most hospitable crew.  You will fall in love with this glassed in observatory offering unobstructed views of the most beautiful city skyline in the world.   The Manhattan II’s 1920s-inspired design has fine features, including teak decks and mahogany finishes which will set the ambiance of the evening.  

This NYC Valentine’s Day cruise is limited to 60 guests which creates a intimate setting for your evening on the water with us.  We will depart from Chelsea Piers and cruise south on the Hudson River and into NY Harbor.  On this journey you will see the New York City skyline twinkling magically in the darkness of the night.  We will slow the yacht in front of the Statue of Liberty for you to have an opportunity to snap some selfies.  It is a awe-inspiring site to see Lady Liberty standing tall, holding her torch high as it glows goldenly in the evening sky.  The beautiful yacht Manhattan II will then cruise North heading up under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge for more photo opportunities if you like. 

While we are cruising through the evening, a leisurely Champagne tasting will be hosted.

You will be treated to a spectacular variety of Champagnes.

• A champagne crafted cocktail that evokes the golden age of Manhattan
• And American Blanc de Blanc
• A Spanish Reserve Cava
• And a French Champagne

At the end of the cruise you will also enjoy Chocolate Covered Strawberries to compliment the Champagnes.

Join us on this Valentine’s Day holiday evening and have a date night that you will never forget. 

READ MORE AND BUY TICKETS HERE

 

This holiday season, instead of exchanging material gifts with your friends and family, consider gifting an experience. Check out some of our yacht cruises and sailing excursions offered throughout the year for a meaningful gift that everyone can look forward to.  We know you like coming out on our classically-inspired boats, too, so we understand if you call dibs on a ticket for yourself. 

Shopping doesn’t have to be a huge, time-consuming consequence of the holidays that creates anxiety in your life. Remember last year when you stood in the checkout line for hours waiting to make your holiday purchases? Or, if you’re like me, you might recall sitting at your computer after work shopping online and paying ridiculous shipping fees. (We’ve all been there). The time and money spent on finding the perfect clothing item or electronic device during the holidays is astonishing. At Classic Harbor Line, we’re certain that a gift that allows you to spend a couple of fun, relaxing hours with your loved one, friends, or family will be treasured longer than any trinket or trend. 

Our boat cruises are perfect for classic boat enthusiasts, sailors, locals needing to escape the city with a class of Champagne, foodies in search of a 4-course brunch, or tourists looking for a relaxing and comfortable way to see the sights around Manhattan. We make gift giving just like our boats: effortless, elegant and timeless.   

Fast-forward to December: your significant other hands you an envelope with two certificates to an Around Manhattan Brunch Cruise. Now there’s a gift that says “I love you, and I know that you love brunch.” You then write a nice thank-you note and either invite them or your best friend to join you on the water. Find a date that fits into your schedule and call us to redeem your seats.

If sailing is your forte, I highly recommend a Schooner Sunset Sail. Plan a date night any time May through October and relax with a few complimentary beverages while you watch the sunset behind Lady Liberty. It’s an elegant and romantic way to spend an evening together, which is what we call fulfilling.

To purchase your gift certificate, please visit www.sail-nyc.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. Select the “Buy Gift Certificate” tab and follow the instructions to purchase yours online. To redeem, call 212.627.1825 and dial extension 1500 for our Ticket Booth. A representative will confirm your seats and send you a confirmation email.

BUY GIFT CERTIFICATES

 

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

 

New York, NY (October 20, 2017) Classic Harbor Line (CHL) to kick off seasonal NYC holiday cruises beginning Friday, November 17 through December 31. Tickets are available to book now. CHL is located at Pier 62 of the Chelsea Piers Complex where all tours depart.   

NYC is monumental during the holiday season with department store window displays, ice skating at Rockefeller Center and outdoor holiday markets. One of the top ten ways to see the city in November and December is on a Classic Harbor Line holiday cruise in New York Harbor.

The first Holiday Wine Tasting Cruise will be offered on November 17. Guests enjoy a selection of five wines paired with artisan cheese, chocolate or chutney and presented by wine expert Wendy Crispell. As 1920s style commuter Yacht Manhattan cruises along the Hudson River for an up-close view of the Statue of Liberty and other iconic sights along Manhattan’s waterfront, Crispell teaches about how to build the perfect holiday spread fit for any holiday gathering.

Beginning on November 18, CHL offers a four-course Holiday Brunch Cruise on the weekends through January 1. This is a great cruise to kick off the weekend with friends visiting from out of town, or before hitting the streets for some holiday shopping. Enjoy a gluten-free waffle with all the toppings, vegetarian quiche, or kale salad – to name a few freshly made buffet items offered on this 2.75-hour leisurely cruise circumnavigating Manhattan.

Back for a third season, the Cocoa & Carols Holiday Cruise is a favorite among New Yorkers and visitors alike. This cruise is a great fit for families and is sure to get everyone into the holiday spirit. During the 1.75-hour cruise, guests are able to sit back and relax from within the glassed-in, heated observation cabin on Yacht Manhattan or Manhattan II, while the host and live jazz band perform. Sing-a-long or hum to the toons and enjoy a complimentary spiked hot cocoa and homemade sweet treats.   

CHL’s Holiday Jazz Cruise is another popular tour not to be missed during the holiday season. Step into a holiday snow globe aboard either the Yacht Manhattan or Yacht Manhattan II decked out in twinkling holiday garland and poinsettias and enjoy a spiked hot cocoa or champagne on the house. This cruise is perfect for a date night or gathering with friends and family. Sit back and enjoy the music as The Boat Band perform all the holidays classics.   

For sightseers visiting the city, a cruise around New York’s waterways on one of CHL’s classic yachts will be regarded as a trip highlight. Every CHL Holiday Cruise passes by the Statue of Liberty, the financial district and One World Trade, Ellis Island and under the Brooklyn Bridge. Gift Cards are available for purchase online to give a unique and memorable gift. 

So step aboard and enjoy some NYC Holiday Programming with Classic Harbor Line. 

 

New York, NY (November 10, 2017) Classic Harbor Line (CHL) to ring in the New Year with an elegant boat cruise in New York Harbor. Tickets are now available for the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise on Yacht Manhattan II, the newest and most elegant vessel in the CHL fleet. The boat departs Pier 62 of the Chelsea Piers Complex at 9pm and is 3.5 hours long.

 

There’s no doubt that the holiday season is one of the busiest times of year in New York City. People from all over the world gather to shop for gifts, stroll through markets, window peep, ice skate and take pictures at Rockefeller Center. The holiday festivities continue through New Year’s Eve as all eyes are on Times Square on December 31st.

 

CHL’s NYC New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise is a great way for New Yorkers and visitors alike looking to escape the crowds. Dress your best in something classy, chic and glamorous, and enjoy an elegant and exclusive celebration with your significant other and friends. This cruise is the perfect way to kick off 2018!     

 

Guests are greeted with a glass of bubbly as they enter into a heated main cabin with picturesque observation windows. As the boat gets underway, CHL’s own sommelier, Wendy Crispell, will lead a short Champagne tasting. During the tasting, guests enjoy artisan cheeses, charcuterie, smoked salmon, olives, gourmet flatbreads and more, progressing toward more decadent passed hors d’ oeuvres.

 

The boat cruises by lower Manhattan and Ellis Island toward the Statue of Liberty where guests have the best seat in the house for the NYE fireworks show. As midnight approaches, join in on a final countdown, and raise your glass to a prosperous and healthy New Year as fireworks light up the sky! Then, party on as the live jazz trio ‘Boat Band’ plays some holiday classics and cover hits. Hop on the dance floor or sway to the music tableside.    

 

For more information click here. 

Click here for Gift Cards. 

 

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For many, the month of October signals the return of sweaters, fall foliage, and pumpkin spice lattes. But the city’s architecture and design buffs have also been eagerly anticipating Archtober, AIA New York’s celebration of the built environment. In collaboration with the city’s cultural institutions, Archtober fosters awareness of architecture’s role in everyday life through exhibitions, conferences, films, lectures, and the Building of the Day tours. Classic Harbor Line’s Around Manhattan & Lower Manhattan Architecture Boat Tours are the ideal way to glimpse many of this year’s exciting crop of “Buildings of the Day”. Book a ticket on the Luxury Yacht Manhattan II for an comprehensive look at NYC’s built environment and explore the following Archtober highlights from the water.

Highlights include:

-The dramatic transformation of Governors Island from an abandoned ex-military base into a vibrant, resilient and thriving mixed-use destination

-The Woolworth Building’s Tower Residences: Cass Gilbert’s Gothic inspired masterpiece

-56 Leonard Street: Herzog & de Meuron’s daring cantilevered apartments

-The Hills on Governors Island: West 8’s engineered Hills – The Upper Bay’s new destination

-Cornell Tech: This energy efficient campus, designed by an interdisciplinary “dream team”, continues Roosevelt Island’s progressive ideals

-Roy & Diana Vagelos Education Building: Columbia Medical Center’s award winning Diller Scofidio + Renfro design including its Study Cascade

-And while the Archtober Building of the Day tour of Roosevelt Island and Cornell Tech is sold out, you can STILL experience the complex by boat, including “the Bridge,” a first-of-its-kind building bringing academia and industry together to get new technologies and products to market, and “the House,” a residential building for students, faculty, and staff that is the world’s first Passive House high-rise.

So get out on the water this Fall season and enjoy learning about the Architecture of NYC from the perspective of the water. 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Click here to see the Archtober Calendar. 

As I walked through Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood on my way to Classic Harbor Line, I looked at the trees just starting to turn golden shades of yellow and orange, and I realized that despite the unusually warm temperatures the past couple of weeks, summer is long over. Although we do love summer at Classic Harbor Line, we’re excited about the change in season because it means we’re gearing up for some serious leaf peeping around Manhattan and in the Hudson Valley followed by a festive holiday season. 

