$ & time to set up boat at Boat Basin

If you assume that you will use it ten times a year, most likely you will be lucky to go five times. Don't even consider purchasing. Many rentals and time share type rentals available.

Cannot vouch for this one one or the other but I have come close to using them. Then discovered that no one was interested in joining me.

http://www.sailtime.com/location/us/new-york

"how much do boats cost and how hard is it to get a spot at 79th street?"

That's like asking how much a house costs. You can have a $20k boat or a $20 million one.

Agree with cc. You don't want to do mooring balls with little kids. Too much hassle loading kids with life jackets, their stuff timing the tides and hoping the outboard doesn't die getting to boat. Then gotta unload all the stuff then kids onto a rocking sailboat. Then ya gotta prep the sailboat, min 15 minutes if you are really quick. The kids will be outta their minds. The Hudson is a mighty river so ya gotta time it perfectly or have a 12 litre diesel to move your sailboat against tide.

As a suggestion, kids and you will have more fun on a little powerboat rented from city island for an hour or two. Just make sure kids will even wear a lifejacket. And you and hubby take some lessons from city island sailing school. Say hi to steve from me. They have a share sailboat program.

w67thstreet makes good sense here. It's hard, difficult and a hassle.

Get out on the water and enjoy yourself and your family. Have a fun sailing summer.

Maintenance can be EXTREMELY expensive. If you aren't the person who is going to be on it every week (or at least every other week) or long trips and even then.... you probably don't want to do it.

I'm sure you've heard the old saying..."The two best days of owning a boat are the day you buy it...and the day you sell it". It can be a real hassle and crazy expensive for the time/enjoyment you get out of it.

Take some basic keel boat lessons first. See if you like it. Then take the kids for a lesson.

Have they ever been rowing in Central Park? Or gone for a pleasure cruise on the Staten Island Ferry (which is FREE -- the Republicans and Liberians pay for it via their taxes, and don't even want your thanks).

This is the most sense w67th has made in two years.

Moorings in tidal rivers are for sailors with a dedicated heart. Families enchanted by the bobbing boats on a warm sunny afternoon need to start at step 1, not 54. Learning to sail on an unforgiving body of water will sour you forever and two additional lifetimes. Start by getting out on the water, not on the Hudson, but somewhere in the sound maybe, away from the frenzy of competing tidal and river currents. If you become hooked, blame w67th.

Okay, okay. Maybe I'll just make friends with someone that has a boat on 79th.

Excellent idea. Trust me, people who own boats are always looking for convivial friends to join them. But, as noted, sailing on the Hudson gets old quickly.

Hm. Every once in a while I make an attempt to convince my spouse that living on a houseboat in the boat basin would be exotic and cheaper than renting. Are my dreams well and truly dashed? Surely a houseboat can't be that bad...

am i the only one who thinks it's totally gross down there?

evnyc....I get the sense that many 'houseboats' are quite similar to trailers. As in "trailer park." No thanks.

The LIBERIANS pay for the SI ferry? I didn't know that. LOL

Then just watch your new friend in his frenzy to impart his love for his boat and his passion for sailing upon new uninitiated friends, while trying to keep from drifting into a pier, heeling too much and scaring the kids, and saying its OK when each glass of red wine splashes on the brilliantly white topsides. You'll leave wondering how you could have been so naive as to think this activity was in some way enjoyable. Believe me its only fun when you're drunk, naked and in the middle of an ocean.

eating fresh sushi, I might add....

Can I interest you in one of these fine house boats?

http://www.houseboat-getaways.com/images/houseboat-hillbilly.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii159/Rdh605/redneck-house-boat-9529.jpg

That's gotta be a coon ass.

coon ass = cajun who lives south of I-10

if it flies, floats, or f*cks - rent it

BTW, it was gross but the new path has really changed the feel of the area.

What's gross?

Who's BTW?

Whew, I'm really talking to an older generation here.

Lucille: are you sure you're not W67 in training? You're pretty dang funny.

Lucille, lease with an option to buy.

Sorry, I just have to say it:

Do you know what are the 2 happiest days of boat ownership?

It's a myth 30yrs. Every boat I ever sold almost made me cry...

biased because I grew up near lakes, but I can't imagine a river is a good place to start teaching water safety.

I was part of a summer share in Cape Cod last year, and the house came with kayaks. that was good water in which to teach our friends' four-year-old how to wear a life jacket, what to do if a boat turns over, etc.

that said, I'm sure South Cove in BPC has some kind of "sailing for tykes" classes.

ali r.

evnyc, i am also compelled by the idea of one day living in houseboat there. it seems to me that they require far less care than sailboats, etc. i believe it is also cheap and not that hard to get in. it is a whole neighborhood on the water. and while i hear it is also diverse, it is absolutely not trailer trash, there are some high up goldman guys that live there and some pretty impressive houseboats. it's the novelty that compels me. there was a lengthy times article on this a few years ago