We give you MORE of what you go to sailing school for!sm
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(718) 885-0335  /  560 Minneford Avenue, City Island, NY 10464


 
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Get Print On Demand charts – the only charts you can buy that are guaranteed to be up to date!

New York Sailing Center is proud to be a dealer for Print On Demand, the state of the art in today's charts.

POD charts are a collaborative effort between NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Ocean Grafix LLC.  POD charts match standard versions of National Oceanic and Atmoshperic Administration (NOAA) charts, but they are not printed until you order them, so they are automatically corrected with the most recent weekly Notice to Mariners, NGA (formerly NIMA) corrections, and NOAA critical notices.

No other charts offer this.  There are a variety of commercial chart publishers (for-profit businesses), such as Waterproof Charts, Richardson’s, Maptech, Capt. Seagull’s, etc. But none of them - not even standard NOAA issue charts - are printed fresh when you order them.  All these charts are probably out of date when you buy them “new!”  It doesn't matter if they are NOAA approved - most charts are.  That just means they are reproduced from the government versions.   But just like NOAA standard charts, they are not reprinted often, meaning they don't have any corrections or updates since the government's last printed edition of the chart, and that is usually a matter of years 

In the past, you had to buy a chart, then go back in time through Local Notice to Mariners corrections and see how many applied to your chart.  Of course, you had to do this for every chart you carried.  Now you can order an NOAA chart that is current and correct when it's printed for you.

POD charts have better graphics than other charts.  The printing is crisper with much better color contrast.  They are not cluttered with GPS waypoints, fishing spots, or other extraneous information that gets in the way of reading the damn thing.  In fact, coastal (medium) scale charts can be ordered without Loran lines at no extra charge, eliminating the single largest amount of clutter on previous charts.

POD charts are NOAA approved, SOLAS compliant, and meet US Coast Guard carriage requirements.
 

* Choose from water-resistant paper or laminated versions.  The water resistant paper is the same stock used in standard NOAA flat charts, which is easy to fold.  The lightly laminated versions are still foldable, but are essentially waterproof.  You can still plot on them with a pencil, and easily erase!  We recommend this version for the vast majority of users.  (We also recommend rolling charts if you expect to plot courses on them, if space permits.)

* POD charts have important bonus info printed on the left margin.  "Recreational" versions offer weather info, accident reporting info, and other items.  "Commercial" versions list important VHF channels, phone numbers, selected tide and current differences, and abridged Coast Pilots.  We recommend the Commercial versions for most users.  There is no extra charge: choose the version you like when you order.

* Coastal scale and general charts (1:80,000 and higher) can be ordered without Loran lines.  This means vastly reduced chart clutter and much easier plotting.  As Loran is getting pretty obsolescent due to GPS, this free option makes a lot of sense. 

* We can help you choose the right charts.  Consult us if you don't have an NOAA chart catalog handy.  POD charts are available for every NOAA standard flat chart, so you can get charts for the entire Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts and parts of the Carribbean and Mexico.

Prices:

$21 for wr paper; $25 for laminated.  Shipping & handling is charged as applicable.  If you're not in a hurry, and you're picking up your chart/s here, we'll piggy-back your order with a few others, and S&H can be as little as $3.  If you want the chart/s shipped to your address, then S&H will run between $10 and $15, but it's convenient and quick: one or two days.  Express Saver, Snail Mail, and Pony Express are not options.  The charts are only shipped out overnight from the printer.
 
 
  

 
(A view from the north east corner of City Island, home of New York Sailing Center.  You're looking at High Island, which is connected by a foot bridge to City Island.)

Our anchorage, as viewed from near our docks.  The area is secluded, yet the boats are moored in productive sailing waters so no time is wasted getting to them!  Our anchorage is the most beautiful and sheltered on City Island, with quick access to the open Long Island Sound from two directions.


And at the other extreme...

 
(The Hudson River, as seen from on the water off the Chelsea area looking toward New Jersey.)

...an all too typical scene in the New York Harbor/Hudson River area.   The Circle Line stops for no one, least of all our competitors' sailboats.  We snapped this photo while delivering our 6th Beneteau from Haverstraw down and around Manhattan.


 
Charts of our Area

 
Section of a large scale or "harbor" chart
of the City Island area.
 
Here's a section of the chart of our local waters: City Island Harbor and the western end of Long Island Sound.  City Island and Hart Island are adjacent in the middle; Orchard Beach is visible above City Island.  On the bottom right is Kings Point in Long Island, where the Merchant Marine Academy is located.  The Throggs Neck Bridge is slightly out of sight to the bottom left; Stepping Stone Light House is centered on the bottom.
 
NYSC is at the north end of City Island Harbor, the waters between the two islands.  This protects us from strong weather from all directions and also from commercial traffic in the open Sound.  Yet, we can easily access the Sound from 2 directions for navigation excursions and other "legs" requiring more distance.

Winds tend to be reliable and steady due to the topography here: it's not like sailing on a lake or enclosed bay with shifty, variable winds that are tough for racers to figure out, let alone novices.  They funnel steadily up, down or across City Island Harbor and the Sound, making your learning experience easier and more enjoyable.


 
The "Big" Picture
NYSC & YC
HOME
Location
See naked boats!
Experience
Comparison
shopping
FAQ (frequently
asked questions)
Instructors
Teaching Aids
(Obstacle Course
& Model Sloop)
Keep Sailing
SCHEDULES, SIGNING-UP

 

The chart section above is smaller in scale, showing more area in less detail.   (This is a transitional scale, on the cusp between a "harbor" chart and a "coastal" chart.)  An X marks our base on City Island; you can see 2 light houses located a short sailing distance from there, as well as a wide variety of buoys and beacons.   We have plenty of open water in which to practice in addition to our protected "playpen" in City Island Harbor.  Other schools enjoy few or none of these important benefits - and, as you can start to see, you may actually have to travel further to get to them.  (Even if you don't, our location is the only one worth "commuting" to!)

Many of our club/marina members live considerable distances away, driving past yacht clubs and marinas nearby their homes just because of the fine sailing found in the Western Sound and the convenience of our anchorage in particular.

As a beginning sailor, you'll appreciate the convenience and quality of our setup just as much or more!

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