Manhattan by Sail

What Manhattan by Sail does

Manhattan by Sail is a family-owned sailing tour operator based in New York City, operating continuously since 1972 when founder Nick van Nes sailed his 70-foot yawl Petrel to The Battery and established the first passenger sailboat operation in NYC Harbor. The company runs a two-vessel historic fleet: the 158-foot Clipper City twin-masted tall ship (built 1985, capacity 150 passengers, departing Pier 17 at South Street Seaport) and the 82-foot Shearwater classic schooner (built 1929, capacity 48 passengers, NYC floating landmark, National Register of Historic Places since 2009, departing North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place). It sells a catalog of public sailing experiences — Day Sails, Sunset Jazz Sails with live musicians, Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sails, City Lights Night Sails, July 4th Fireworks Cruises, Fleet Week Harbor Tours, and Tall Ship Parade sails — plus quote-based private charters for corporate events and weddings up to 150 guests, gift certificates, and a children's Harbor Camp summer program in partnership with Buoyant USA.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: ticket sales flow through FareHarbor embedded on manhattanbysail.com, supplemented by walk-up dock purchases and inbound phone/text reservations. Public ticket pricing spans approximately $35 to $650 per person depending on experience (e.g., Shearwater Golden Hour at $67-$74; Clipper City Day Sail at $68; Sunset Jazz Sail at $107-$112; July 4th Fireworks Cruise from $650), with onboard food and beverage as ancillary revenue. Customer segments include NYC tourists, local residents, corporate enterprise groups (logos cited include Goldman Sachs, Google, American Express, McKinsey, Amazon, LinkedIn, PepsiCo, Tommy Hilfiger, and NFL), wedding and celebration parties, film and media productions, and families. Pricing for private charters is quote-based with tiered catering (Casual Bites to Admiral's Abundance) and bar packages (Beer & Wine to Premium Open Bar).

Distribution and marketing are direct: the company's own website with FareHarbor booking is the primary channel, supplemented by organic social media on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, TripAdvisor review management (Travelers' Choice 2023), Google Adsense display advertising, and email newsletter. The technology stack is deliberately lightweight — WordPress CMS, FareHarbor for commerce, Google Analytics for traffic, and standard SaaS privacy tooling (GDPR, CCPA, WCAG 2.1 compliance) — with no mobile app, no API, no AI/ML capability, and no third-party reseller network. Operations are single-geography (NYC Harbor only) with a corporate office at 80 Broad Street, Suite 510, and the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional ownership.

Name

Manhattan by Sail

Legal name

Manhattan By Sail

Website

https://manhattanbysail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Manhattan by Sail is a family-owned, private sailing tour operator in New York Harbor, running public sails, private charters, and special events aboard two historic vessels — the 158-foot Clipper City tall ship and the 82-foot Shearwater schooner — for tourists, locals, corporate groups, and weddings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harbor sailing tours and private charters

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Sailing Cruises (Windjammers & Tall Ships) (THAEADAB), Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE), Day & Short-Horizon Private Cruises (Half-Day/Day/Overnight) (THAEAEAF)

Keywords

• Sailing tours
• Harbor cruises
• Private charters
• Tall ship sails
• Corporate event cruises

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sailing Tours: Ticket sales for scheduled public sailing experiences including Day Sails, Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sails, Sunset Jazz Sails, City Lights Night Sails, Fleet Week Tours, July 4th Fireworks Cruises, and Tall Ship Parade sails. Prices range from $35-$650 per person depending on experience type and group size.
2. Private Charters and Events: Private sailing charters for weddings, corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, team building, intimate celebrations, and film/photo shoots aboard Clipper City (up to 150 guests). Revenue generated through catering and beverage packages (Casual Bites to Admiral's Abundance) and bar options (Beer & Wine to Premium Open Bar).
3. Onboard Food and Beverage: Full bar service offering beer, wine, mixed drinks, and cocktails available for purchase aboard both vessels. Snacks and light bites also available. Welcome cocktails included in certain sail packages.
4. Gift Certificates: Sale of gift certificates and gift cards for sailing experiences, allowing recipients to choose their preferred sail adventure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Manhattan by Sail sells scheduled public sailing tours and private charters aboard two historic vessels in New York Harbor—the 158-foot Clipper City tall ship (up to 150 passengers) and the 82-foot Shearwater schooner (up to 48 passengers). Offerings include day sails, sunset jazz sails with live music, afternoon cocktail sails, city lights night sails, and special-event cruises such as July 4th fireworks, Fleet Week, and the Tall Ship Parade, plus full-vessel private bookings for weddings, corporate events, and film/photo shoots with onboard catering and bar packages.

Product overview

Manhattan by Sail operates a fleet of two historic sailing vessels offering public sailing experiences and private charters in New York Harbor. The portfolio centers on two vessels: the Clipper City (158-foot, 150-passenger capacity tall ship) and the Shearwater (82-foot, 48-passenger Gatsby-era schooner). Core public sailing products include Day Sails, Sunset Jazz Sails with live music, Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sails, and City Lights Night Sails. Special event sails include July 4th Fireworks Cruises, Fleet Week Harbor Tours, and Tall Ship Parade experiences. The company also offers Private Sailing Charters for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations accommodating up to 150 guests, alongside Gift Certificates and Harbor Camp children's summer program. All sails pass iconic landmarks including Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Manhattan skyline.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clipper City: NYC's largest passenger tall ship, 158 feet long, capacity for 150 passengers, 8 iconic sails. Departing from Pier 17 at South Street Seaport.
• Shearwater

