Getaway Guide To Summer Boat Rides
The heat of summer fades as the cooling breeze comes off the sea, dusts the lakes and rivers while crossing the decks of day-trip cruise boats plying our vacation waterways. The cruise is usually measured in hours that cover periods of sunshine, sunset and moonlit nights. So where do we find them in some of our favorite summer getaway spots. Here's where. -- Jay Lloyd.
SPIRIT OF PHILADELPHIA
As close as Penn's Landing we find one of the most popular cruise boats in the region. A cross between a high roller's yacht and a small cruise ship. The Spirit voyages down the Delaware, offering eye-filling sights of Philadelphia and New Jersey landmarks. Passengers, strolling the decks and lining the rails are offered lunch, dinner, drinks, late night snacks and music to dance the cruise away. It was even the venue for one of the more memorable KYW-Newsradio parties. By the way, if you're taking a dinner cruise, don't miss the short ribs. Look for dinner cruises to price at about $70 to $76. Luncheon cruises sail at $35 to $44.
CIRCLE LINE TOURS
New York City
When I was a kid, it was always a treat to take a cruise around Manhattan Island. Those were the days of wooden ships. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. The tour boats were wood, the decks were wide open and we saw everything from the Statue of Liberty to the Brooklyn Bridge, cruised under the George Washington Bridge and past Grant's Tomb. The only things that have changed are the prices and yes, the Circle Line boats are now steel. They also whisk you to Lady Liberty and a tour of Ellis Island. Circle Manhattan and spot a favorite getaway landfall for $42.
CAPE MAY WHALE WATCHER
You've seen the dolphins, porpoising offshore during an evening stroll on the boardwalk. Imagine the fun of watching them play at the bow of your cruise boat as you circle Cape May from harbor to jetty. The Cape May Whale Watcher sets out on dolphin and whale watching voyages that include breakfast or a buffet supper. Special cruises take in lighthouses of the Delaware Bay and spectacular sunsets. Sightseeing and dolphin or whale watching cruises range from $30 to $50 for adults. The sunset lighthouse cruise casts off at $85. Navigate to all the prices right here: www.capemaywhalewatcher.com/rates.php
BLUE CRAB CHESAPEAKE CHARTERS
Rock Hall, MD.
Full Disclosure: Some of my most enjoyable days in recent years have been sailing as First Mate with Cap'n Mark Einstein on the Crab Royale when his real life First Mate, Suzanne was off doing good deeds. When I say a Chesapeake Bay cruise on the Crab Royale is like being transported to the Caribbean, believe me, it is. The mate is serving up Margarita's and there's the sound of Reggae soaring through the 36 foot sloop as it carves the Chesapeake, leaving her home port of Rock Hall, Maryland. Wind fills the sails and carries the boat across the bay and back on a 1-1/2 hour cruise with Cap'n Mark encouraging voyagers to, "Take the Helm." If you choose the Sunset Cruise, the ship's cannon will bark a salute as the blazing orb dips below the horizon. It may be the best $35 you ever spent.
WOODWIND CRUISES
Annapolis, MD.
A pair of sturdy schooners cast off their lines at "Ego Alley" in one of America's most historic ports, Annapolis, Maryland. A 2-hour lively cruise takes you under sail down the Severn River and out to the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. You sail past the United States Naval Academy and see a combination of large cargo ships, warships, tankers and some of the world's finest yachts. Learn some nautical jargon while hoisting sail and manning the helm. Then return to join visiting sailors, their boats bobbing on nearby moorings for a bit of rum and a helping of tall tales from the sea at waterfront bars. The adult tariff is $41 on weekdays, $44 on weekends and sunset passages. Set a course here for senior and kids discounts. www.schoonerwoodwind.com/buy-tickets/
SCHOONER ARGIA
Mystic, CT.
I've just returned from the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut where the
sleek 81 foot schooner Argia is a familiar sight. From its dock near the seaport museum, the Argia carries passengers down the Mystic River, past Noank and its storied lobster shack, around the nearby islands and past lighthouses that have aided mariners leaving and entering Long Island Sound. The wind carries this stable vessel through a fleet of moored sailboats and offers an eye-full of boats under full sail racing across the sound or off to nearby Block Island and Newport. Adult tickets for the 2-1/2 hour voyages are $49. All the prices are anchored here: www.argiamystic.com/Argia_PublicSails.aspx
A few tips for day-cruising: Always bring a good hat and sun screen. On some cruises you may want a handy water bottle. Wear comfortable shoes that won't leave scuff marks on the deck. Boat shoes are preferred, but white soled tennis shoes or sneakers are fine. None of these cruises are likely to induce seasickness for most people. But if you are one of the few who easily succumb to mal-de-mer, a bit of Dramamine should handle it. Just take the pill before leaving port, not after. Follow the instructions. A few words about cameras and cell phones. Many are sleeping with the fishes around the globe. Keep them secured to your wrist or on a neck strap. If your phone can't be rigged with a strap, keep it away from the rail.
Bon Voyage.