The Fall Foliage Sail is one of our favorite excursions this time of year. Schooner Adirondack sails up the Hudson River to the cliffs of Palisade, where the crisp autumn air blends peacefully with the vibrant landscape. Wear a scarf and snuggle up with a blanket and hot beverage in hand; then enjoy lunch and complimentary beer, wine, Champagne, or soda. We can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon, and according to our dedicated and adventure-loving crew, fall is the best sailing season.

If a motor yacht cruise more suites your needs, you’ve come to the right place. Think Leonardo DiCaprio and The Great Gatsby era. Our 1920s-inspired commuter yachts are timelessly elegant, featuring teak decks and mahogany trim. Settle in the climate-controlled cabin of Yacht Manhattan or Manhattan II and relax with a beverage in hand while you gaze out the large observatory windows at picturesque trees nestled along Manhattan’s unparalleled waterfront architecture. Circumnavigate the island during a Fall Foliage Brunch cruise, complete with a 4-course buffet and a complimentary mimosa or Bloody Mary. Not to mention the pumpkin-spiced waffles we’ll be serving fresh off the iron.

If architecture calls to you then we welcome you to the AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Cruise. Classic Harbor Line partnered with the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter seven years ago to offer this unique, five-star tour. We truly love the combination of comfortable seating, iconic city views, a complimentary beverage, and a comprehensive narration of Manhattan’s most outstanding structures. Plus, the added contrast of foliage around Manhattan’s waterfront is something to write home about. There’s a reason we offer this trip daily. Check out our little 1920s-style classic Yacht Kingston for an even more intimate Fall Foliage Cruise offered on weekends. 

 

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

Sundays Aug 27, Sept 10 & October 22 – Join us for both the north and south bound cruise or use AMTRAK for the first or second leg of your journey. Each date is scheduled alongside fantastic programming at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck (Use AMTRAK & a car service). A full Brunch is served on our North-bound cruise and a ‘Hudson Valley’ – inspired dinner is served on our South-bound journey. Our dock at the Poughkeepsie Ice house is just minutes from the Walk Way over the Hudson.

Watch the sun begin to vanish from the sky beginning at 1:23pm on August 21, 2017. New Yorkers will have the rare opportunity to see a total solar eclipse, where the moon passes in front of the sun and a dark shadow casts across the earth. The duration of the passing is 2-hours and 37-minutes, with maximum coverage at 2:44pm. Looking for unobstructed views? Classic Harbor Line is offering two schooner day sails in coordination with the full event. Bring your cameras and eye protection as its not recommended to look directly into the sun.

The boats will depart from Pier 62 at the Chelsea Piers Complex at 1:15pm and 1:30pm. During the sail, guests will also enjoy views of One World Trade Center and lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and out into New York Harbor to see the Statue of Liberty. Enjoy 3 complimentary rounds of beer, wine, Champagne, rose or soda from the bar. Guests are welcome and encouraged to bring a light picnic or snacks too.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit our NY Harbor special events. 

There are typically at least two solar eclipses each year, but unlike a lunar eclipse which is visible from anywhere in a night time zone while the eclipse is taking place, a solar eclipse is only visible from certain areas. The last time anyone stateside saw a total solar eclipse was in 1979. After August 2017, the next viewing will be in 2024.

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DISCOVER BOTH CLASSIC & NEW WATERFRONT PARKS WHEN YOU JOIN THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED AROUND MANHATTAN OR LOWER MANHATTAN TOURS!

This summer, join us as we explore these parks (and more) from the unique vantage point of the water:

RIVERSIDE PARK, where the relentless street grid dissolves into landscape at the Hudson River. Learn how Robert Moses’ 1930’s team concealed rail lines and deftly snaked the Henry Hudson Parkway along the city’s edge.

INWOOD HILL PARK & INWOOD COVE

Explore the pre-historic topography of mannahatta along the Harlem River Ship Canal. Densely forested hills and salt marshes evoke visions of the region before European settlement.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FOUR FREEDOMS PARK

Situated at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island and across from the United Nations Headquarters, this four-acre memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrates the Four Freedoms he articulated in his 1941 State of the Union address. Designed by Louis Kahn in 1973 and posthumously completed in 2012, the park stands as an affirmation of our nation’s ideals.

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

85 acres of public and private civic landscape has transformed this area of former shipping piers. Michael Van Valkenberg Associates’ design protects Brooklyn’s new edge with resilient shorelines and acoustical berms.

GOVERNORS ISLAND

In the middle of NYC’s Upper Bay sits an island that was off limits to the public for 200 years. Today, new landscape architecture by West 8 , including four engineered hills, and large-scale sculpture peacefully cohabitate with landmark military structures including Castle Williams and Liggett Terrace.

 

SPECIAL STATEN ISLAND FRESHKILLS PARK TOURS

Join the July 23^rd or October 15^th tour to witness the transformation of NYC’s former 2200 acre landfill into public parkland.  Members of the Freshkills Park’s team join the tour to share their firsthand knowledge of the engineering and environmental policy required to achieve this vast land reclamation project and AIANY guides provide insights on Staten Island’s waterfront infrastructure.

 

Click here to see the NYC Architecture Tours we offer! 

 

Brand new this year are some Jazz Nights in NY Harbor aboard the lovely Schooner America 2.0! This summer, Classic Harbor Line sets sail with the Boat Band!  Join us as we glide past the city lights of Manhattan on the decks of the magnificent Schooner America 2.0.  Enjoy complimentary beer, wine, Champagne and Jazz during the most quiet and calm moments out on New York Harbor.  This NY Harbor city lights sail is one that will instantly relax you after your long day of work and allow you to be in the good company of friends and family.  

Look for Special Alerts on the Schooner America 2.0 City Lights Calendar to attend these special outings with Jazz!

Five Great Bridges of New York

The New York region is an archipelago composed of many islands.  Countless bridges connect them and here are just five that passengers will encounter on our signature AIANY Around Manhattan Boat Tour:

The Verazzano Narrows Bridge

Robert Moses challenged project engineer O.H. Ammann and architect Aymar Embury to make this bridge the tallest, longest, and widest to date.  Completed in 1964 with a span of 4,260 feet, the Verazzano surpassed the Golden Gate by 6o feet.

The Brooklyn Bridge

When the East River froze over, the NYC Commissioners looked to make this the first “Great Bridge,” as author Robert McCollough calls it.  While John Roebling never saw it completed, his son, Washington Roebling, along with his wife Emily, brought the project to completion in 1883.

The Hell Gate Bridge

Currently celebrating its centennial year, this great single arch bridge was the model for the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.  Though attributed to the engineer Gustav Lindenthal, the chief designer on the team was, in fact, the bright, young Swiss engineer, O.H. Ammann.

The High Bridge

The oldest bridge you will see on the tour (completed in 1848), the handsome multi -arched span bridge never carried vehicles.  Instead, the bridge carried much needed fresh water from the Croton Reservoir through the heart of Manhattan.  Today, it carries pedestrians and bicyclists to comprise a sort of High Bridge “high line.” 

The Spuyten Dyvil Railroad Bridge

While the many operable bridges of New York seldom move, there is a real chance you will witness the Spuyten Dyvil Bridge rotate to allow our Classic Harbor Line boats passage through.  This bridge is a center pivot truss-type, seen frequently over the length of the Harlem River.  And just what does Spuyten Dyvil mean anyway?

To find out, and for more in-depth insights and many additional bridges, please join us on the the Architecture, Bridges, and Infrastructure tour offered by Classic Harbor Line and the New York Chapter of The American Institute of Architects.  See the full calendar of tours here.

And for more in-depth insights on many additional bridges, please join us for another tour offered by Classic Harbor Line and the New York Chapter of The American Institute of Architects – our Architecture, Bridges and Infrastructure tour.

See the different variety of tours we offer by clicking here. 

Step aboard one of our luxury yachts for this short and intimate NYC sightseeing boat tour.  This cruise is only 1-hour and is perfect for travelers with little time or a family outing to see the Statue of Liberty! For this Statue of Liberty boat tour we will depart from Chelsea Piers and cruise south along the Hudson River into NY Harbor. Our captain will give narration on  all of the iconic sites that NYC has to offer from the water.  Our crew will cater to your needs and host you with the most professional customer service creating both a memorable and personable experience. Get up close and personal with Lady Liberty and snap your selfies with her as your backdrop or have our crew snap your next family photo for the mantel.  Soak in the sun and take in the most famous Skyline in the world.  The Freedom Tower, Ellis Island, Governors Island and more will all be a part of this Statue of Liberty boat tour.  

 

 

Join the World Ocean Festival June 4, 2017    

Set sail with the inaugural World Ocean Festival on Sunday, June 4 at 12 noon with Classic Harbor Line aboard Schooner America 2.0 or Schooner Adirondack. The World Ocean Festival is a kick off to The Ocean Conference spear-headed by the UN from June 5-9. This newly established annual conference supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14, which addresses the conservation and sustainability of the world’s oceans.

The Festival includes the flotilla in New York Harbor, plus day long activities at the World Ocean Festival Village at Gantry Park in Long Island City. Themes addressed in the conference include climate change, fisheries, pollution and rising waters.  

Be part of ‘march’ on the water by setting sail with Classic Harbor Line. Schooner Adirondack & Schooner America 2.0 will do the first half of the 10-mile flotilla leg (Pier 64 to the Battery), then sail to the Statue of Liberty and back to Chelsea Piers (12:00pm – 2:00pm). A ticket aboard Adirondack is $52 and includes complimentary beverages. Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic on this sail. A ticket aboard America 2.0 is $108 and includes a gourmet brunch spread plus complimentary beverages.

