Corn Hill Navigation

What Corn Hill Navigation does

Corn Hill Navigation, operating as Rochester By Water, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded circa 1993 and headquartered in Rochester, NY. The organization operates a fleet of two tour boats, the Sam Patch and the Riverie, providing narrated themed cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee River. Its core offerings consist of scheduled themed cruises (Date Night, Family Fun, Food & Drink, History Buff, Nature Lover, Lock Passage), private charter bookings, K-12 educational cruise programs, and the seasonal Speaker Slice 'n Sail series. The organization serves tourists, Rochester-area residents, families, schools, and nonprofit and corporate groups booking private events.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and diversified across four revenue streams: cruise ticket sales, private charter rentals, donations and grants (including a $34,000 Golisano Foundation grant for accessibility programming), and eGift card sales. Distribution is exclusively through the company's own website (rochesterbywater.org) for online booking and on-site dock sales, with no intermediary resellers. The organization relies on digital marketing channels including email newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and a state tourism partnership with I LOVE NY. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is provided upon booking or inquiry. The 2024 rebrand from Corn Hill Navigation to Rochester By Water was undertaken to strengthen community identity while preserving the nonprofit mission and existing fleet.

With a headcount in the 11-50 band and seasonal operations, the organization is a small, regionally focused operator. Strategic priorities evidenced in the data include accessibility enhancements ahead of Rochester's 2025 canal bicentennial, capital reinvestment in the Sam Patch vessel for the 2026 season, and programming diversification through the Speaker Slice 'n Sail Series. There is no disclosed technology platform, AI/ML capability, or evidence of venture capital or private equity backing; governance is through a board structure typical of a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Name

Corn Hill Navigation

Legal name

Corn Hill Navigation

Website

https://cornhillnav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rochester By Water (formerly Corn Hill Navigation) is a Rochester, NY-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating two tour boats, the Sam Patch and Riverie, that run themed narrated cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee River for tourists, families, schools, and private charter clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tour Boat Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAJAA

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Marine & Water Experiences (Boat Tours, Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing)

SECONDARYTHAEACAL

Theme & Specialty River Cruises (Culinary/Wellness/Music/etc.)

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/River Cruise Operators

SECONDARYTHAEACAF

River Cruise Booking & Distribution (Direct/Agents/OTAs)

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/River Cruise Operators

Keywords

• Tour boat services
• Waterway cruise experiences
• Private boat charters
• Educational cruise programs
• Nonprofit tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cruise Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets for scheduled cruises aboard the Sam Patch and Riverie tour boats. Operates seasonally with various themed cruise options including date night, family fun, food and drink, history, nature, and lock passage themes.
2. Private Charter Rentals: Revenue from renting out tour boats for private events and charters, including special nonprofit charter rates offered on Thursdays during summer season.
3. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Rochester By Water receives charitable contributions and grants to support operations and programming, including accessibility improvements.
4. eGift Cards: Sale of gift cards for cruise experiences as a supplementary revenue stream and customer acquisition tool.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Corn Hill Navigation (doing business as Rochester By Water) operates a fleet of two tour boats — the Sam Patch and the Riverie — providing narrated themed cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee River in Rochester, NY. The organization's offerings include scheduled themed public cruises (Date Night, Family Fun, Food & Drink, History Buff, Nature Lover, Lock Passage), private charter rentals, K-12 educational cruise programs, and digital eGift Cards.

Product overview

Rochester By Water (formerly Corn Hill Navigation) operates a fleet of two tour boats—the Sam Patch and the Riverie—offering narrated cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee River in Rochester, NY. The core offerings consist of scheduled themed cruises (Date Night, Family Fun, Food & Drink, History Buff, Nature Lover, Lock Passage), private charter bookings, and K-12 educational programs. Additional revenue streams include eGift Cards and the seasonal Speaker Slice 'n Sail series. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on education, accessibility, and stewardship of Rochester's waterways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sam Patch: Tour boat offering cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee River with major upgrades planned for 2026 season.
• Riverie

Products and services

• Sam Patch Cruises

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving residents and visitors with disabilities through enhanced accessibility programs

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Lake Champlain Ferries: Operates passenger ferry and sightseeing services on Lake Champlain. Comparable in seasonal inland-water passenger vessel operation but primarily a transportation ferry rather than a dedicated sightseeing cruise operator.

Broad incumbents

• City Cruises: Largest harbor and river cruise operator in North America (formed from merger of Hornblower and Spirit Cruises). A broader incumbent in the same category, operating dining cruises, sightseeing tours, and private charters across many cities — not a direct competitor in Rochester but the dominant scaled player in the same product category.

Direct peers

• Shoreline Sightseeing: Chicago-based operator of architectural river cruises, lake tours, and themed sightseeing boat experiences. Directly comparable on inland waterway sightseeing, themed cruises, and education/group tour programming.
• Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises: Operates sightseeing tour boats on the Erie Canal near Lockport, NY. Most directly comparable peer because it shares the same canal system, similar themed cruise product (lock passage tours), and upstate NY tourism catchment.
• Harbor Breeze Cruises: Long Beach-based operator of harbor sightseeing, whale watching, and charter cruises. Comparable in small-fleet sightseeing and wildlife/nature-themed tour offerings.
• Argosy Cruises: Seattle-based harbor cruise operator offering narrated sightseeing tours, dining cruises, and themed excursions. Closely matches the combination of sightseeing cruises, themed experiences, and charter/private event offerings.
• Gateway Clipper Fleet: Pittsburgh-based riverboat sightseeing, dining cruise, and charter operator on the three rivers. Highly comparable in operating multiple vessels, themed cruise offerings, and private charter business line on inland waterways.
• Seadog Ventures: Chicago-based operator of river and lake sightseeing speedboat tours, architecture cruises, and themed excursions. Comparable in themed sightseeing product and inland waterway operating environment.
• Blue & Gold Fleet: San Francisco Bay sightseeing and charter boat operator. Comparable in offering bay cruises, themed tours, and private charter services from a single waterfront home port.
• Boston Harbor Cruises: Operates a fleet of sightseeing, whale watching, and charter vessels in Boston Harbor. Comparable in vessel-based sightseeing product mix, private charters, and seasonal operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cornhillnavigation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/corn-hill-navigation
• Instagraminstagram.com/rochesterbywater
• Xx.com/SamPatchBoat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Corn Hill Navigation