If You Can Sail the Hudson, You Can Sail Anywhere
Learn to sail in a weekend on 79th street
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zac Sunderland, in the center-left boat, is greeted by boats full of supporters who came out to greet his arrival at Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, Thursday, July 16, 2009. The Southern California teenager became the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world when he arrived at Marina del Rey, the place he departed from 13 months ago. (AP Photo/Philip Scott Andrews)
Did you know you can learn to sail in just a weekend....on 79th Street? That's just one way to "Take A Break" in the Big Apple.
I went out onto the Hudson, with Captain Logan Rowell and Jonathan Horvath, of Atlantic Yachting, from the 79th Street Boat Basin on a beautiful Beneteau sloop called "Go Lightly"...and was told, "if you learn how to sail here, you can sail literally anywhere". It's kinda like driving in the Big Apple, right?
Atlantic Yachting offers weekend sailing courses, where Rowell told me "total novices come leaving like they truly know how to sail." Students are taught sailing theory, water safety, and all about knots, over the course of two days. And having the Hudson River as a classroom adds to the fun. Rowell says that "because of the buildings, the wind is very funky around here."
Horvath warned about keeping a close eye on watercraft around you because "there's lots of business traffic around here. You have water taxis, you got people going to Ikea back and forth, and you got barges...everything."
But if you want others to do the work while you enjoy being on the water, Atlantic Yachting offers charter sails for as little as $399. Their sailboats are decked out with all the amenities, and they serve drinks and gourmet catering. It's like having your own floating, private nightclub.