Schooner America 2.0 is the innovative, eco-friendly hybrid sailing yacht created by Scarano Boat Building. The ‘2.0’ aspect of her construction refers to her cutting-edge construction materials and her propulsion system.

In her ‘engine room’ there is a large battery bank system providing electric propulsion. Peel away her hull and rather than finding heavy fiberglass or steel, there is an extremely light and durable 3-layered composite: a sandwich of cedar over balsa core, laminated with an epoxy resin. Rather than a heavy wooden rig aloft, one finds carbon-fiber masts, booms and gaffs. Together, these strengthening and lightening components of construction, coupled with her modernized power-sourcing, America 2.0 is provided with the ability to move through the water more effortlessly, efficiently and with minimal environmental impact. 

Guests aboard either schooner will experience spanning views of Manhattan’s financial district, the One World Trade building, Ellis Island and Governor’s Island, as we sail into New York Harbor for an up close viewing and photo opportunity in front of the Statue of Liberty. Sit back and relax as you take in the sights and enjoy the ambiance of the march! Buy tickets here: Day Sail to Statue of Liberty on Adirondack, or Brunch Aboard Schooner America 2.0.

There will be many photo opportunities throughout this sailing experience. We encourage guests to find Classic Harbor Line on social media and tag us in your photos!

 

Official Classic Harbor Line Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/classicharborlineny

Instagram: @classicharborline

Twitter: @classicharbor

 

Tag #classicharborlineny #saveourocean #america20 #ecoboat #nycbrunch #adirondack

Located in Manhattan’s prime Chelsea neighborhood at the Chelsea Piers Complex, CHL offers top shelf specialty tours and foodie cruises.  Locals appreciate the quality of a CHL boating experience, and tourists “in the know” are aware that Classic Harbor Line is the go-to for an authentic boating trip whether it be a 2-hour sail to the Statue of Liberty, a brunch cruise, or a private charter for a celebration; Guests numbers are kept well below capacity while the food and beverage quality and service is kept very high. 

 

 

Join Classic Harbor Line & AIANY for a Boat Tour with rare views of the city’s waterfront mega-projects. Learn how active infrastructure and perimeter highways are capped and built over to create ambitious mixed-use developments. Members of AIANY’s guide team, including practicing architects, offer insights on architecture, urban planning, and the city’s history throughout the full circumnavigation of Manhattan.

Mega-projects and other active waterfront construction sites, best seen from the water, include:

The West Side’s Hudson Yards, currently under construction atop an immense platform over active rail yards, is the region’s largest private development. Office and residential spires, public space, and plenty of retail will coexist with some of the city’s newest cultural destinations.

Brooklyn’s 1884 Domino sugar plant site is undergoing transformation into the centerpiece of a work-live neighborhood on a scale unknown to “brownstone Brooklyn”. SHoP Architects recently topped out 325 Kent, a “rectangular donut” shaped building, best-appreciated from the unique vantage point of the East River!

Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island is becoming a model for sustainable campus design. Buildings by Morphosis, WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, and Handel Architects incorporate LEED, net-zero, and passive house principles to create and limit energy use on site.

Rockefeller University’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation–David Rockefeller River Campus is nearing completion along Manhattan’s East River. See up close how innovative design and engineering work by Rafael Vinoly Architects and Thornton Tomasetti extended this campus over FDR Drive.

Columbia University’s Manhattanville Campus has begun to rise above Riverside Drive.  The Jerome L. Greene Science Center, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, is the first completed structure among others by internationally acclaimed, award-winning architects that will lead this renowned NYC institution into its fourth century.

A growing menu of architecture and infrastructure tours and private charters are scheduled seven days a week to offer visitors, locals, architecture tourists, design professionals, and students detailed and up-to-date narration.

Click here to purchase tickets

Enjoy some afternoon NYC Memorial Day activities!  Celebrate Memorial Day with us and give honor to those that have served this country.  Sail with us into NY Harbor and view the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower from the water aboard one of our classic boats. 

We have many NYC Memorial Day Activities whether you are a local or visitor.  Step aboard for a NYC Sightseeing Boat Tour or cruise around Manhattan for a AIANY Architecture Tour.  Soak in the sun this Memorial Day by sailing the afternoon away on one of our beautiful schooners or get away for the day and cruise up to Bear Mountain. 

Whatever you choose you are sure to make it memorable!  So grab your friends and family and pick from one of our top 5 NYC Memorial Day activities to enjoy a boat ride out into NY Harbor with our most hospitable crew.  

Full Day Trip to Bear Mountain and Back

Military History Tour of New York Harbor

AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tour

Sailing aboard Schooner Adirondack or America 2.0

Sunset Cruise on Yacht Manhattan

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and we have some fun activities for Mom this year!  Grab Mom and join us on any of our NYC Mother’s Day Cruises! 

We all know that sometimes finding the perfect gift can be stressful but we also know that Moms love quality time with their loved ones and what better way to do that than on one of our classic boats in NY Harbor.  Whether it be a leisurely cruise or educational cruise you are sure to find the right fit for your mom.   So celebrate with us and jump aboard for one of our NYC Mother’s Day Cruises in NY Harbor!

 

For the Foodie Mom:

NYC Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise

Spend the morning with mom and treat her to an Around Manhattan Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise aboard the luxury yacht Manhattan II.  This is the best way to treat mom and enjoy an afternoon together. Soak in the sun and take in all of the beautiful views this city has to offer. This NYC Brunch has a bountiful buffet spread includes fresh baked frittattas, glazed spiral ham, NYC’s best bagels with lox, spreads, and all the fixings to go with them.  A waffle station with berries, upstate syrup and fresh cream, fruit and salad displays, and fantastic pastries and bakery!   

 

For the Adventurous Mom:

NYC Day Sailing and Sunset Sailing

Grab Mom and step aboard our 80 foot Schooner to enjoy an afternoon of sailing in NY Harbor!  Soak in the sun or watch the sun dip behind the Statue of Liberty with a cool beverage in hand and wind in your hair.  Today is a day to honor Mom and create a magical memory and what better way of doing that then sailing aboard this beautiful sailboat!

 

For the Intellectual Mom:

NYC Architecture Tours

Step aboard the yacht Manhattan II for the AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tour.  We will fully circumnavigate the Island of Manhattan with a AIANY Tour Guide giving you the Architecture perspective from the water.  Light hors d oeuvres are offered as well as a complimentary drink.  Not interested in doing a full circumnavigation?  Enjoy a stroll on the Highline and then walk over and join us for the AIANY Lower Manhattan Architecture Tour.  Named one of the “Top three day cruises” alongside the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s tour by The New York Times

 

The Musical Mom:

Sunday Evening NYC Jazz Cruise

Grab Mom and join us for an evening on the water listening to some live Jazz music aboard the luxury yacht Manhattan II. Enjoy each other’s company and sip on Champagne and have the famous NYC skyline as your backdrop for this elegant evening.  Have Mom request her favorites and cruise into the night on a classic boat with us. 

 

Celebrate Mom in style with us aboard one of these NYC Mother’s Day Cruises!

In recent years architects have transformed New York City’s skyline with a slew of new developments. Here are five you cannot miss from our AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tours: 

• One World Trade Center
  • The tallest building in the western hemisphere, the SOM-designed One World Trade Center and its spire reach a symbolic height of 1,776 feet. Don’t miss the nearby 978-foot Four World Trade Center by Fumihiko Maki.
• 432 Park Avenue
  • At 1,396 feet, Rafael Viñoly’s 84-story building with its relentless grid of windows is the tallest residential building in the world.
• VIA 57 West
  • Referred to as a ‘courtscraper’ by architect Bjarke Ingels, the building’s unique tetrahedral shape was designed to provide river views for as many residents as possible
• One57
  • Located on 57th Street, “Billionaire’s Row,” Christian de Portzamparc’s 75-story hotel/residential tower has an easily recognizable curved top.
• 10 Hudson Yards
  • The first completed structure of the Hudson Yards megadevelopment, 10 Hudson Yards by KPF Architects will soon be joined by a number of other supertalls, including a 1,000-foot residential tower, which will surely redefine west midtown Manhattan’s skyline.

To see other projects transforming New York City, be sure to check out the Center for Architecture’s 2017 AIANY Design Awards exhibition, featuring 35 exceptional projects by NYC architects.

To learn about Continuing Education Credits click here.

To purchase tickets for one of our NYC Architecture Tours click here. 

Natural, Organic, Sustainable and Biodynamic Wines and Cheese aboard the motor yacht Manhattan

The next three NYC wine tastings aboard the yacht Manhattan feature very this wildly popular style of wine.  More than one will also be natural wines. Cheeses featured will be either locally produced or from organic farms.

 Just what is natural wine?

Natural Winemakers/Vintners

Most of them have to compromise at some point. Where and why they make that compromise depends on what they are trying to achieve and how much they are prepared to risk in order to achieve it.

So we need to be clear exactly what we mean by natural wine, but, there are no strict laws governing their production.

 A natural wine is a wine made:

• -in small quantities
• -by an independent producer
• -on low-yielding vineyards
• -from handpicked, organically grown grapes
• -without added sugars or foreign yeasts
• -without adjustments for acidity

Most are unfiltered and may be a bit cloudy or contain sediment. Once open they may change and evolve faster than wines containing additional sulfur or additives. All are beautiful, natural, true expressions of the individual vineyards. The belief that wine is created in the vineyard, not the cellar is the backbone of this movement

Wines featured will be from importers specializing in wines created with minimal intervention including Louis Dressner, Rosenthal Wine Merchants and Fifi Imports.

Cheeses will be selected to pair perfectly with each wine. Breads, nuts and dried fruit will also be served to complement our pairings.

Join us for the NYC Wine Tastings on April 22^nd, May 12^th or May 13^th to discover just what makes these wines all the rage in the NYC wine scene.

