DayCations from Sachem: Nautical Adventures

It seems that since the human race first saw the oceans, we have been creating ways to sail across them.  American history can be experienced in unique nautical ways by simply visiting the different port towns that dot Long Island.  From the docksides of Greenport to the bustling city seaside of the Southport Seaport, tall ships stand ready to take you on a "DayCation" onto the seas and into our past.

During May, the tall ship Lynx visited Mitchell Park, in downtown Greenport.  This replica of the 1812 privateer warship briefly graced the town's dock and offered tours and harbor voyages.  From the moment you touched the gangplank, their "three hour tour" transported you two hundred years into American's past. 

Captain Jamie Trost and his crew greet all passengers, dressed as our navy did in the early 1800s.  Except for their diesel engine, safety and navigation aids, the nearly 100 foot ship is an authentic recreation of the schooners that fought the British Navy and ran their blockades.

For a massive square rigged wooden ship, her design as a Baltimore schooner allowed her to make 13 knots in the open sea.  Her cannonades were no match for the British Man of War ships that eventually burned down Washington, D.C. But the speed and agility of this type of uniquely American ship allowed our puny fleet to keep our young nation supplied with raw materials and manufactured goods.

Long Island's position on the East Coast of the Atlantic makes us a friendly port to many tall ships that still ply our waters.  The HMS Bounty visited Greenport, Port Jefferson and Orient Harbor during the spring.  The Lynx was passing through on its way to New England, the Great Lakes and a massive tall ship festival this summer in Chicago.  On any given day, a ride into Port Jefferson or out to Mitchell Park might yield a glimpse of a sailing ship passing through.

The South Street seaport on New York's lower east side offers daily schooner tours aboard two tall ships, the schooners City Clipper and the Shearwater.  Their web site at  http://www.manhattanbysail.com/ details their harbor tours by the Statue of Liberty, the fireworks trips and their other special evening voyages.

One of the most well known wooden ships that grace our waters is the Clearwater.  This sloop has been a floating classroom, educating our school children about environmental issues and maritime lore for decades.  Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20 at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, the annual Clearwater Festival will take place, raising funds to keep the historical ship afloat and on its mission.  Their website at; http://www.clearwater.org/festival/sails/index.html  lists the musical greats who will be performing.  There also is a web page where you can reserve a ride on the sloop Clearwater or its sister ship the Schooner Mystic Whaler.

Adventure awaits those you venture down to the shore.  There is magic in the wooden hulls, tall masts, miles of rope and acres of canvas.

This is the second in a series of articles detailing day trips residents of Sachem can take on Long Island. Check out our other stories on Mitchell Park and Marina, Davis Park Ferry and local hotspots for strawberry picking.

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