Who sails the boat?
The base rate includes the Captain who will sail the boat for you. If you are interested, he can instruct you about some of the basics of sailing and invite you to help with some of the tasks. Otherwise you just sit back and he or she takes care of everything.

Does the rate change based on how many people come?
The base rate you pay us is the same, whether there is one passenger, or as many as six. Obviously, that means if you have a group that is sharing the cost, then having six people reduces the cost each of you has to pay.

How many people can the boat accommodate?
Six is the maximum number of passengers that can be accommodated comfortably, not including the Captain.

How does payment work?
Upon reserving a charter, you will be asked to make a deposit online, through Paypal, for 50% of the price of the charter. Balance of payment can be made by check or cash or credit card (via online) the day of the charter.

If you cancel within 48 hours of the charter, there is no refund. More than 48 hours before, there is a full refund. If the forecast indicates bad weather (rain or storms) and you choose to postpone, you are automatically rescheduled for another date of your choice, subject to availability. If the date you want is not available, or there is no alternative date that is acceptable to you, you get a full refund.

Depending on which marina I you are picked up, there may be an additional charge which is paid directly to the marina for "pick-up and drop-off." Usually that is $50 but for some marinas it is more or less.

A gratiuity for the Captain is customary but not required.

What kind of sails do people go on?
Most people choose to go out on afternoon or early evening sails for anywhere from 2.5 hours to 8 hours. Overnight trips or longer can be specially arranged.

Where would we sail?
In terms of the itinerary, we tend to take people out and sail around the area south of the Battery (the southern tip of Manhattan), past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (many people are excited to see it up close), and then down past Governor's Island and Brooklyn towards the Verrazano Bridge. If people want we can take them up the East River under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges; for this part of the trip we would use the engine (which is still very pleasant) since there is less room to maneuver under sail. We can also motor, and sometimes sail, depending on the wind and tide, up the Hudson towards the George Washington Bridge. Obviously, the longer charters allow one to go further -- the 6 or 8 hour sails allow one to go under the Verrazano, out past Coney Island, or over by Sandy Hook, and even anchor for a swim or just to have a calm meal.

Does the Captain act as a teacher or tour guide?
Depending on people's interest, and who the Captain is, he or she can act as a mini-tour guide, pointing out features of the skyline, or can teach people a bit about sailing and give them a chance to participate in sailing the boat.

Can we bring our own food and drink?
For the time being yes. However we will be developing a reasonably-priced catering menu within the next month. If you have a unique item you wish to bring (for example, a cake for a birthday), that is fine.

What are people looking for when they go on a sail? Are there different packages for different activities?
While we are still in the early stages of developing this business, we have found that there are several categories of charters we tend to see. Within the next month we will be developing "packages" linked to these different activities.

– Couples wanting a romantic cruise or to celebrate an anniversary
  (We also had three engagements last year)
– Friends taking someone out on his or her birthday
– A going-away party for someone leaving town
– Corporate "teams" that have an expense budget for social events together
– An intimate tourism-oriented trip for friends or relatives visiting from out of town
– Special events in the Harbor
  (going out to see the Tall Ships, Queen Mary 2, forth of July fireworks, Gay Pride)