Purchase tickets for this NYC Wine Tasting here

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A Note about the Author:

Wendy Crispell Over the years she has been an award-winning cocktail specialist, food and beverage manager, chef, restaurant owner, food and wine consultant, contributing writer to wine publications, wine and cheese educator and a designer of unique corporate wine events/outings. Learn more about Wendy on her Sassy Sips NYC blog. 

 

 

 

April 18, 2017 – America 2.0 to sail to Charleston, SC       

Classic Harbor Line’s fastest and largest schooner, America 2.0, will be wrapping up the season in Key West, FL., on May 15 before sailing to Charleston, SC., for the Maritime Tall Ships Festival. Events begin on May 19 through May 21, 2017, and will bring together nine international tall ships offering sailing excursions and boat tours throughout the festival. 

During the 3-day Festival, Schooner America 2.0 will partake in the highly anticipated Parade of Sail with three other sailboats. Bring your camera! The boats will sail by the Historic Charleston Waterfront and up to Riverfront Park for a cannon salute, giving spectators a chance to see each boat up-close and under sail. Looking for a more unique experience? Participate in the Parade of Sail by hopping aboard America 2.0! Tickets are available for purchase here. 

Built in Albany, NY, by Scarano Boat Builders, John and Rick Scarano, America 2.0 joined Classic Harbor Line’s fleet in 2011. She spends half the year in New York City offering public Day Sails to the Statue of Liberty, Sunset Sails and City Lights Sails, along with private boat charters, and the rest of the year in Key West, FL operating beautiful Key West sunset sails. America 2.0 is a tribute to Schooner America that won the first America’s Cup in 1851. Built with cutting edge technology, the materials used to build America 2.0, along with her electric propulsion system, make her an eco-friendly sailing vessel. 

Following the Maritime Tall Ships Festival, America 2.0 will continue sailing to New York City. Her first sail of the season in New York Harbor will be on Saturday, May 27.  

Learn more about this festival by visiting the site: www.tallshipscharleston.com

We hope to see you!!!! 

_______________________________________

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

Classic Harbor Line will welcome back Schooner Adirondack for her 17th season sailing in New York Harbor at the end of April. Her arrival will mark the kick-off to Classic Harbor Line’s sailing season and we couldn’t be more excited to get back on the water! Join us for the 2017 inaugural sail on Friday, April 21 at 6:30pm!

Schooner Adirondack was the first boat in CHL’s fleet and she continues to be a New York crowd pleaser for visitors and locals alike. On Saturday, April 22, we’ll be celebrating Earth Day with two Classic Day Sails and an Evening Sunset Sail. What better way to celebrate Mother Earth then an eco-friendly sail around New York Harbor!

One of CHL’s long standing Captains, Katrina van Zee, says the beginning of each season is always special, “For me the most exciting part is our first trip just after we’ve raised sails and turned the motors off, seeing the city glide by as we make our way to the Statue powered by the wind.” Captain Kat has been working for CHL since 2004 and at the helm of Adirondack coming up on 12 seasons. Although Capt. Kat finds sailing rewarding in all conditions, an ideal sail on Adirondack consists of a southeasterly breeze and favoring current as Captain and crew sail right up to the Statue of Liberty.

Schooner Adirondack’s schedule is full of afternoon and sunset sails offered daily to the public, along with a romantic City Lights Sail offered on Thursday and Saturday evenings through October.

The ambiance on a typical Day Sail Aboard Schooner Adirondack is perfect for families, couples, sightseers and locals looking to escape the city and feel the warm summer breeze out in the Harbor. According to Capt. Kat, “A typical sail on Adirondack is relaxed and laid back as we travel at the speed provided by the wind and current as much as possible. With a brisk southerly breeze, we enjoy the exhilaration of sailing to windward with the wind in our face and the boat galloping along with a windward heel (tilt).” 

What’s new this year on Schooner Adirondack:
Good news for our beer-drinking, artisan-cheese-eating enthusiasts! CHL is bringing back Brews of the Boroughs Sunset Sail this season. Can we get a ‘hear, hear!” On this 2-hour sail, our guests will enjoy four locally crafted brews paired with four artisan cheeses. Relax on deck, take in the sights and watch the crew raise sail as the boat glides toward to Statue of Liberty for a spectacular sunset over Manhattan. Beginning June 6th and offered alternating Tuesdays through September!

Click HERE to see all of the Adirondack Activities. 

_______________________________________

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

Manhattan II Boat Tour from Classic Harbor Line on Vimeo.

AIANY INDUSTRIAL WATERWAYS TOUR TO FRESH KILLS PARK

This tour begins April 16, 2017

For over 50 years, New York City sent their garbage to Fresh Kills in Staten Island.  All their discarded egg shells, old pizza boxes, banana peels, empty milk cartons, used napkins and all other such ‘garbage’ traveled to this coastal marshland along the island’s western shoreline.  By the mid 50s it was the largest landfill in the world and by the mid 80s it was accepting nearly 29,000 pounds of garbage per day.

In 2001, it closed its doors to receiving garbage and began its shut down and ‘mound capping’.  Today, the area consists of four large grass-covered mountains with a central tidal waterway that weaves in between them.  It has also been partially turned over to the New York City Parks Department as this land embarks on a 30-year journey to become the largest park in New York City – – three times the size of central park.  From atop her mounds you can see the New York City skyline and the Atlantic Ocean at the same time.  Wild life, grasses and shrubs are reclaiming the area and on a limited basis, the public is having more and more access to this park as the seasons roll by. 

One day, Fresh Kills Park will be a place that families go to spend their sacred weekend time together.  Couples will go there to exercise, to walk, to fall in love or to ‘just get away’ for a few hours.  Children will go there to play.  This land will have been transformed from being one of the most unpleasant places on earth to being a place society spends their most cherished time.

Come witness one of the most remarkable land reclamation projects in history.  Travel by boat into the heart of Fresh Kills and learn about the design and engineering that have allowed this epic story to take place.  

This 3.25 hour tour is operated in partnership with the American Institutes of Architects New York Chapter and features a special guest guide from the Fresh Kills Park management team.

There are just a few visits made by boat each year and this tour typically sells out.  So get your tickets to the AIANY Industrial Waterways Tour to Fresh Kills Park and enjoy a day on the water with us.  

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

 

 

It’s is just around the corner and tickets are going fast.  Join us aboard the Luxury Yacht Manhattan II for our New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise! We were recommended and in the top 12 places to be by the Daily News.  Click here to read more.  

Click here to purchase tickets! 

New York Harbor on New Year’s Eve

Feliz Año Nuevo! Bonne Année! 新年快乐! Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year! People from all over the world gather to holiday shop, stroll through markets, window peep, ice skate, and take pictures with the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. There’s no doubt that this is one of the busiest times of the year in New York City, and the festivities continue through New Year’s Eve as all eyes are on Times Square on December 31st. Believe it or not, many New Yorkers and NYC visitors are not crowd goers. For those of you looking for an exclusive and elegant celebration this New Year’s Eve, we invite you to join us at Classic Harbor Line.

Back by popular demand, our NYE Cruise is the perfect way to get your party on aboard 1920s-style classic yacht Manhattan II. Wear something chic and glamorous (the boat is heated), bring your significant other and favorite couple, or grab your besties for the ultimate celebration.

We’ll take care of chilling the Champagne, decorating the boat, party favors, music, food, and beverages. You’ll just need to show up looking fabulous and ready to enjoy a memorable evening cruising around New York Harbor as you watch the city lights sparkle.

We’ll start the night off by welcoming guests aboard with a glass of bubbly, followed by a short Champagne tasting. During the tasting, enjoy artisan cheeses, charcuterie, smoked salmon, olives, gourmet flatbreads, and more, followed by some decadent passed hors d’oeuvres.

From Chelsea Piers, the boat will cruise by lower Manhattan and Ellis Island toward the Statue of Liberty where you’ll have the best seat in the house for the NYE fireworks show. Party on as our Live Jazz Trio the ‘Boat Band’ plays some holiday classics and cover hits. Hop on the dance floor or sway to the music at your table. As midnight approaches, we’ll do a final countdown, and you’ll raise your glass to a prosperous and healthy New Year!

____________________________________________________________

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

 

The Holiday Season is upon us and we are taking a moment to sit with Captain David.  Captain David has been with Classic Harbor Line for many years and has worn multiple hats ranging from first mate to full time Captain.  He has gone above and beyond in so many ways but in this particular interview we are tapping into something that he brings to us during this magical holiday season.  His art and his voice.  This year he leads not only as a captain on specific days but as the lead singer on other days for our Cocoa and Carols Cruise.  We take a moment to dig deep into this amazing soul.   

   

Captain David could you tell us a little bit about your journey with Classic Harbor Line?    

I’m finishing up on my 9th season at CHL having started as a part time mate in 2008 then getting my captain’s license in  2011.

 

It is also known that you are a performer and have acted around NYC in multiple performances, could you tell us a little bit about this and your journey as an artist?  

I moved to town in 2006 and performed in several regional theaters before deciding to spend more time at home. I spent time performing in town since but now devote full time to being a captain.

 

When and where did you start performing as an actor/singer?  

I’ve been singing my whole life and theater since my school days.

 

Rumor has it that your range for music is from Opera to Rock and that you have your own band – can you tell us a about this?  

I always enjoyed exploring the extremes of music performance but seemed to have a strong attraction to music of the big band sound. I started my own band back in 1998 in Minnesota and continued performing with it after moving to New York. I had my final performance with the band in June 2015.

 

Not only do you act and sing but you also play a variety of instruments?      

I started playing trombone at the age of 10 and continued through my school years. I played a little guitar over the years.

 

This year you are the lead singer in Classic Harbor Line’s Cocoa and Carols Cruise, what is your inspiration for your performance and could you tell us a bit about the event  (without fully giving it away!)

