Manhattan by Sail - Shearwater Classic Schooner

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Manhattan by Sail - Shearwater Classic Schooner

4.5

#21 of 159 Boat Tours & Water Sports in New York City

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Manhattan by Sail provides a diverse fleet of ships and myriad of options for any and all who want to experience the thrill of sailing in the world's greatest harbor. From basic public sails to specialty outings, music events, cocktail parties, family programming, custom weddings and private charters, Manhattan by Sail is dedicated bringing you an unforgettable sailing experience.We've grown considerably since those long-ago days when a yacht heeled over and making way through the harbor was a rarity, but everyone at Manhattan by Sail remains committed to the original mission, which has always been about making our passengers feel like a part of our ever-growing sailing family.

New York City, New York

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Manhattan by Sail - Shearwater Classic Schooner

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5

263 reviews

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Katherine T

New York City, NY121 contributions

Perfect evening

Aug 2020 • Couples

After months of lockdown, we returned to the Shearwater for a late afternoon wine tasting sail. It was perfect! The weather, the crew, our Somm, and the wine were all excellent. We’ve been on the Shearwater numerous times, and it never disappoints. Whether you’re here for a weekend or living here year round, this is the perfect escape from the city. Capacity is 50%, and social distancing is in effect. If you enjoy wine and being on the water, this is
an incredible value and an excellent experience! I’m so happy they’re back, and we will be, too.

Written August 1, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Clare L

West Sussex28 contributions

A Welcome Antidote to the Touristy Cruises

Aug 2013 • Couples

As visitors to NYC, we took part in four cruises altogether (as they were all included on our New York Pass). Our experience with Manhatten by Sail was one of the most memorable experiences of our week, and an excellent change of pace during a very hectic week.

We chose this cruise as it featured an original Schooner, built in 1929, and it is a stunning boat! Unlike the other cruises we'd been on, there was no tour guide, which for us was a welcome change, as by the time we visited this cruise, we could pretty much point out every feature we passed. If you want a guided cruise, however, this isn't your thing, but it you want a relaxed cruise on a classic boat, with an excellent hard working crew, this is for you!

The barman for our cruise was very helpful and efficient, and made sure we had what we needed. The crew were pleasant, even when asking you to move as they needed to access part of the boat, and worked incredibly hard throughout the whole cruise (it takes a lot of work to handle the sails!)

The day we sailed, the wind wasn't being friendly, and so they did need to use the engine at times when perhaps normally they wouldn't, but they got us back on land on time, and we had a wonderful time aboard this wonderful boat! As Brits, the idea of tipping is a bit of a sore point for us, but this was the first activity we did (5 days into our 6 day stay), where when asked, we were more than happy to tip the crew for their hard work and dedication to giving us such a wonderful cruise!

Written August 18, 2013

PianoGuy1234

Tacoma, WA42 contributions

The most favorite thing we did in New York City!

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

We used our New York Pass and were greatly pleased. The 82' 1920's yacht is beautiful and very well taken care of. It meets at the little North Cove directly in front of the World Financial Center.

Up to 48 people board for each sailing -- we had closer to 20 on our weekday afternoon sail. Every trip is slightly different as Captain Dave reads the weather and waves. For us, we were taken directly in front of the Statue of Liberty. A great chance for photos, and you're allowed to get up and walk around the boat for a variety of views. Deckhand Mike is interesting to watch and to talk to, and he made us feel very comfortable with his seamanship. Anita serves drinks (beer/wine/soda, first one on the house) and charms passengers with her tales of life in the Big Apple and beyond. The crew is very adept at sensing needs (blankets, beverages) and at giving space.

Bring a hoodie, scarf, or something to protect your ears against the wind. Suitable for all ages, as long as they can observe safety rules.

Reservations definitely recommended, especially during the summer or on weekends. This is something we'll do every time we're in New York since the journey will never be the same.

Written October 31, 2009

alex c

26 contributions

went home hungry -“where’s the lobster?”

