…and some unusual ways to enjoy it.

By Nancy Mandell

Did you know that you don’t have to pack your bags, stop the mail or kennel the dog to enjoy a spectacular summer cruise in this city? Of course you’re aware of the Circle Line offerings that ferry tourists around the island and the Spirit Cruises from Chelsea Piers that gussy up the trips with buffet meals and loud music. But how about a liesurely sail up or down the Hudson and East Rivers on historic ships that combine offshore breezes with a whiff of maritime history?A company called Manhattan by Sail (MBS) may be just what you’re looking for…especially with senior tickets starting at $35 for 90 minutes on the water.

MBS sails two unusual vessels, the 82-foot schooner Shearwater, the city’s only floating designated landmark with room for 48 on board, and the topsail schooner Clipper City, a 158-foot long replica of lumber-hauling schooners of more than a century ago that accommodates up to 144 passengers. On a typical day, the sailing schedule might include public sailings on the Shearwater, which departs from the North Cove Marina at 12:30 and 2:45 p.m. and a private charter from 7 to 9 p.m. The Clipper City schedule for last Monday, for example, was 2:15, 4:30 and 7 p.m. with departures from Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport.

While the Clipper City was built in the 1980s from plans purchased from the Smithsonian, the Shearwater is actually celebrating her 80th birthday. Hand-built from native hardwoods in 1929, the Shearwater is a throwback to the yachting era fortunes and lifestyles of the rich and famous—Gatsby among them! She has been exposing sailors to spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline for almost a decade.

The Clipper City may be a less intimate experience, but with masts and rigging reaching up 120 feet from the deck, it makes for an imposing and majestic voyage. And since it was designed specifically to accommodate passengers rather than lumber, the spacious decks provide plentiful seating, there is a full bar amidships and the raised quarter deck back aft is perfect for photographs of New York City and the harbor.

For reservations and information, email reservations@manhattanbysail.com or call (212)619-0907 or (800)544-1224.

Tags: Nancy Mandell, New York, outdoors, retiring well in New York City

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