The beautiful Adirondack

My husband and I took our in-laws on an afternoon cruise aboard the Adirondack, a lovely 80 ft. Schooner. The weather was in our favor for late September, it was a beautiful day for a relaxing trip from Chelsea Piers to the Statue of Liberty. I must admit that I’m a little jaded from seeing just about everything the city offers, but the Adirondack was a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unusual yet nostalgic.

For using masted ships as their mode of travel, I envy our predecessors. In the modern New Yorker vocabulary “Transportation” tends to mean crowded, smelly subways. Take my advice: try sailing! Removing oneself from the street-level vantage point and onto the river where you can see the skyscrapers from afar will renew your love of the NYC skyline.

Hoisting the magnificent sails

The Adirondack has 2 masts with billowing, white sails. The entire ship is immaculately maintained and cared for. The motor is employed to maneuver the ship out of dock, but once we reach the river the wind catches the sails and carries us the rest of the way.

Financial District

Crisp, white sails

Our Captain is to be commended, she managed to maneuver the Adirondack out of the way of a smaller boat that carelessly steered into our path just 30 feet in front of the bow. I don’t know if it was fright- or lack of self preservation- but the crew of offending boat made no effort to adjust their course!

Three cheers for the Captain!

The Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty marked the half-way point of the voyage. Since everyone on the boat rushed to take pictures, I couldn’t avoid getting other passengers in my camera view.

If you’re interested in taking a cruise aboard the Adirondack, here’s a link to their website. They don’t seem to sail during the winter months, but that isn’t a bad thing. They have other ships and yachts and offer a lot of different types of day and evening cruises. It’s a great change of pace from the clubs, bars, and crowded restaurants.