With our new Manhattan II there was inspiration to bring a new angle to what we had done in years past on our Cocoa and Carols Cruises.

 

What makes this cruise so magical and enjoyable for you and the customers?

It’s a great time to feel a sense of community as we all sing together some of our favorite holiday songs.

 

What is your favorite thing about the Cocoa and Carols Cruise?

I get to perform with some top shelf musicians. Also, “The 12 Days of Christmas” never gets old.

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Nautically unique. Breathtakingly magical. Awe inspiring and unforgettable.

Are you planning to take that beautiful leap into the future with that special someone? This Holiday season pop that magical question aboard the luxury Yacht Manhattan II on one of our classic Holiday Cruises. Let our staff cater to you as you sit and enjoy the city lights as your back drop and have the Statue of Liberty as your inspiration, glowing in the night with her torch held high.

Whether you step aboard for an Around Manhattan Brunch Cruise and sip on Mimosas or you snuggle up at one of our tables to enjoy the Holiday décor as our timeless Jazz band plays, you are sure to give your loved one a memory and surprise that they will tell everyone for years to come.

Your love will be celebrated with class and style yet comfort and intimacy. Pop a bottle of Champagne after that “Yes, Yes I will” and take in the iconic sights that NY Harbor has to offer. Cruise under the Brooklyn Bridge and see the lights twinkle on the water. Take in the Freedom Tower and the Empire State as they reach up high into the sky. Enjoy a quiet moment to reflect with each other as you cruise around this city of inspiration.

Named fourth on Marthastewart.com our boutique yachts are perfect for popping the question or celebrating after! Join us on a public cruise or decide to privately charter one of the yachts and enjoy an evening or afternoon on the water.

The yacht Manhattan II is perfect for the winter season as it is enclosed in a glass observatory, heated and loaded with Holiday décor that will bring the true Holiday Spirit to life: Love.

To start planning or make reservations contact us at 212-627-1825

NYC Holiday Activities

Although we don’t like to skip any holidays (we truly love them all), we also understand the need to plan before the hustle and bustle of the season is in full swing. Our NYC holiday cruises are now available to book! Surprise your special someone for date night, or bring your friends and family visiting from out of town and start celebrating the holidays! Our tours below will make your day feel merry and bright.

Back by popular demand, the Cocoa & Carols Cruise is the perfect way to kick off the season. Classic Harbor Line’s courteous crew will welcome you into the beautifully decorated and heated main cabin of Yacht Manhattan II with large observation windows. As you settle into a seat with a couple of pillows, you’ll enjoy the cozy atmosphere, a hot beverage, sweet treats, and the cheerful sound of a caroler serenading with a Jazz Band into the night under the glow of the city’s lights.

The Holiday Jazz Cruise is a favorite year after year and one not to be missed. Bring a date or a few friends, and sit back with a glass of wine or a steaming beverage as The Sound Waves play all the holiday classics. We promise you’ll leave whistling some tunes with a joyful heart.

For all you foodies, or for anyone into NYC brunching, the Around Manhattan Holiday Brunch Cruise is the ideal combination of our favorite brunch cuisine, sightseeing, and relaxation. It’s the perfect start to a shopping day in Manhattan! Mimosas and mistletoe included.

The Champagne and City Lights Cruise is one of our most romantic and regularly offered trips year-round, which is an added bonus to our holiday cruises. We especially enjoy it during the holiday season when the main cabin is decked-out with holly, garland and mistletoe, and the festive holiday lights along Manhattan’s shoreline are extra bright. Add this to your holiday to-do list and invite a few friends or your closest co-workers for a mini holiday party.

If you’re a New Yorker with friends and family visiting this holiday season, we highly recommend one of these trips. There’s no doubt your visitors will love the unobstructed views of Manhattan’s skyline and the Statue of Liberty. As you cruise around New York Harbor on a beautiful 1920s inspired yacht, you’ll remember why you love the holidays and New York.

For sightseers visiting the city or locals alike, a cruise around New York’s waterways on one of our classic yachts is destined to be the highlight of your day. Bring your Smartphone and snap a selfie with your friends and family. We’ll cruise by Manhattan’s Financial District, the One World Trade building, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and so much more.

For all the company party planners out there, here’s a Hint: Our boats are available to charter for private holiday parties.

 

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

Yacht Manhattan II from Classic Harbor Line on Vimeo.

Harvest Holiday Wine and Cheese Tastings

Here at Classic Harbor Line we host over twenty five different wine tastings a year.  In November and December a number of holiday themed tastings are offered, including this months topic;   Local cheese and paired red wine. 

 

The East Coast is filled with creative cheesemakers including over fifty in New York State alone. Right outside the city in the Hudson Valley are spectacular farms producing goat, sheep and cows milk cheeses. One of my favorite’s Nettle Meadows Farm will be featured at this weeks tasting. Made with a  mixture of cow and goat’s milk  Kunik is a bloomy rind cheese with a creamy, dense center, a mineral finish and an addictive soft paste just beneath the rind.  Paired with an earthy Pinot Noir from Oregon and dried cranberries Kunik is the perfect choice to start a tasting.

 

Also featured will be a sharp aged cheese from 5 Spoke Creamery in Goshen, NY.  5 Spoke crafts over eight cheeses from their own raw milk in a  renovated creamery housed in an over 100 year old barn. Tumbleweed, a cross between a Cantal Fermier (Le Salers) and an aged Cheddar, is a semi-hard cheese that shows its true form after 12 months in the cave. It’s sweet fruity taste shows grassy, onion notes and a sharp piquant finish. Rich reds are the perfect pairing! Also this is a perfect cooking cheese. It will make the best mac and cheese you’ll ever taste!

Other cheeses from Vermont and Connecticut along with a mixture of wines from California and the Pacific Northwest will be paired perfectly along with a pumpkin chutney, crusty breads, honey and dried fruits. This selection will be the perfect addition to your holiday table!

 

In December a special wine, cheese and chocolate and a workshop to teach you how to craft a beautiful display will be featured. Each tasting has new and unique wines sourced from small farms, family run vineyards or small boutique operations. Join us for a unique and educational experience aboard  motor yacht Manhattan. 

 

 

 

 

About the Author: 

Wendy Crispell, Certified Specialist of Wine Executive Food and Beverage Director  Wine and Spirit Educational Trust Certified with Merit, LondonCertified Cheese Specialist, Artisanal Member Society of Wine Educators
Read Wendy’s Award Winning Food and Wine Blog– SASSY SIPS NYC

Classic Harbor Line hosts the “Boat Band” every week to offer a classic style NYC Jazz cruise aboard the Luxury Yacht Manhattan II in NY Harbor.  We took a moment to sit with leader of this Jazz Band; Mike McGarril and get to know him and his journey a bit better. Here is what he has to say: 

 

• Where are you from?  

Kingston, NY

 

• What got you involved in this in the first place with Music?

My older brother played trumpet before me, so I wanted to play an instrument in the school band too. Saxophone seemed like the coolest one I could choose at the time.

 

• Where did you go to school? 

I studied in the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. I completed my BFA there.

 

• What is the name of your band and what’s the origin of that name?  Are you a member of another band as well?  

Our name is the Boat Band. It is an obvious pun, because the only venue we play is out on the water! I also lead a band under my own name, the Michael McGarril Quartet. That is a funk/modern jazz project. And I am a member of two singer-songwriter bands right now led by Michael Persall and Lindsay Dunphy.

 

• Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member and a little bit about them?  How long have you known them?  How did you meet? 

Christian Nourijanian, 28, keyboards, New School/MSM. I met Christian in college because we had a lot of mutual friends, but it wasn’t until a few years later that we started playing music a lot together. I remember being so impressed that he could play organ using his left hand for bass notes. I never had the chance to play with organ players before. He was a perfect fit for the Boat Band, and we have since become musical brothers in a way.

Dustin Kaufman, 29, drums, New School/MSM. Dustin and I began playing music together a lot in college, about 10 years ago. Our playing styles were so similar back then it was like we could predict what each other was going to play! He has since become such an in-demand drummer than I feel fortunate every chance we have to play together.

 

• How long have you been playing with CHL and what is your favorite element? 

The Boat Band have been performing at CHL for over 7 years now. My favorite part is that each week we pick different music to play and that we get a chance to vibe off of the audience.

 

• What are your musical icons/influences?

Our influences aa a group range from jazz masters like Miles Davis, Oscar Petersen, Herbie Hancock, and Stan Getz to more modern artists such as Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. Personally, I am highly influenced by saxophone players including Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker.

 

• Do you play in other venues, when and where? 

The three members of the trio do play as part of other bands from time to time.

 

• Do you have a strict schedule of practice? Where and when do you practice? 

I don’t have a strict practice schedule at all really, I just try to find time between gigs, rehearsals and teaching to keep my playing at its best. The goal is to play several hours every day, so when I do have time for this I am thrilled.

 

• Tell us what instrument you play and how you choose the instrument that you have now.  

I play the saxophone, mostly. I also play flute, clarinet, and a little piano. I chose the saxophone at a young age probably because I remember hearing it a lot on the radio and on albums that my Mom loved to listen to.

 

• What songs do you play most frequently? 

Some of the jazz standards we play the most are ‘I Thought About You’, ‘No More Blues’, ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘Along Came Betty’. We also play ‘How Sweet It Is’ and ‘Boogie On Reggae Woman’ quite often towards the end of the cruise.

 

• Do you write your own music?  

Yes I have been writing music ever since I could tinker around on piano. Some of my latest songs I feature when performing with my quartet.

 

• What is the most exhilarating thing about performing? 

Every show is unique, but I would say that usually falls into two categories. On one hand, when the music is really grooving and people start dancing, I get a lot of satisfaction. That’s how you know that people are feeling what they are hearing. Otherwise, sometimes the crowd is simply very attentive without really showing much visually. But as a performer, you can still tell that people are following along to the emotional side to your playing, which pushes you further.