Products and services

• Clipper City Tall Ship Sailing Tours Public sailing tours aboard the historic 158-foot twin-masted Clipper City tall ship (NYC's largest passenger sailboat), with up to 150 passengers sailing past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governors Island, and the Manhattan skyline.
• Shearwater Classic Schooner Sailing Tours Intimate sailing tours aboard the 82-foot, 1929-built Shearwater schooner (a designated NYC floating landmark and National Register of Historic Places listing since 2009), accommodating up to 48 passengers past the Statue of Liberty and harbor landmarks.
• Clipper City Day Sail (Statue of Liberty Experience) Daytime sailing experience aboard the Clipper City with close-up views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Manhattan skyline; full bar and snacks available onboard; priced from $68 per person (ages 13+).
• Sunset Jazz Sail 1 hour 45 minute evening sail aboard Clipper City with live jazz musicians, sunset views behind the Statue of Liberty, and a full cocktail bar; from $112 per person (1-4 guests) or $107 per person (5-15 guests).
• Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sail 90-minute pre-sunset sail aboard Clipper City with welcome cocktail, sailing past Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Governors Island during golden hour; from $84 per person (1-4 guests) or $77 per person (3-15 guests).
• Clipper City Lights Night Sail Evening city lights cruise aboard Clipper City showcasing NYC's illuminated skyline; group size limited to 15 for a quiet experience; full bar and snacks available; from $78 per person (ages 13+).
• Shearwater City Lights Night Sail 1 hour 30 minute nighttime harbor cruise aboard the 82-foot Shearwater schooner featuring illuminated skyline views, with beer, wine, and simple mixed drinks available for purchase; adult and child pricing available.
• July 4th Fireworks Cruise 4.5-hour special Independence Day sailing aboard Clipper City with front-row views of Macy's July 4th Fireworks Spectacular (40,000+ shells, Blue Angels flyover), gourmet hors d'oeuvres, themed cocktails, open bar, and live jazz quartet; from $650 per person.
• Fleet Week Harbor Tour Specialized Fleet Week harbor tour departing Pier 36 aboard Clipper City, offering up-close views of visiting naval vessels and Coast Guard cutters docked throughout New York Harbor.
• Tall Ship Parade Sail (Sail4th 250) Special sailing experience aboard Clipper City participating in the Sail4th 250 celebration, with front-row views of the international tall ship fleet parade including July 3 Class B and July 4 Class A ships and a U.S. Navy Blue Angels flyover.
• Private Sailing Charters Full private charter of Clipper City (up to 150 guests) for weddings, corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, team building, intimate celebrations, and film/photo shoots, with customizable catering (Casual Bites, Captain's Table, Admiral's Abundance) and beverage packages (Beer & Wine to Premium Open Bar); 20-person catering minimum.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates/cards redeemable across the sailing experience portfolio including Day Sails, Sunset Jazz Sails, Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sails, July 4th cruises, and City Lights sails.
• Harbor Camp One-week summer sailing program for children ages 5-12 aboard Clipper City featuring knot tying, harbor exploration, on-the-water learning, and daily crew challenges; run jointly with Buoyant USA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clipper City can accommodate up to 150 passengers per sail
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationFareHarbor provides the embedded booking and reservation system for manhattanbysail.com. The platform handles ticket sales, calendar management, and payment processing. Cookies from FareHarbor (fareharbor-uuid, tusSupport) are used for booking functionality.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises: Circle Line is the largest sightseeing cruise operator in NYC, running motor vessel harbor tours, Liberty cruises, and seasonal event cruises (including 4th of July and Fleet Week). Overlaps with Manhattan by Sail on Statue of Liberty and skyline sightseeing but uses motor vessels and serves a more mass-market price point.
• Spirit Cruises: Spirit Cruises (operating under Hornblower) runs dining, entertainment, and event cruises in multiple US port cities. Overlaps with Manhattan by Sail for group entertainment cruises, holiday fireworks events, and corporate/private charters, though typically with enclosed motor vessels rather than tall ships.
• Statue Cruises: Statue Cruises provides ferry transportation to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the National Park Service's authorized concessioner. Competes with Manhattan by Sail for tourists seeking Statue of Liberty views but serves a mass-transit use case rather than premium sailing experiences.
• Hornblower Cruises and Events: Hornblower operates a portfolio of cruise and water-tour brands across major US cities including NYC, combining sightseeing, dining cruises, and private charter services. Competes with Manhattan by Sail on the corporate charter and special events side, particularly for large-group entertaining on the water.

Regional players

• NYC Ferry: NYC Ferry is a municipally subsidized commuter and sightseeing ferry service across multiple routes in New York Harbor. While functionally a transit service, it offers affordable harbor views that serve as a budget substitute for Manhattan by Sail's sightseeing sails.
• Seastreak: Seastreak operates high-speed passenger ferries and seasonal cruise services between NJ, NY Harbor, and beach destinations. While primarily a commuter ferry, it offers seasonal sightseeing and event cruises that overlap with some of Manhattan by Sail's harbor tour offerings.

Direct peers

• Classic Harbor Line: Classic Harbor Line operates sailing and motor yacht tours in New York Harbor, including schooners and vintage-style vessels offering brunch, sunset, and sightseeing sails. Directly competes with Manhattan by Sail for tourist and private charter customers in the same harbor with similar premium, heritage positioning.

Emerging players

• Sailo: Sailo is a yacht charter marketplace that connects consumers and groups with private sailing vessels, including in New York Harbor. Overlaps with Manhattan by Sail on the private charter and special events use case, particularly for smaller or alternative vessel bookings outside Manhattan by Sail's owned fleet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/manhattanbysail
• Instagraminstagram.com/manhattanbysail/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@manhattan.by.sail
• Xx.com/manhattanbysail

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Manhattan by Sail