# Dinghy Sailing in New York City? Possible?



## torontoCL14 (May 28, 2012)

Hi all, I'm a dinghy sailor located in Toronto and I have recently been presented with the opportunity to move to NYC. The first thing I started asking about as I contemplated this move was 'where would I sail my (or a club) dinghy?'

First, I found it odd that there doesn't seem to be much smaller boat sailing down here. I called a few places to see if they had anywhere for me to keep my dinghy and hand launch but came up with nothing.

Does anyone actually know of any clubs in the NYC area/Jersey/long island (ie. reachable via transit/taxi) where I could keep a dinghy? Or, like a community club would I could at least take a dinghy out? I'd most likely be moving to Brooklyn area. 

Any help would be great as this is really the only thing keeping me from making this move.

Thanks!


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

IN NYC the only thing going on in big numbers is the J24s at Manhattan Sailing Club

I would say the smaller stuff would be on the NJ side were there would be land to dry sail and store it

There is a bunch of stuff going on in the sheepshead bay area of Brooklyn


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## Beaverkill (Aug 22, 2011)

Dont know about Dingy racing but here are a few places to research

North Jersey Yacht Racing Assoc North Jersey Yacht Racing Association (NJYRA)

Long Island Sound Yacht Racing Home - Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound

Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Assoc Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association (BBYRA)- Main Index and Quick Reference


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## WDS123 (Apr 2, 2011)

The best fleet is the V15 group at Larchmont - youthful,big fleet, and very good sailors. About 1/2 come in from the city


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Manhattan Sailing Club isn't dinghies, it is J/24's. You might find some dinghy racing in Sheepshead Bay but more likely in the western end of LI Sound or down in NJ in Barnegat Bay, both accessible by public transit although not fast trips, probably close to an hour.

Try the City Island YCs, then the ones east of them in Westchester. Ask the Oyster Bay (north shore of Long Island) YCs if any of them has a program. The local USSA associations may actually be the fastest way to locate what's around, the USSA can give you their direct contact information.

I know the Douglaston Yacht Club/Squadron does dinghy racing, but I think that's just in Olympuses for kids.


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## peterchech (Sep 2, 2011)

If you have $1500/year, you can join "offshore" sailing school (Jersey City NJ) and rent their keelboats for daysailing mornings or afternoons. Best deal around IMHO, far cheaper than owning and their boats, Colgate 26's, are some of the best sailing daysailors around.

There are some sunfish and optimists in liberty state park (Jersey City NJ), not sure how that works but I'm pretty sure you can't keep your own dinghy there.

There are various kayaking clubs etc on the hudson river, but be aware that the wind usually sucks on the Hudson anywhere north of the southern tip of manhattan. There is an outrigger canoe club in manhattan as well, on pier 36 I THINK, they too have keelboats moored there but be aware that New Jersey (and jersey city) is infinitely cheaper than New York, and closer to Manhattan than Brooklyn is travel-wise. Nice club house as well, showers/restaurant/etc, and there are plenty of decent beaches within daysailing range.

In fact, if you will be working in Manhattan, you should really look into Jersey City as its downtown is somewhat comparable to the scene in Brooklyn and it is much nicer, with better access to sailing/beaches/etc (I am biased of course), plus you can own a car and actually use it (decent parking and not so much traffic as brooklyn) so that's nice.

If you want to travel a bit (you will have to take two trains instead of one) the Raritan yacht club has plenty of dinghies (serious ones too) and some great sailors too. It's also a nice cruising ground and has a pretty good racing scene without all the ferries/tourboats/etc interrupting you all the time.


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## flo617 (Mar 3, 2010)

I thought I saw some dinghies on the promenade one day, somewhere around the world trade center area


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## fodao (Jul 27, 2000)

Manhattan Sailing Club offers dinghy sailing (Laser and Sunfish) on Liberty State Park in NJ (Manhattan Sailing Club). If you are a serious racer and want to have your own boat, I recommend looking into Long Island Sound. Cedar Point YC is a popular one for dinghy sailors (Cedar Point YC Home Page and News).


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Is your boat a CL 14'?

With all the commercial traffic around Manhattan and the currents in the Hudson (2-3 knots) and East Rivers (3-5 knots) dinghy sailing is a questionable proposition. Even the NYC Community Sailing http://www.sailny.org/cms/ group uses 27' Soling's with an outboard on the transom. 
However, you will find places to sail a dinghy in LI Sound, on Raritan Bay and up the Hudson. Nyack Boat Club has several fleets of racers, several are dinghies. Nyack Boat Club
Most of these places will take at least an hour to get to though.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

I taught sailing in NY harbor the past last two summers, I never saw a dinghy on the hudson, when I've been out. That's not to say they aren't there. I've just never seen em . 
Without an engine if the wind dies, and it does, you are drifting with the current. ( 2-3 knots + ) as Caleb said, Or paddling. 