 

• Do you get butterflies and how do you deal with them?  

I have only gotten butterflies occasionally when I’m playing to a room filled with people I know, especially when there are a lot of heavy musicians there too. In that case I usually close my eyes and try to let go of all distractions. Sometimes it works and sometimes not!

 

• Has your music evolved since you first began playing music?

So much so. At first, my playing usually mimicked whatever I was listening to most at the moment. Since I started writing and performing only originals with my quartet over the past two years, I find that my playing style is becoming much more clear and defined.

 

• What has been your biggest challenge as a musician? 

That’s hard to say. I’ve always found networking to be particularly difficult.

 

• What advice do you have for young performers? 

If you want to be good at anything, you have to immerse yourself in it. Practice is essential. Also, surround yourself with people who have more experience than you.

 

• What are your plans for the future? 

In the near future, I plan on recording an album with my quartet. Long term: become more active writing for other artists.

 

• Where can we catch you performing when not with CHL?

I play at venues like Rockwood, Pianos, and the Studio at Webster Hall with singer-songwriter bands quite often. I’ve also played recently at Bowery Electric and Silvana with my own group, and at Terminal 5 with the band St. Lucia. 

 

• Any last words?  

Come hear the Boat Band! We really go for it, a lot of interplay among the players, and it’s always grooving. Once you hear you’ll understand.

 

About the Musician: 

Michael McGarril:  Saxophonist Michael McGarril has been busy performing in and around the New York jazz scene for the last decade. With his playing described as “a pleasing tone and agile phrasing” (Daily Gazette), Michael has found a nice fit as the leader of Classic Harbor Line’s house band, the Boat Band. He feels equally at home interpreting traditional jazz standards, blowing over R&B and soul grooves, or experimenting with new and original song formats. He recently finished a stint with legendary jazz drummer Charli Persip’s big band, Supersound, contributing to their latest album Intrinsic Evolution. Along with his own group, Michael performs with singer-songwriter Lindsay Dunphy, and can be heard sitting in with many other acts around New York City. Originally from the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, Michael moved to the city in 2004 pursuing a degree at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He has performed with Cuban songstress Xiomara Laugart, jazz greats Frank Wes and Jimmy Heath, and was the opening act at the Belleayre Jazz Festival for two consecutive years for Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea.  michaelmcgarril.com

 

 

 

 

NYC Evening Jazz Cruise with Classic Harbor Line

Cruise New York City’s famous harbor aboard the 1920s style yacht Manhattan while listening to live jazz music by the Classic Harbor Line Jazz Trio, The Boat Band! Learn more about our NYC Jazz Cruise!  Click here to buy tickets

 

 

 

Holiday Jazz Cruise

Step aboard our luxury Yacht Manhattan II in full holiday decor and join us for our romantic Holiday Jazz Cruise.  Enjoy this 1.75 hour cruise with your loved one and a glass of Champagne in hand.  See the city lights twinkle at night as you cozy up for an evening out in NY Harbor aboard a luxury yacht.  Holiday Jazz will take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.  Click here to buy tickets

 

 

Enjoy this 3 hour escape with friends and family aboard these luxury yachts. It is that time of year for sweaters and scarfs!  Join us for a Fall Foliage cruise up the Hudson River with friends and family for a weekend brunch cruise.  Take in the majestic Hudson River as you pass under the George Washington Bridge and cruise up to see the cliffs of the Palisades covered in crimson reds, and vibrant yellows.  Sip on a Mimosa or Bloody Mary and snuggle up to enjoy the heated observatory of the Yacht Manhattan or Manhattan II. 

Click here for Tickets

 

 

Classic Harbor Line launches scenic dining cruises to and from Dutchess County

August 21, September 11 and October 2, New York City and Poughkeepsie 

New York City and Poughkeepsie, NY… Classic Harbor Line launches a new series of cruises this summer and fall 2016 that explore the picturesque Hudson River Valley!  The dates for each one-way passage between Manhattan and Poughkeepsie have been hand-picked to feature Dutchess County events and activities and attractions for fun in Dutchess County, as well as, detailed information on return travel. Each passage will include a 4-course dining experience aboard the 1920s inspired yacht, Manhattan, as guests cruise on the majestic Hudson River!

The NYC to Poughkeepsie Hudson Valley Brunch Cruise will run on Sundays, August 21, September 11 and October 2, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM, departing from Chelsea Piers, Pier 62 in Manhattan.

The Poughkeepsie to NYC Hudson Valley Dinner Cruise will run on Sundays, August 21, September 11 and October 2, 4:00-8:30 PM, departing from 1 Main Street in Poughkeepsie, Waryas Park (floating dock next to the Poughkeepsie Ice House)

Tickets for each leg are $144. Book here.

• Sunday, August 21: Jazz in the Valley at Waryas Park | NORTH BOUND LEG | Enjoy a relaxing 4-course brunch cruise up the Hudson River and a live jazz music event at the Poughkeepsie waterfront park; special discounted jazz tickets with reserved seating are available for purchase with cruise tickets.

 

• Sunday, August 21: SOUTH BOUND LEG | Take a train to Poughkeepsie to enjoy Jazz in the Valley (special discounted reserved seating tickets for purchase with dinner cruise) and waterfront attractions or arrive by10:44AM to meet the Roosevelt Ride for complimentary shuttle service to visit FDR Presidential Home, Library & Museum and Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill in Historic Hyde Park! Advance shuttle reservations required. Then board the Manhattan at 4:00PM in Waryas Park for a dinner cruise to NYC.

 

• Sunday, September 11: Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival | Enjoy a special admission to this annual affair at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. Arrive by boat in Poughkeepsie then take Amtrak to Rhinecliff and a short cab ride to event.

 

• Sunday, September 11: SOUTH BOUND LEG | Take Amtrak to Rhinecliff and a short cab ride to enjoy a day at the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest or a take a train to Poughkeepsie for waterfront attraction; arrive by10:44AM to meet the Roosevelt Ride for complimentary shuttle service to visit FDR Presidential Home, Library & Museum and Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill in Historic Hyde Park! Advance shuttle reservations required. Then board the Manhattan at 4:00PM in Waryas Park for a dinner cruise to NYC. 

 

• Sunday, October 2: Sip & Sweet Farm & Wine Tour | NORTH BOUND LEG: A complimentary shuttle will meet you at the Poughkeepsie dock upon arrival and take you on a Dutchess County culinary adventure. 1:45PM to 6:30PM. The route includes a visit to Crown Maple at Madava Farms and Millbrook Vineyards & Winery (Additional fees apply for optional tour and tasting at each site).

 

• Sunday, October 2: SOUTH BOUND LEG: Take a train to Poughkeepsie and arrive by10:44AM to meet the Roosevelt Ride for complimentary shuttle service to visit FDR Presidential Home, Library & Museum and Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill in Historic Hyde Park! Advance shuttle reservations required.

 

Poughkeepsie waterfront attractions, walkable from the dock include:

 

Walkway Over the Hudson – Visit the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge at 212’ feet over water and 1.28 miles across. Take a five-minute stroll along the Hudson River to Upper Landing Park and ride the glass-enclosed elevator to unprecedented views of the Hudson Valley.

Bridge Music – Notable composer Joseph Bertolozzi rigged the historic Mid-Hudson Bridge with microphones to record sounds for his full compositions. Listening stations on the bridge invite visitors to hear his creations while standing above water and enjoying the nearby views of the Walkway.

Walkway Loop – The loop allows visitors to hike or bike across the Mid-Hudson Bridge to paths on the
river’s west bank, across the Walkway Over the Hudson, and back to Poughkeepsie waterfront; maps available.

Rent a Bike – Leisure Bike Rentals ($8 per hour or $35 per day plus $3 per person for insurance/ helmets included). Enjoy riding over 18 miles of uninterrupted trails on the Dutchess County Rail Trail which includes the Walkway Over the Hudson. Advance Reservations required. Your bike and helmet will be delivered dock side.

Hudson River dining: 

Poughkeepsie Ice House – Enjoy dining inside or al fresco dockside on the Hudson River. River Station – Enjoy dining inside or al fresco with views of the Hudson River. Amici’s – Enjoy Italian dining near the Hudson River.
Mahoney’s Irish Steakhouse & Pub – Enjoy American and Irish fare near the Hudson River.
Shadows on the Hudson – Enjoy dining inside or al fresco overlooking the Hudson; only .7 miles/15 min. walk from dock.

 

Book an overnight stay in Dutchess County! Email [email protected] to learn about special hotel rates.

 

Classic Harbor Line will be offering “Educational Sailing Cruises”  every afternoon at 3:30PM on sailing cruises on the Schooners through the end of September.  Speak up (Teens) and get the opportunity to raise the sails and take the helm of the steering wheel! Learn the basics of sailing as you are gliding by the Statue of Liberty. 

Use online promo code: SAIL10 and receive $10 off your tickets. 

 

 

Are you doing a staycation for Labor Day weekend?  Join us on a number of different cruises this weekend to enjoy your city from the water.  Brunch on a yacht, or sail on a 105 foot schooner.  Grab your out of town guests for an AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tour, or get away for a full day and cruise up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain.  Which ever cruise you choose you are sure to take it all in and relax on this Holiday weekend.  

Click here for a NYC Sailing

Click here for the Best NYC Brunch 

Click here for AIANY Architecture 

Click here for our Full Day to Bear Mountain

 

See what New Yorkers want to do before the end of the summer in NYC! 

Click here to read more about what Ric Addison the CEO from Addison Hospitality Management Group has to say.  

Join us on one of our classic style yachts to celebrate our national independence! Cruise out into NY Harbor and watch these bursts of color twinkle into the night.  Bring your family and friends aboard one of our luxury boats and get a up close view of both the Statue of Liberty and the Macy’s Day Fireworks.    