Aug 2022 • Friends

Lobster they showed on ad was much bigger portion (2 rolls). See what we received. Had coleslaw, pickle, and chips on side. Craft beer only 2 kinds, serving Stella and Corona (wine very inexpensive, very sweet, and not very good). Positives: Crew excellent and cruise was very beautiful (NYC and Lady Liberty are awesome backdrop). Ship in great shape. Since some people declined food, perhaps ask others if they want extra rolls. We both went home hungry after spending almost $200 (tipped $10 ea). Wouldn’t recommend

Written August 10, 2022

SalsaJoe

Tucson, AZ147 contributions

Coulded of Been Better

Jul 2011 • Couples

First of all how can anyone say anything negative about a twilight sail on on a classic schooner on the Hudson river in New York City on a beautiful summer day? What's wrong with me? This should have been fun. Don't get me wrong, it was fun. The schooner was nice, the staff were friendly and efficient. But I do have a few issues with our cruise: (1) with 48 guests and 4 crew, space on deck was very tight with not much room to move around. Once you found a spot on deck, it was yours for the rest of the trip. If something (a photo moment) is happening on the other side of the boat, it took some work going under the main sail and mast, past guests and crew, and by that time, photo op moment is gone, (2) this is a slow cruise from North Cove Marina (which is beautiful) to the Statue of Liberty. The brochure shows the Shearwater, heading up the East river going towards the Brooklyn Bridge (the photo is on their web site ). Ours was a one hour out to the Lady and one hour back to port. How about once around the horn? (3) What really prompted me to write this review was that at the end of the cruise, a crew member stood up and shouted that it was customary for guests to tip the crew at the end of each voyage. Really? Come on guys at $50.00 a ticket and charging 2 bucks for a bottle of water you still want a tip? Very very tacky. We, the visitors to your city, know when and where it's appropriate to leave a tip.

Written July 26, 2011

lriGlaC

Gold River, CA1 contribution

Very Disappointed!

Jun 2011

I agree completely with the 3 points made in the "Could of Been Better" Review. We went on the City Lights Sail at the end of June. It was extremely cramped. Although there are a couple real benches to sit on, many of us found ourselves on small, uncomfortable, uneven spots which were not meant for sitting. Their "bar" consists of an ice chest and we had the unlucky fortune of sitting directly across from it. This meant that every few minutes we were having to turn our legs to the side so that the gal could retrieve more drinks. I, too, was in disbelief when they asked for tips at the end. I felt like saying, "Here's a tip: Why don't you only sell the amount of tickets where you can comfortably seat your customers?"

Written August 22, 2011

TheCountG

Maidenhead, UK67 contributions

Lovely harbour cruise on schooner yacht

Jul 2016 • Family

Lovely harbour cruise on schooner yacht under sail. Sails close to Liberty Island for great pictures of the Statue. Great way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Written July 25, 2016

CaptainMorgan2014

Lehighton, PA7 contributions

Don't do it!

Jul 2014 • Friends

After a 7 day visit to PA, we came to NYC with friends who had never been to the US before for the last 3 days of their trip. Wanting to do a little something special for them we booked the "Shearwater" for their sunset cruise. Rule #1 DON'T OVERBOOK (they overbooked), rule #2 DON'T OVERBOOK (they overbooked) and rule #3 D O N'T O V E R B O O K (they overbooked)! Getting there early wasn't enough, no, you have to push and shove yourself into a place to sit. Our German friends were too polite to partake in the melee and we were stuck with sitting on the hatch and everything was fine UNTIL the one of the crew says, "You're going to have to move because we're going to release the boom and lift the sails.". "Ummm, where are we supposed to go?" was our response. And a blank stare was theirs. So we were forced to sit on the hard deck, leaning against some rather uncomfortable portholes in the hatch. We asked for an open bar, we got one drink. The chop was going pretty good too and we were rocking and rolling, nothing to hold on to, just one of the "fairleads" smacking us over and over and over again. This is not my first rodeo, I do kinda know my way around a sailboat BUT this is the first AND LAST time I have ever been treated in this way. On the hard deck, no padding, in the wind, it was cold, no blankets. Everyone else got blankets, not us. Okay so here we are sailing around the Hudson, inching ever closer to the Statue of Liberty, the sun is setting and what just so happens to be in our way? You guessed it, their sister ship, the "Clipper City". They got real close to Liberty Island, they got great shots of the sunset, they got great shots of the statue, we got the shaft (LITERALLY). On our way back the crew again needed us to move to they could do God knows what. Again we said, "Ummm, where?" to which their response was, "Well there are places to stand over there.". And at the end of the trip they want a tip?? Oh hedoubletoothpicks NO. Do yourselves a favor, try their sister ship, the "Clipper City" just a few blocks down and you'll have better views of the sights. Can't say anything about the seating on that boat, though I *do* hope it's better. So long Sneerwater we will NOT be back again.

