To Us, Sailing is About Prevailing.
At Manhattan by Sail, we’re the venue for some of your most unforgettable experiences…and so much more. We are sailors who count ourselves as fortunate enough to sail the prevailing winds of the world’s most iconic harbor. We’ve been taking people sailing in New York Harbor since 1972, when a salty welder named Nick van Nes sailed his 70-ft. yawl, Petrel, to The Battery. He built a dock, put up a sign…and slowly, the first passenger sailboat in New York started to draw attention from locals.
Today, aboard the Shearwater and Clipper City, we share the joy of sailing our beautiful harbor with visitors and New Yorkers alike. Offering an incomparable setting for your outing, we’ve developed into a world-class venue. On board during our specialty sails, you can enjoy the sweetness of live jazz music, local craft beers, spicy performances from some of NYC’s premier burlesque performers, and more. But some things have remained the same since the beginning: our passion, commitment, and our caring, enthusiastic crew who sail each day with their whole hearts. At Manhattan By Sail, we welcome you aboard to share in our joyful culture and to join us in falling in love with NYC, over and over again.
Looking back, there have been challenges: through the early days of a new business, through 9/11, through restorations, growth and setbacks we worked to preserve the traditional art of sailing and everything that it encompasses: sewing sails, welding, woodworking, navigation, and preserving old boats steeped in history. We have created our own marvelous ecosystem and trained hundreds in the traditional craft of sailing. We know that with grit, teamwork, determination and resilience anything is possible.
It’s why we’re here today and why we’ve been able to provide such positive experiences to so many (see our reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor).
We have prevailed. We are proud to be here today. And we are honored to have introduced hundreds of thousands to the sublime pleasures of sailing NYC’s waterways.
Thank you for letting us be part of your New York experience; your patronage supports a legacy.
Whether you’re a visitor or a lifelong New Yorker, we invite you to see Manhattan through new eyes and feel reinvigorated.
Be part of this.