Food and Drink are included in the price.  

Click here to choose which boat! 

FULL DAY CRUISE TO BEAR MOUNTAIN

 Dates and tickets have been released for our day trip up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park.  Escape the city for the day aboard the luxury yacht Manhattan.  Breathe in the fresh air of the Hudson Valley and spend quality time with a group of friends or a loved one.  When arriving choose your activity whether it be going for a hike, grabbing a canoe or a visit to the zoo .  Food is served on both legs of the cruise. 

BUY TICKETS

 

Fleet Week Harbor Tours Will Feature Historic Highlights and Modern Navy, Coast Guard Ships, May 28-29

May 11, 2016, New York, NY – For the third straight year, Turnstile Tours and Classic Harbor Line are leading a special series of tours that examine the military history of New York Harbor and give visitors a chance to get a waterside view of the Navy and Coast Guard ships in town for Fleet Week.

These 2.5-hour tours will be offered to the public on Saturday, May 28 at 10:15am and Sunday, May 29 at 4:30pm. Departing from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers (W 22nd St & West Side Highway), the tours will be held aboard Classic Harbor Line’s beautiful wooden motor yacht Manhattan. Tickets are $68 per person and include a free drink and light hors d’oeuvres. World War II-era veterans and defense workers are invited to attend the public tours for free, and discounts are available for veterans and active duty service members.

The public can purchase tickets at turnstiletours.com or sail-nyc.com, or by calling 212-627-1825. Advance purchase is recommended.

These special harbor tours will be led by Andrew Gustafson, Vice President of Turnstile Tours, head of Turnstile’s public programming at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and creator of the public tour, “The ‘Can-Do’ Yard: The Brooklyn Navy Yard in World War II,” offered monthly in partnership with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92. Andrew also led a tour series in 2015, “Brooklyn Waterfront: Past & Present” about the area’s industrial history and contemporary development. Andrew’s voice will be complemented by a selection of oral history recordings from the Brooklyn Navy Yard Archive, collected from sailors, shipyard workers, and merchant mariners that help to bring stories of the harbor at war to life.

Until very recently, New York Harbor was a major military port, home to shipyards, bases, and embarkation points that served American forces across the world. This tour will focus especially on World War II, when the harbor sent 3.2 million troops and 37 million tons of supplies overseas, and 39 shipyards built and repaired vessels for the war effort. Factories making garments, machinery, and food shifted production to make uniforms, weapons, and rations. And the bright lights of Times Square, even the Statue of Liberty’s torch, were turned off to protect ships from submarine attack (the silhouettes made excellent targets for lurking U-boats).

The first stop on the tour will be to head up the Hudson River to pass by USCGC Katherine Walker, US Naval Academy Yard Patrol Craft, three vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy, and the massive amphibious assault ship and helicopter carrier USS Bataan, the largest Navy vessel to participate in Fleet Week New York for several years. We will also stop by the USS Intrepid to discuss its wartime service and repairs and upgrades conducted at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. From there, we will head south, past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to Bayonne, NJ, where a former Naval shipyard still repairs ships today, and troops and supplies were embarked from World War II to Desert Storm. Skirting the Staten Island shore, we will see the USS Fort McHenry and USS Shamal at The Sullivans Pier, named for the five Sullivan brothers killed aboard the Kearny, NJ-built cruiser USS Juneau in 1942.

Heading up the Brooklyn shoreline, we’ll examine sites like the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bush Terminal, and the piers and shipyards of Red Hook, and see the vessels berthed at the Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal, including destroyers USS Bainbridge and Farragut, and the Coast Guard Cutter Forward. We then head under the Brooklyn Bridge and into Wallabout Bay, site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The country’s busiest shipyard during World War II, BNY built 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, and 8 tank landing ships that participated in actions across the globe, while also repairing more than 5,000 vessels. This is also the yard that built USS Arizona, sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and USS Missouri, the site of the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945 – two ships that form the bookends of America’s involvement in World War II. Our final stop will be to skirt Battery Park, home to many important World War II memorials, including the Merchant Marine Memorial, honoring the 9,000+ US merchant seamen killed in the war. ****

Contacts: Andrew Gustafson, Vice President, Turnstile Tours • turnstiletours.com [email protected], (347) 903-8687

Sarah Pennington, General Manager, Classic Harbor Line • sail-nyc.com [email protected], (212) 627-1825 x1501

Turnstile Tours creates and operates unique, rigorously-researched, engaging tours and public programs in partnership with non-profit organizations and cultural institutions that bring together out-of-town visitors, community residents, and people of all ages and abilities. Turnstile is a Certified B-Corporation, and New York State-registered Benefit Corporation, and has committed to contribute at least 5% of all ticket sales to designated non-profit partners. Current programs include several different theme-based public tours exploring the past and present of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, public tours of the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Food Cart Tours exploring the street food scene in Manhattan’s Financial District and Midtown, and tours of the Lower East Side’s Essex Street Market and Brooklyn’s Moore Street Market. Classic Harbor Line is a national company with a collection of turn-of-the-century style schooners and motor yachts operating in New York City, Boston, Newport, RI, and Key West, FL.

Classic Harbor Line offers the alternative to typical sightseeing boat tours, with most tours on eco wind-powered sailing schooners that are never over-crowded. In its home port of New York City at Chelsea Piers, Classic Harbor Line offers unique programming, with special cruises like the critically-acclaimed Official AIA-NY Around NYC Architecture Tour, Morimoto Sushi & Sake Sail, and full-day trips to Bear Mountain. Classic Harbor Line’s parent company and maker of all the yachts is Scarano Boat Building in Albany, NY, where all boats are made proudly using only American-made parts.

Buy Tickets Here

After difficult sailing conditions on Saturday, Sunday turned out to be a spectacular day for the 2016 America’s Cup(at least for us viewers). On Saturday, we attended via the official media boat and on Sunday, thanks to Classic Harbor Lines, we were able to get in on the three races Sunday afternoon very close to the action in New York harbor. The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy historically, named for the schooner that won the first regatta in 1851. Winners host the event the next time, and as such the New York Yacht Club hosted the race from 1851 to 1983 (with some years in between with no races) when it lost to the Royal Perth Yacht Club of Australia. In 1920 the race was moved to the Newport Yacht Club, making it 85 years since the race was hosted in New York harbor. Read more here. Click here to see more of Untapped Cities photos!  

The America’s Cup races return to New York City for the first time since 1920. This May 6, 7 & 8, New Yorkers will be able to see sailing matches right here in New York Harbor just off Battery Park City.

Warm ups happen on Friday May 6 and official points – counting matches occur Saturday and Sunday Afternoon May 7th and May 8th. This racing weekend counts for one of the six events scheduled in 2016 that counts for the 2017 Cup. Presently the US Team – Oracle holds the trophy – winners of the 2013 America’s Cup.

The history of the America’s Cup is very significant to New York City and to Classic Harbor Line.
It was the New York Yacht Club who sponsored the build of the very first Schooner AMERICA in 1851. The US was challenged by England, in conjunction with the first World’s Fair, to build the fastest sailing vessel. The New York Yacht Club responded with Schooner America and prevailed.

Today, Classic Harbor Line’s Schooner AMERICA 2.0 is a tribute to the original Schooner AMERICA. Designed for speed and elegance and sharing the same lines and scale, guests can sail aboard a true performance schooner aboard AMERICA 2.0. AMERICA 2.0 was designed and built by Scarano Boat building in 2011 – an affiliated company of Classic Harbor Line – as are all the boats in the Classic Harbor Line Fleet.

Classic Harbor Line will be on the water both days with tickets available for viewing the races.

Photo shows the US Team Racing Vessel ORACLE, and Schooner America, a 1995 design and build also by Scarano Boat Building.

www.classicharborline.com www.scaranoboat.com

PRESS CONTACT: WILL CANDIS [email protected]

**** For the Month of May 2016. Follow Classic Harbor Line on Twitter and Facebook to be alerted of HIGH WIND DAYS such that you can be able to participate in high-speed performance sailing aboard Schooner America 2.0 and Schooner Adirondack.  We will alert our followers anytime we have forecasts of 18 MPH winds or greater! 

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Join any day sail in April or May for the best chance of high wind sailing. Additionally, follow us on twitter for alerts when we have days with sustained winds of 18mph or more. 
Either a NYC day sail on Schooner Adirondack or Schooner America 2.0 NY Harbor sail will be equally thrilling as both boats are designed for speed and comfort.

 

Take a journey to Albany NY and Scarano Boat Building to see how Yacht Manhattan II was constructed.  

Scarano Boat Building and constructing the yacht Manhattan II from Classic Harbor Line on Vimeo.

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day Weekend with your special someone on Classic Harbor Line’s Champagne and Aphrodisiac Pairing Cruise in New York City!

As you cruise on the Yacht Manhattan II, you and your loved one will be able to take in all the romance the lit-up New York City skyline has to offer while cuddling up and staying warm in our climate controlled observatory. This cruise has limited capacity to create a intimate, cozy and quiet city lights cruise.

You and your guest will be treated to a spectacular pairing menu consisting of four hors d’ oeuvres that are sure to entice. Champagnes and Sparkling Wines will be expertly paired with the following ‘aphrodisiacs’:

Purchase tickets here.

Yacht Manhattan II is the perfect venue to host your company Holiday party.  This yacht will hold up to 100 passengers depending on your needs.  For smaller and more intimate family Holiday gatherings the Yacht Kingston is perfect for for up to 30 guests.  These vessels will be decked out in Holiday decor and will get you into the spirit of the season.  To check out our private charter rates click here. 

If you do not need to host a holiday event and you just want to come out and join us for one of our Holiday Cruises you can pick from our Cocoa and Carols or Holiday Jazz Cruise, Holiday Brunch Cruise or the Holiday Wine Tasting.  Click here to check and see what we have going on.  

