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Fun in the Water in NYC
By Nadine | August 24, 2008
Sailing in the city:
Get back in the water without leaving the boroughs
By Ron Bishow
amny.com
August 1, 2008
Boating at Central Park
Impress a date by rowing her around while she relaxes, or, better yet, rent a gondola and sing to her in Italian. After all, it might be easier to learn a song in Italian than row a boat for a half-hour. (Loeb Boathouse, East 72nd Street and Park Drive North; 212-517-2233; www.centralpark.org; Rowboats: $10 for the first hour, $2.50 each additional 15 minutes; $30 cash deposit. Gondola Rides $30 per half hour)
Boating in Brooklyn
A favorite of small boat enthusiasts, the club doesn’t just include canoe fans, but also kayakers, sailors, rowers and flatwater racers. Membership gives you use of the clubhouse and club boats and instruction programs in every form of boating. There are also bi-weekly kayak trips on the bay and inter-club invitational events. (Sebago Canoe Club, 1400 Paerdegat Ave. North, foot of Avenue N, Brooklyn; 718-241-3683; www.sebagocanoeclub.org; $175 for year membership, $250 for family)
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Row, row, row your boat through New York’s waterways (or paddle, sail or kayak, if you prefer). The city’s rivers, bays, creeks, inlets and oceans offer boating opportunities for the water newcomer and the experienced captain. Here are your best bets.
Kayaking on the Hudson River
Both locations on the Hudson River offer free public kayaking on a walk-up basis, kayak trips in the harbor, evening classes and three-hour guided trips. Introductory classes are held every Wednesday night, or just drop by at one of the scheduled times until Oct. 19 to take a 20-minute paddle. Check the Web site for days and times. (Pier 40, Houston Street at the Hudson River, Pier 96 at Clinton Cove, 56th Street at the Hudson River; downtownboathouse.org; Free)
Sailing at Flushing Meadow-Corona Park
The American Small Craft Association offers sailing lessons on Meadow Lake. After completing the seven-lesson course, sailors can then join TASCA’s sailing club, which includes free sailing on the lake. (Meadow Lake at Meadow-Corona Park, Flushing, Queens; 718-699-1951; sailtasca.org; $275 for seven sailing classes)
Pedal boating at Prospect Park’s Kate Wollman Rink
Maybe learning how to sail a schooner isn’t for you, but you still want to enjoy some water-filled fun. Why not take out a paddle boat? The only skill you need is the ability to move your legs as if you’re riding a bike. Plus, the atmosphere is so pretty you won’t even realize you’re exercising. Party rates are also available for boaters to want to boogie. (Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; 718-282-7789; www.prospectpark.org; $15 per hour for a four-person boat, $10 refundable deposit)
Boating at Central Park
Impress a date by rowing her around while she relaxes, or, better yet, rent a gondola and sing to her in Italian. After all, it might be easier to learn a song in Italian than row a boat for a half-hour. (Loeb Boathouse, East 72nd Street and Park Drive North; 212-517-2233; www.centralpark.org; Rowboats: $10 for the first hour, $2.50 each additional 15 minutes; $30 cash deposit. Gondola Rides $30 per half hour)
Offshore Sailing School
Looking to enter the big leagues of sailing instead of just milling around the Hudson River? Offshore Sailing School teaches everything from nautical terminology to sailing backwards. (Chelsea Piers, 22nd Street at the Hudson River; 800-221-4326; www.offshoresailing.com; $695 for a three day course: 1.5 hours of classroom, 6 hours of on-water instruction per day –$100 off if you bring a friend)
Boating in Brooklyn
A favorite of small boat enthusiasts, the club doesn’t just include canoe fans, but also kayakers, sailors, rowers and flatwater racers. Membership gives you use of the clubhouse and club boats and instruction programs in every form of boating. There are also bi-weekly kayak trips on the bay and inter-club invitational events. (Sebago Canoe Club, 1400 Paerdegat Ave. North, foot of Avenue N, Brooklyn; 718-241-3683; www.sebagocanoeclub.org; $175 for year membership, $250 for family)
New York Kayak Club
If you know how to kayak but can’t exactly fit a small boat inside your apartment, join the New York Kayak Club. The club has its own launch area, areas to keep your boat, locker rooms, instruction and guided tours around NYC. The higher you climb on the membership scale, the more perks you get (lessons, type of boat storage, discounts on gear, etc.). And just think how high-class you’ll sound when you tell people you belong to a boat club. (Pier 40’s south side, Houston and West streets; 212-924-1327; www.nykayak.com; Basic membership, $799; Premium membership, $1,000; Skill-builder membership, $1,500; Aficionado membership, $2,000)
Boating in Staten Island
The word ‘pretty’ isn’t often associated with Staten Island, but at just shy of 200 acres, Clove Lakes Park is a truly a beautiful place. Home of Staten Island’s largest living thing — a 300- year-old tulip tree — it also offers rowboat and pedal boat rentals, as well as freshwater fishing. (Clove Lakes Park Lake Club, 1150 Clove Rd.; 718-442-3600; www.nycgovparks.org; $10 per hour)
