Full-day boat excursions on Long Island
Oceans of fun await daytrippers this summer aboard guided cruises on the high seas, on Long Island Sound, in the South Shore's Western Bays, and in New York Harbor. Here are seagoing adventures to try, including whale watching, deep-sea or bay fishing, lighthouse spotting or a sunset jazz or tugboat sail.
MONTAUK WHALE-WATCHING CRUISE
The Viking Fleet
A whale was spotted on a cruise aboard the Viking Star as part of a CRESLI whale watch out of Montauk. Credit: Dr. Marianne E. McNamara
Taking a naturalist-guided whale-watching trip off Montauk with the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) can be "an adventure of discovery," says tour guide Marianne McNamara, professor of marine biology at Suffolk County Community College.
"It’s just so wild out there, that we don’t know on any given day what we’re going to see," McNamara says. Short-beaked common dolphins often "come up to the vessel and bow ride, and you can hear their clicks and whistles," McNamara says.
The cruise offers plenty of photo ops with marine animals. Credit: Dr. Marianne E. McNamara
Along with senior naturalist and tour guide Arthur Kopelman, CRESLI marine mammal population ecologist, McNamara says she scans for "blows, splashes and any disturbance on the water ... and stops for anything of interest."
Whale sightings can include humpbacks, minkes, and finbacks — the latter being the second largest mammal — as well as bottlenose dolphins, hammerhead and great white sharks, ocean sunfish and Portuguese man o’ war, McNamara says.
"We won’t talk your ear off," McNamara adds. "We want quiet time for people to Zen out and enjoy the experience."
- WHEN | WHERE Departures 2 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays for five-hour trips, 10 a.m. Mondays and Fridays for six-hour trips, June 29-Sept. 8 from Viking Fleet (462 W. Lake Dr., Montauk Harbor).
- COST $85, $55 ages 5-12
- MORE INFO 631-668-5700, vikingfleet.com
DEEP-SEA FISHING DAY TRIP FROM HAMPTON BAYS
Fin Alley Fishing Charters
"It’s a bucket list item for some people to catch a tuna," says Don Archer, captain of the Fin Alley deep-sea fishing boat. Archer, who grew up in Northport, begins with a scenic ride through Shinnecock Inlet, then heads 40 miles out to the fishing grounds.
Archer says he targets yellowfin, bluefin, bigeye and albacore tuna, as well as marlin and mahi. If you hook a game fish, get ready to get your game on.
Many clients "had no idea how strong the fish are, but it’s physically demanding and challenging," Archer says. Although your fish may take an hour or more to land, the experience is "extremely rewarding for most people." Adds Archer, "A lot of guys have been fishing their whole lives, but never caught a tuna."
- WHEN | WHERE Day trip charters depart at 6 a.m. and return about 3 p.m., June 1 through December from Oakland's Marina (373 Dune Rd., Hampton Bays).
- COST $3,100 for up to six people, includes bait and tackle.
- MORE INFO 631-374-7372, finalleyfishing.com
FLUKE FISHING TRIP FROM POINT LOOKOUT
The Super Hawk
On a half- or full-day trip, anglers of all ages can have a whale of a time reeling in some of the smaller fish species in waters close to Long Island’s coastline.
"We specialize in families and beginners," says Steve Kearney, captain of the Super Hawk, a 75-foot fishing boat that leaves daily from Point Lookout.
The boat is fishing the South Shore's Western bays for fluke, the abundant flatfish also known as summer flounder, Kearney says. Beginning June 23, black sea bass fishing will start over ocean wrecks.
Both outings offer "a lot of action, and they catch a lot of fish," Kearney says.
Between reelin’ them in, relax on the sundeck, chill in the air-conditioned cabin, and purchase nonalcoholic beverages and sweets at the snack bar.
- WHEN | WHERE Partyboat leaves daily for half-day trips, 7 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5:30 p.m., May through October from Town of Hempstead Angie M. Cullin East Marina (1501 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout).
- COST $60, $40 ages 16 and under
- MORE INFO 516-607-3004, superhawkfishing.com
TWO CRUISES FROM THE SEAPORT
1930 W.O. Decker tugboat tour
Spend a day at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan with a day trip on the 1930 Tugboat W.O. Decker. Credit: Richard Bowditch
Make a day of it at historic South Street Seaport pairing two short cruises and a visit to the new Maritime City exhibit at the South Street Seaport Museum.
Begin your day on the water with an early afternoon chug past the Statue of Liberty and other iconic landmarks aboard the W.O. Decker, a restored wooden tug built in Long Island City. "She’s the cutest thing in the harbor," Captain Jonathan Boulware, president and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, says of the 52-foot bright red and yellow tug painted and equipped with a whistle. "It’s a truly unique experience," Boulware says.
- WHEN | WHERE Leaves for a 75-minute tour of New York Harbor at 1:15 and 2:45 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through September from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport Museum (12 Fulton St., Manhattan).
- COST $30, $15 ages 10-17
- MORE INFO 212-748-8600, southstreetseaportmuseum.org
End your day with a jazzy, breezy cruise aboard Clipper City, Manhattan By Sail’s 150-foot schooner, built in 1985 as a replica of a boat that sailed from 1854 to 1892, says Tom Berton, president.
The cruise, which passes under the Brooklyn Bridge and past the Statue of Liberty, features live or DJ jazz, and whiskey, tequila and beer choices from the bar. "It’s romantic and surreal" to see the sunset when "New York City is quiet and serene," Berton says.
Between cruises, check out the museum’s new Maritime City exhibit, which features 540 artifacts from its collection. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday ($18, $5 ages 18 and under).
- WHEN | WHERE Leaves for an hour and 45-minute tour of New York Harbor daily at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 11, earlier through November from South Street Seaport Pier 17.
- COST $107-$112
- MORE INFO manhattanbysail.com
TAKE A LONG ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE TOUR FROM ORIENT
Long Island Lights Cruise
The Little Gull Light was built in 1806 and be be spotted on the cruise. Credit: Randee Daddona
Cross Sound Cruises' 143-foot catamarans, accommodating up to 600 passengers, provide views of as many as eight lighthouses amid breathtaking seascapes. With a cocktail in hand and a tour guide recounting local lore and legends, guests cruise past Gardiners Point Lighthouse and the bombed-out ruins of Spanish-American War-era Fort Tyler.
The cruise heads north, passing Little Gull, Avery Point and Race Rock lighthouses before reaching New London Harbor in Connecticut.
- WHEN | WHERE Two-hour cruises Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through early October from the Orient Point ferry terminal (41270 Main Rd., Orient).
- COST $34, $17 ages 2-11
- MORE INFO 860-444-4620, lighthouse.cruises