‘Archtober’ (through Oct. 31) This monthlong celebration of architecture and design continues with lectures, tours and other events at locations around the city. Presented by the American Institute of Architects New York and the Center for Architecture — with the participation of 50 organizations — the series includes boat tours around Manhattan, an urban film series at the Guggenheim Museum and walking tours. A schedule is at archtober.org. Brochures are also available at the Center for Architecture, 536 La Guardia Place, Greenwich Village, (212) 358-6121.

 

Click here to read more!

We all know that New England is known for its famous seasonal fall foliage change, but we must not forget the stunning Hudson Valley. Experience what it feels like to glide through the Hudson river and take in the rolling hills of its brilliant fall colors. Not only will you take in the beauty of nature but you will pass by iconic landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, the Cloisters, the Palisades, the Little Red Light House and the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Click here to view our Hudson River Fall Foliage Cruises

Hudson River Cruise on October 17 Benefits Rocking the Boat

On this two-hour tour of the Hudson River, guests not only treat themselves to a wonderful experience aboard the Schooner Adirondack but support one of Classic Harbor Line’s favorite non-profit organizations in the process!  Rocking the Boat runs an innovative and impactful program for South Bronx youth, teaching them to build, row, and sail traditional wooden boats as well as use them to undertake environmental research projects that are helping to restore the Bronx River.  At Rocking the Boat’s seventh Rocking Manhattan fundraiser, 100 people will be raising money and rowing 10 Whitehall gigs around the island.  You can participate, too, by buying a ticket on Adirondack, which is serving as the event’s spectator boat.  Eat oysters courtesy of Down East Seafood, drink, and be merry as you cheer on the Rocking Manhattan rowers down the final stretch of their 30-mile journey.  Event details: Depart Pier 25 at 4 pm, return to Pier 25 at 6:15 pm.

Click here to purchase tickets! 

This tour features two itineraries in rotation with a guest speaker on each! Get an in depth waterfront view of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and several other key waterfront sites as well as a close pass by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. 

The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (9/12, 10/3) is an organization working to create a bicycle and pedestrian pathway along the waterfront to facilitate transportation, recreation, and waterfront access, and provide much-needed green space and water management infrastructure. BGI’s board chairman Michael Cairl will be joining the tour on October 3.

Nathan Kensinger (8/8, 9/26) is a photographer and filmmaker who has been documenting stories of the abandoned and industrial landscapes on New York City’s edges for more than a decade, combining haunting photography with rigorous research and reporting. His work has been featured at Brooklyn Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, and BRIC, and he is the co-creator of the art project the Newtown Creek Armada.

Noah Chesnin (8/22) is the Policy Program Manager for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Seascape Program. Working out of Coney Island’s New York Aquarium, Noah will share his work on studying fisheries of the New York region, looking at both the historical impacts of fishing and the health of our maritime ecosystems today.

New York Environment Report (8/15, 9/19, 10/10) is a non-profit news outlet founded in 2014 to do in-depth, public interest reporting on the critical environmental issues affecting New York City and State. We will be joined by NYER co-founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Crean and managing editor Emily Manley, who will discuss their reporting on resiliency, water quality, and marine ecology.

Tickets: $54 & $34

Classic Harbor Line will be starting new service out of Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina. Starting July 14, catch a 2-hour Sunset Sail on the Schooner Adirondack on Sunday or Tuesday evening or an Around Manhattan AIA tour aboard the Yacht Kingston on Sunday afternoon. Short harbor tours are also available Friday and Saturday for the family, the office or a little date night.

Of special note is a tour that will feature a special Brooklyn waterfront-inspired tour done in partnership with Turnstile Tours. Check out the Brooklyn Waterfront Tour: Past & Present every Saturday starting August 8th, 11 AM-1 PM aboard the 1920s style yacht Kingston. The Classic Harbor Line team is your host and Turnstile Tours is your guide. This series will feature a rotation of Brooklyn waterfront themes including: the past & present of Brooklyn’s industrial waterfront; the history and future of Brooklyn’s food production and distribution; and several other rich themes the drape this dynamic edge.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina pick-up point is between Pier 5 & 4, near the end of Joralemon St. To purchase tickets for a Brooklyn departure, you must do so online in advance: www.sail-nyc.com, or call their ticketing agent Fareharbor: 212.913.9991. To book a private event with Classic Harbor Line from Brooklyn, please call their main office: 212.627.1825

PR Contact: Will Candis
[email protected]
212.244.6018

New York

On a breezy morning in November, a handsome 1920s-style yacht came to a brief stop in the choppy waters off Lower Manhattan — the perfect opportunity for our group of 15 or so passengers to jump up from our comfortable seats and crisscross the glassed-in cabin, cellphone cameras poised.

In every direction, an icon loomed. Just to the south was the Statue of Liberty, not some tiny figure in the distance, but 225 tons of copper, steel and iron outlined against the cloudless sky. Closer in, Ellis Island basked in the sun, its main building a Beaux-Arts-style wonder of arches and towers and cupolas — “a symbol of the public grandeur that awaited immigrants,” as the architecture critic Paul Goldberger once put it.

But it was the silvery skyline of Lower Manhattan that held our attention. We edged in for a closer look, as John Kriskiewicz, an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, spoke into a microphone: “Lower Manhattan is the oldest part of the city, but also where some of the newest architecture is.”

Such observations — and he offered several — made it easy to think of the city as a palimpsest, a place where the old makes way for the new, but never really gives up the ghost. We had already sailed past a few examples: industrial buildings transformed into apartments and offices in West Chelsea; a derelict freight line reimagined as the High Line. And now, standing before us was One World Trade Center — at 1,776 feet the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Not only was it an homage to what stood there before Sept. 11, 2001, but it was also an indirect reference to a building the Trade Center towers above, the nearby 40 Wall Street, an Art Deco beauty that was itself built to break records as the tallest building in the world some 85 years ago.

The insights offered by Mr. Kriskiewicz, who also teaches architectural history at Parsons the New School for Design and Yeshiva University, are what made this excursion around Lower Manhattan a genuine learning experience. It is one of several tours organized by Classic Harbor Line and the New York Chapter of the A.I.A. (The newest, a cruise through the waterways of Fresh Kills Landfill, is scheduled to begin in April.) All tours are guided by A.I.A. members, all depart from Chelsea Piers (later this year some cruises will depart from Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina), and all are aboard motorized yachts that offer an experience that is, according to the cruise line’s website, “wrapped in turn-of-the-century tradition.”

Indeed, our 80-foot-long vessel, the Manhattan, did possess a certain nostalgic elegance. If you have an hour and a half and $46 to spare, you, too, can sit back in the climate-controlled cabin, with its teak floors and Oriental-style carpets, and sip a free glass of wine or Champagne as the urban landscape slips by. Passengers can also venture onto the deck, not an appealing option on that chilly fall day. Our group of tourists and New Yorkers opted to stay inside, listening to Mr. Kriskiewicz as we sailed from Chelsea Piers up to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, then back down the Hudson River, around the southern tip of Manhattan, and into the bustling East River, with its ferries and sailboats and helicopters buzzing overhead, before turning back the way we came.

Along the way, Mr. Kriskiewicz pointed out various enigmas and oddities: The purpose of those towers above the Holland Tunnel? To house the fans that ventilate carbon monoxide so drivers don’t choke when they drive beneath the Hudson. At 200 11th Avenue in West Chelsea, designed by Annabelle Selldorf’s architectural firm, “you can drive into an elevator and park in your private sky garage.” At South Street Seaport, the tall-masted ships docked there reminded Mr. Kriskiewicz that the word “skyscraper” was once used to describe the masts. It wasn’t until the late 19th century, said Mr. Kriskiewicz, that the term as applied to buildings appeared in print. Making our way back around Lower Manhattan, we again took in the crowd of multigenerational buildings that seemed to jostle right up to the edge of Battery Park, as if vying to get the best view of us. It was an oddly intimate encounter with the ever-evolving metropolis — the kind of encounter best experienced from the water, preferably with the insights of someone like Mr. Kriskiewicz ringing in your ear.

Departing from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers (West 22nd Street and the Hudson River), the 90-minute Lower Manhattan Architecture tour, offered by the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and Classic Harbor Line, is available from April to mid-November. Tickets, $46 for adults, $32 for students. For information on this and other architecture- and infrastructure-themed cruises, visit Classic Harbor Line, sail-nyc.com.

SUZANNE MacNEILLE

Classic Harbor Line is paying it forward and  offering “Hidden Sailing Trips” similar to “Hidden Cash NYC” starting  Sat July 5th and culminating on  Sat July 12th City Of Water Day.  Every afternoon at 12 NOON several clues will be tweeted out on  the location of 3 envelopes that contain 2 free tickets (a value of $104) for a day sailing trip on Schooner America2.0 via @ClassicHarbor.  The envelopes will be hidden around public spaces in Chelsea and finders must tweet a photo of them with envelope at location to redeem the free sails. We want to encourage New Yorkers to get out and enjoy the waterfront and enjoy sailing.  Envelopes will be hidden around iconic Chelsea locations like the High Line, Chelsea Market, A Chelsea Art Gallery, Hudson River Park, Chelsea Piers. Manhattan is an Island & we are hoping to get more people out on the water this summer.   Classic Harbor will be giving away 42 sailing tickets for a total of $2184.  Tickets can be redeemed on the day the winner finds it and up to 30 days after.

So get your running shoes on and get out there to find your tickets.  This hot weather is the perfect time to get out on the water to cool down and what better place to do that but aboard the Schooner America 2.0!  Set sail on this magnificent 105 foot schooner with a glass of Champagne in hand and the wind in your hair.  We look forward to having you!  Happy Hunting!