We give you MORE of what you go to sailing school for!sm
Our Location:
Photos & Charts
(718) 885-0335  /  190 Schofield Street, at Sailmaker Marina /  City Island, NY 10464


 
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Two Universities in Manhattan - Columbia and Fordham - have sailing teams.  Both base them here at City Island.  What does that tell you about learning to sail here instead of in Manhattan or the Hudson/NY Harbor area?!

Here's a short video clip of the Fordham University Sailing Team starting a race.  Watch boat #4 carefully - they are called over the line just before the start, so they have to turn around the "pin" end and re-cross from the correct side - but face a solid wall of boats that have right of way as they do.  Watch how they deal with it, and listen to the reaction of the coaches in the background!  (Opens with Quicktime - free, easy download from Apple if you don't have it.)
 

How close are we to Manhattan?
See for yourself!
 

 
This view is from the west side of City Island, through sailboat masts and dock pilings  These boats were all in the water in March 07 when the shot was taken.  You'll recognize parts of the Manhattan skyline here.

We're less than the length of Manhattan away from it!

Easy to get to by public transit or by car, we're not much further away than any Manhattan or New Jersey school for most people.  

 And we'll pick you up from Manhattan, too!

The real difference is two-fold: the quality of the sailing environment, and how long it takes to get from the dock to productive sailing waters.  No other location even comes close to ours for great sailing waters with few distractions to learning.  And, we're located right in those waters - no time wasted getting to them!  See our Start Sailing page for more on this.

See videos of our students in action,
showing you our sailing location better
than we can describe it!


 

Our anchorage, looking from City Island toward Great Neck, Long Island.  We're located on the east side of City Island, making the area secluded, yet the boats are moored in productive sailing waters so no time is wasted getting to them and then on to the open Sound as our itineraries dictate.  We don't even need engines on our learn-to-sail boats, which some schools pass off as "valuable motoring practice" or other nonsense.  We teach you to do everything under sail, including starting and stopping! That's the hard part.  Our anchorage has instant access to the open Long Island Sound, and the best all-around protection from rough weather.  Students and mooring customers alike waste no time getting to great sailing waters.  You're in them already!

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.


Another example of how close we are to Manhattan.  The 200mm focal length exaggerates a bit, but not much.
The Dockmaster really loves those sunset shots! 
Taken from Western Long Island Sound, off the southern tip of City Island, September 8.
(Steve Card, photo)


We're a short walk from breakfast, lunch and even dinner options, and in the rare event we can't pick you up, public transit drops you off a stone's throw from our door.  We have on-site parking, and for those busy summer days, there is safe, legal parking right outside on the street.

From our classroom area, you can look out over the Harbor and Sound, and watch boats sailing by that illustrate points your instructor is making.  She or he might point out a boat and ask you what "point of sail" it's on, or if its sails are trimmed correctly.  Maybe which one of several has the right of way.  This makes classroom time more fun, engaging and effective.

Here, instructor extraordinaire Peter Schorr keeps them entertained while he educates them.  Note the large model sailboat to the right.  It has real sails and fittings, and with a large box fan for wind on demand, we can simulate everything you'll do on the water before you get out there - making that time much more productive.  The model boat rolls across the floor, pivots in any direction, and even "heels" (tips) left and right - just like a real sailboat.

And finally:
wouldn't you rather pass by this on the way to sailing school?..


(Dawn, near Turtle Cove, approaching City Island.
Steve Card, photo.)

...or see one of these guys during your lunch break?


(Hawk, probably a red-tail, along Shore Road.
Steve Card, photo.)


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 Throgs Neck Bridge is slightly out of sight to the bottom left; Stepping Stone Light House is centered on the bottom.
 
NYSC is near the middle of City Island, somewhat closer to the south end. This protects us from strong weather from most directions, particularly the northeast, 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.  (Don't even get us started on NY Harbor!)  Our winds funnel steadily up, down or across City Island Harbor and the Sound, making your learning experience much easier and more enjoyable.  Once you've learned properly, you can adapt to less environments.  They're not the place to learn!  Even in ideal sailing waters such as ours, wind can change direction from time to time during any given lesson, as well as from day to day.  Wind shifts are part of sailing, and you'll experience them everywhere.  Due to our location, wind shifts are not nearly as severe or consistent as in other areas.


 
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 old base on City Island (new base is on the same side, further south.  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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