I have seen paddelboarders out there, so anything is possible. 

If you dunk a laser in front of a tug and barge, or one of the many ferries it could get ugly. 

I would look to some of the spots others have mentioned.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Port Washington on Long Island is a quick (30-40 minute) ride on the LIRR. Yacht clubs there have small boat sailing. At least one (Manhasset Bay) has a fleet of Ideal 18s that are shared. Next harbor out is where I am in Glen Cove. Its a longer (1 hour+) ride on the LIRR. My club (Hempstead Harbour Club) permits small boats to be stored on trailers or kept on moorings. We have an active Laser fleet. Sea Cliff YC has fleet of Ideal 18s that are shared. Next harbor out is Oyster Bay with 2 clubs - Sagamore and Sewanaka. Sagamore is right near the LIRR train station. Not sure what small boats they have there. Also near the station is a commercial marina (Oyster Bay Marine Center) and the Waterfront Center WFC - The WaterFront Center, Oyster Bay, NY - Long Island Sound: Sailing, Boating, Marine Education, Field Trips, Recreation, Kayaking, Summer Programs


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

Can't imagine it'd be much fun trying to avoid the traffic in NY Harbor or dealing with the current, which can top 4 knots just N. of The Battery. Getting in and out of the city will be the challenge but no so much on weekends. There seems to be a lot of sailing activity along the north side of western LI Sound pretty close to the city. That's also probably the easiest escape route. Toward NJ you'll hit shore traffic on weekends and beach traffic on the LIE going out to LI. If you want to go a little farther, up on the Hudson, Poughkeepsie has two yacht clubs with active one design sailing.


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## murphbmurph (Sep 4, 2011)

I took instruction with NYC Community Sailing and then sailed with them for a couple of summers. They keep their 27' Solings at the Lincoln Harbour Marina, on the Jersey side of the Hudson, just south of the Lincoln Tunnel. Weekend days they match up experienced skippers with newbies, 3-4 to a boat, and go out for a few hours.
I now have a Precision 185 I keep at an inland lake. It would be very difficult to manage something as small as my 18 1/2' boat on the Hudson - the currents, tides, cruise ships, barges, tugs, sightseeing boats make it very busy. I don't think the Honda 2 HP I have would be a match for those currents.


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## lillia28 (Aug 12, 2011)

Check the navesink river in Monmouth county NJ. Several sailing clubs, ditto raritan bay.
Lou


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Jamaica Bay is big, shallow, and breezey. Find a club, marina, or private dock there, and use public transportation. If you fancy a train ride to Port Jeff I'll take you out on my boat.


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## kawest (Dec 26, 2010)

I sailed a Wayfarer/CL16 when I lived in Ontario but I'm now sailing on Halifax Harbour. I wouldn't want to be out in the harbour in a dinghy for all the reasons previously mentioned. I imagine New York harbor would be even more challenging. 

My solution was to buy a Colgate 26 daysailer. As noted above by petercech they are the boats used by the Offshore Sailing School in Jersey City and you can join and rent their boats. They are a beautiful sailing boat almost dinghy like in their handling but with the stability and safety that a keel and outboard offer. It has certainly expanded my sailing horizons and would be an opportunity for you to try something different.


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

You say you're looking for dinghy sailing, but don't say what dinghy. Thistle? 470? 420? Lightning? 505? Opti? Vanguard 15? Sabot? Different clubs in the NY area have different fleets. You may need to travel a bit to get to where they have boats like yours. In Manhattan, currents tend to make dinghy sailing difficult. They don't call it Hell Gate for nothing. Buttermilk channel may have a hefty chop churning much of the time. It's not like Toronto.


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## QueenElvis (Apr 25, 2009)

Welcome to Brooklyn, assuming you make it. There's GREAT sailing out of Gateway Marina on Flatbush Avenue and you can beach-launch your dinghy from there. And a bus stops right at the door. Unfortunately for you, there's not much of a dinghy community there (but maybe I'll pull out my dink and sail with you).

You're always welcome to come aboard my Cape Dory 330 for a ride, and there's plenty of other guys and a couple of gals with sailboats, so you'd have lots of instant company.

I've been out on the water on the most gorgeous of sailing days, and found myself to be alone - even on a weekend! It never ceases to amaze me that the water is so neglected as a past-time in NYC. The sailing is great, the water is clean and you can't beat the views. What's better than sailing past the Statue of Liberty? Or past the Cylcones field on Friday evening when the fireworks go off?

If you make it down for a field trip before you commit to the move, get in touch. I'll be happy to show you around.

Malcolm
Big Orange Marine
Your Boat's Best Move
boat transportation for the Hudson Valley,
the northeast and the entire US


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