Written July 14, 2014

ChamoisMountKisco

Mount Kisco31 contributions

Great for the young and flexible!

Sep 2013 • Friends

On a gorgeous day, a group of friends took the 2-hour brunch cruise around lower Manhattan. You won't find a better close-up view of the Statue of Liberty! It was easy sailing, relaxing and scenic, and the included champagne brunch was surprisingly good. BUT this is not a good choice if you can't sit on your bottom on the wooden deck for two hours, balancing food on your lap. There are just a few hatch covers to sit on and they were quickly occupied by others. It is NOT comfortable, and getting up and down with plates of food or drinks required the participation of others, to say the least! They say the capacity of the boat is 48 but that's hard to imagine. I would have enjoyed a little narration during the sail, pointing out noteworthy sites. But the only announcement came at the end when they informed us that tips were expected as we were leaving. If the weather's great and you can get up and down off the floor -- or persuade someone to let you have the hatch cover to sit on -- this is a great way to see New York by water.

Written September 16, 2013

lilly_white_tourist

Kildare, Ireland185 contributions

No seats, Uncomfortable, OK wine

We did this tour with high hopes after already doing the sister ship (Clipper City)

The Shearwater is MUCH smaller. There are no seats. People could sit on storage boxes, pipes, or the ground. There is not much of a ledge around it either and if you're up the front you have to move to go with the sail being raised, manoeuvred or dropped. They don't give you cushions to sit on, bear in mind you're on this for 2 hours!

The wine is served in plastic cups (not wine versions....) . The girl serving it had done her homework and knew lots about the wines. The first wine was absolutely gorgeous - an Austrian wine, after that it was downhill. Two of our party would be avid wine drinkers and even they couldn't stomach 2 of the wines served. They weren't great at topping you up either, despite being told it was "drink as much as you like".

We didn't get much food as they had two average size platters for 40 people and unless you were next to it, you had a wobbly walk to get to it. The toilet was downstairs and accessed through a door down the back of the boat and down narrow dark stairs. The toilet was immaculate to be fair.

The views of course were spectacular, we had the best of weather which of course added volumes to it. But having one of our party that had a knee replacement, and being stuck on the floor, this really wasn't an ideal way to sail. When you see the accessibility of their sister ship - and the seating etc that it has, I really have to wonder why they put people on, essentially a posh booze cruise, on a vessel that really isn't suitable for the clientele it probably aims at. I'm just going to assume it's the over 30's range.

But I'd absolutely recommend going on the sister ship, which has a full bar, and plenty of seats!! This is not suitable for anyone who has had knee replacements or restricted movement as you cannot guarantee having somewhere to sit.

Review of: New York Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Cheese

Written August 17, 2019

Vacation00696096796

I am sorry that your expectations were not met by your experience aboard the Shearwater schooner. She is a classic and nationally landmarked once-private yacht built in 1929. She is a Gatsby-era, museum-grade artifact of the Roaring '20s, the Gilded Age, or the Jazz Age, and has a very colorful history. That is part of the charm of the boat and we can't change that or it will degrade its authenticity. We strive to communicate the different qualities of each of our vessels so that our guests can select which boat feels like a better fit for them. Shearwater, an all-wood vessel with masterful teak and mahogany deck and structures, at 82 feet (25m), is more old-time & reminiscent of a bygone era of American yachting, with a server walking around and providing beverages from a cooler rather than from a proper bar. The Clipper City, by contrast, at 158 feet (48m), is a replica of a clipper ship that sailed from 1854 to 1892, and is has a big ship feel to her. I feel badly that your friend was uncomfortable; if informed of their condition, the crew certainly would have made accomodation to ensure an appropriate seating location; we would bring up a cushion for elderly or infirm guests. For the wines, we our wine expert samples and selects different wines all the time; I am sorry that some of them were not winners. We select from organic and biodynamic small vineyards, so they are constantly changing and perhaps the next week's wines would have been more to your tastes. Either vessel provides a unique experience and embody different historic aspects of sailing in America, and, of course, personal preference will dictate who chooses which vessel, and I would agree/argue that Shearwater represents a casual elegance for the adventurous and agree that it is more oriented towards a more active and able-bodied clientele. Thank you for this opportunity to respond to your feedback. -Tom

Written September 10, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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