Bring out the romance and step aboard the Clipper City for a jazz concert cruise around New York City.
The hustle, bustle and noise of the city turns to the sweet, cool rhythms of bebop, smoky blues, ballads and other jazz standards as you sail smoothly out into the summer night with the backdrop of NYC skyline. Acclaimed jazz guitarist, Joe Cohn, and accomplished saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, leads this swinging quintet; Joe & Ian will be joined by a variety of other well-known guest musicians booked by Jazz Standard founder, James Polsky.
“Jazz Sail” cruises depart from The Battery, Slip 2, at 9:45 p.m. every Wednesday from June until September. Each cruise lasts approximately two hours.
Manhattan by Sail has been taking people sailing in New York Harbor for more than 30 years. Their story begins back in 1972, when a salty welder named Nick van Nes sailed his 70-ft. yawl, Petrel, to The Battery, the southernmost tip of Manhattan.The Battery and its park, better-known back then as a haven for rats and refuse than as the urban oasis it is today, left him undeterred. He built a dock, put up a sign and started taking people sailing.
Petrel quickly drew a devoted legion of locals to her decks, who reveled in the novelty of sailing a grand old yacht in a harbor not yet known for its recreational potential. Among them was a young East Village native named Tom Berton. Tom became a van Nes protogé, and when the old salt decided to close shop and sail north in 2000, he knew what he had to do. Less than a year later he founded Manhattan By Sail and began running public sails and private charters from Petrel’s old slip aboard Shearwater, a lovely 82-ft. schooner purchased (and overhauled) over the winter.
Today they have a diverse little fleet of ships and a corresponding myriad of options for any and all who want to experience the thrill of sailing in the world’s greatest harbor. Their newest addition is the Clipper City Tall Ship, a 158-ft. tall ship that can accommodate up to 150 passengers. From basic public sails to specialty tours, music events, cocktail parties, family programming, custom weddings and private charters, MBS is dedicated bringing you an unforgettable sailing experience.
They’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 MBS remains committed to the original mission, which has always been about making our passengers feel like a part of its ever-growing sailing family.
The original Clipper City was built as a cargo schooner just prior to the Civil War, then rebuilt from the original plans, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, and recently refurbished. The new, restored Clipper City, with a length of 158 feet and a height of 120 feet, can comfortably sail 130 people — the most of any passenger sailboat in the United States. With its sweeping deck, full bar, and a diverse sail plan, this majestic schooner and its attentive crew sail daily from Slip 2 at the South side of Battery Park, providing guests with a unique way to see Manhattan.