A slight breeze in my face, the sun shining in the west, as I boarded a 38-foot charter yacht on a recent Sunday. The weather hovered in the 70s all day, and the evening showed little sign of the face. The water is the calmest it’s been in weeks, our host explained how lucky my friend and I were today.
But I wasn’t anchoring near a beautiful reef in the Caribbean or hanging out on the Med. Instead, I was heading to Lady Liberty on a water cruise around Manhattan with a friend.
The company, which has been offering experiences on the water since 2012, is a combination of Uber Lux and Airbnb for the high seas. Click on Boatsetter.com and you will find hundreds of boats that are available for rent. The brand connects you, the charterer, with qualified boat owners and captains. It’s an insured peer-to-peer service that offers a variety of cruises, from a week’s yacht charter in Greece or the British Virgin Islands to an evening cocktail cruise to see Manhattan from the water. Adventures are easy to navigate with fingertip access.
Before a boat can be listed on the site, Boatsetter has a set of requirements that owners must meet, including making sure the boat is properly insured and agrees to carry the legal number of passengers. . Like Airbnb, many boat operators list their vessels to offset the costs of ownership.
As for our ride, the plan was to go up and down the West Side, exploring the sights from the tip of Manhattan to 74th Street. To be honest, I arrived at Chelsea Piers with moderate expectations. Being a New Yorker, I was familiar with the West Side and wasn’t sure how the water view would change it.
“People rediscover the magic of New York when they’re on the water,” said Amal Salama, owner of Big Apple Charters, NYC’s only women-run charter company. Salama, our host and captain for the evening, apparently could count mind reading with her boat handling skills.
The magic began to filter in as we motored from Chelsea Piers to the Hudson. Our three-hour visit (comparisons with “Gilligan’s Island” immediately came to mind) was courtesy of the cruisers yacht 38 GLS, named It’s a good boat for cruising the Hudson — big enough for a small crowd and serious waves, but not too big to navigate tight spots.
The evening journey was above all comfortable. Manhattan’s skyscrapers were a beautiful gold in the setting sun, while the gentle motion of the 38-footer lulled us into the comfort you only get on yachts—that Long Island feel. The Great South Bay was awakened by many summers spent swimming. It was the first time in a while that I had a pleasant—usually limited to romcoms—“wow, I actually live here” moment about the good ol’ Big Apple.
This trip, my first charter, was very different from the boats of my childhood. A cheese board sat in neat display near the stern, along with bottles of wine and water. (You can also bring your own food and drinks on board, though be aware of their spillage potential.) Salama catered to every desire — as most good concierges do — during a leisurely trip to the West. Let’s drop facts about Hutton’s historical sites and history. With two boats in the side fleet, she has become an expert on local waters and a specialist in crafting fun rides.
After spending a few hours north and then south, we slowly passed Liberty Island, getting as close to the Statue of Liberty “without flagging the Coast Guard,” Salama said with a laugh. We managed to get close enough to make out the shapes of Lady Liberty’s face. After circling the island, Lower Manhattan opened up before us, giving us a fresh view of the dramatic landscape of the Financial District. It is much more pleasant to look isolated on the water than to walk through the narrow crowded streets of Wall Street.
Our captain navigated the waves, a bit choppy but manageable, as my friends and I stood at the bow. Soon, we turned the wheel, marveling at how many fish were hanging below us on the fish finder.
As mentioned, Boatsitter’s cruises aren’t limited to Manhattan: the website lists more than 50,000 boats of all sizes and classes in more than 700 destinations worldwide. The brand estimates that 10 percent of its business is “Bootsetter LUX,” an upscale experience booked by its concierge team. More often, they are advanced adventure multi-day charters.
Uberization of boats extends beyond Boatsetter to other companies such as Clickandboat.com and Getmyboat.com, but Boatsetter seems to have the largest share of listings in the US. With Memorial Day officially marking the start of the boating season, expect these sites to be even busier.
The booking process — and all communications — are handled through your Boatsetter account. For our vessel, after the owner approved our date, we signed a waiver and a charter agreement, as well as registering how many people would be on board. After that, it was a matter of showing up at the marina.
The price of your ride varies depending on the time of year, the ship and the duration of the trip. Note: For a group of 6 or less on this ship, the captain’s fee is included in your total price, but for a larger party, you will have to pay an additional fee of $70 per hour, as you will have to captain yourself. need to be hired (a process that the Big Apple Charter would help with, but is still an added hassle). For us, the $2,084 sticker price was worth the quality of the cruise.
As dark storm clouds loomed over New Jersey, our captain got us back to the marina before the rainy day turned wet. As we neared the shore, I was disappointed. “People move on, and they don’t really want to get off,” Salama said, rereading his mind.
But for three glorious hours, that old New York magic had found its way back into my idle heart. I was happy to let it go in until my next trip.
Credit : robbreport.com
