Tag: boat rental

We’re not just IN the news… we help produce it!

When media needs a captained boat rental for tv, film, ad & photo shoots, we often get the call.

In that pic: USA Network journalists/drone pilots in action from our Carolina Skiff on Long Island Sound. The foredeck is like a drone heliport, and the open profile of the stable skiff facilitate shooting in any direction from on board. Here’s a sample of what they captured before their drone landed:

Still frame from video aired by USA Network on northjersey.com – an aerial piece about burials at NYC’s cemetery (potters field) on Hart Island, adjacent to City Island.

This isn’t anything new for New York Sailing Center. We’ve been featured on cable, network TV, and in print since soon after we opened in the fall of 1997 with on-water classes starting in April of 1998. And, we’ve helped produce the full spectrum of the same things for other purposes.

Our Director and HBIC (Head Bozo in Charge), Captain Stephen Glenn Card, is a solid photographer if slightly shakier on the video front. However, he’s an all-around rock star on setting things up – and then keeping clear – so pros get their shots: by still lens, video, and anything attached to a drone. Somehow it just comes naturally to him.

In that pic: a glassy calm photo session from City Island Harbor, looking out over Long Island Sound. That’s the ‘Gold Coast’ of Nassau County, Long Island in the background. This was a lengthy piece in New York Magazine last summer. We took NY Mag out for stills from our Carolina Skiff and aerials via drone, ranging from the Brother Islands in the East River out to some small islands off Westchester in the Sound. Foreground of pic: the Chimney Sweeps, large rock islets off City Island.

When the shoot calls for talent on a boat with a particular look and lighting, we can supply the boats and time the lighting. For one shoot, Captain Card was hired to captain a 40-foot sailboat for a few days that was the main location for a short independent movie. Departing Sag Harbor each morning, he drove the boat to wherever the director wanted the background to be, and oriented the sailboat for the best lighting. There was a go-fast chaseboat available for some of the shooting, and some crew and talent transfers, but most of it was from right on board the sailboat, and Captain Card brought them along from the dock

At anchor for one scene, the lighting wasn’t quite working out. So, he rigged a bridle from bow to stern which the anchor line could be slid along, letting him instantly and exactly change the boat’s angle to the sun as the DP needed in the moment. Brilliant! Idea, that is… the lighting was more subtle on purpose.

In that pic: New York’s Channel 5 did a series a few summers ago called “Closer Than You Think,” about things to see and do in NYC that were, well… yeah. Closer. They did a piece on City Island, and we got most of the air time as well as a lengthy thanks/mention in the studio segment with the reporters. We were featured, of course, but we were also very involved in all aspects of setting up the shoot: scenes from our pier (as in this pic), chase boat, and video from both. It’s a fun video; check it out here!

We absolutely love doing this stuff, whether it’s zooming around in our go-fast Carolina Skiff to chase down a sailboat in a shoot, cruising to a destination for scenery, or whatever actually. We still love just being on the water. Never grows old.

A Folkboat Joins the Fleet

We tried her out last weekend, and liked her… so we got her.  Say hello to the newest acquisition in our fleet…

folkboat-and-cc
“Silent Reach,” our International Folkboat.   To the left is a C&C 34.  Very good – but very different – boat.

We’ve seen these boats around for a few years – and by around, we mean the world.  Or at least the hemisphere.  But these boats get around, literally and figuratively.  “Silent Reach” was built in Sweden by the preeminent manufacturer of this class, Marieholm.  We first saw them in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) at Biras Creek Resort.  Then, back at the ranch on City Island, we saw the very one you see pictured above and learned what they were.  And now she’s ours.

So, what’s the deal with Folkboats?

  • Born of a design contest in Sweden in the 1940’s
  • Over 5,000 have been built (prolific)
  • Over 4,000 are probably still sailing (whoah)
  • They started out as wood but became fiberglass in 60’s and onward
  • Traditional design with full keel
  • Point very well and are super seaworthy (circumnavigation-so)
  • Popular all over

We sailed Silent Reach on a light wind weekend day with some motorboat chop.  The wind was a little stronger when we were rigging, so we used the working (small) jib.  Despite the smaller sailplan in light wind, and a dirty bottom, the boat pointed well, sailed fairly fast, and was maneuverable for a full keel design.

The next time out, after closing on her, we had more wind.  So what did we do?  We used the larger jib (genoa)!  This is one stiff boat.  Yet, she’s lively and fun to sail.  Can’t wait to see her true pedigree when we clean her bottom.

International Folkboats are also known as Swedish Folkboats.  They’re popular in Scandinavia of course, but they get around the world.  We’ve seen references to a Transatlantic and a circumnavigation so far.  That means these are ocean-capable boats, yet, they are fun on inland waters too for both daysailing and pocket cruising.  The previous owner of Silent Reach sailed her to Block Island a few times.

Here’s a sister ship with the same color cabin top/deck and similar hull color (Silent Reach was the same red originally but had recently been repainted professionally)…

follkboat-sister-swedish-red
A Marieholm Folkboat, apparently in Sweden, that’s basically identical to ours. (This one sports a dodger over the companionway.)

The one above is sailing with its working jib.  Here’s one under genoa:

folkboat-blue-genoa
This one appears to be in a race, almost at the layline for the next mark. She’s spinnaker equipped so might be about to pop the chute.

The boats were originally wood with wooden spars (masts and booms). The Marieholm ones that are prevalent are all glass outside except for the tiller.  This makes them lower on maintenance yet still appearing quite traditional.  The interiors have a lot of wood.

Engines could be inboard or outboard apparently.  Ours is o/b.  They were designed to have the engine in a well in the transom (see the hatch under the tiller in the shot above).  Some put them on the transom too, as shown with the red sister ship further up.

What will we use her for?  The sheer joy of sailing.  She’ll predominately be a daysailer.  She can be overnighted as well, although space is a little tight belowdecks.  Ours has an Origo 2-burner stove and a porta potti. Nothing fancy, but with the V-berth and two settees, there are places to sleep.  And being very stable, she won’t rock around as much as a lighter fin-keel design.

folkboat-blueprint
Plan of the International Folkboat. Elegant, traditional design.

Despite being a more classic design with traditional transom and full keel, there are performance elements to the Folkboat.  Note the fractional rig. The boats have adjustable backstays, for crying out loud!  Plus, sliding gooseneck for the ultimate in shaping ability, and a cunningham for tweaking that shape.  Large mainsails with manageable headsail choices make for performance and ease of handling.

“Silent Reach” will be available to our graduates (and well qualified outsiders) to rent as well as to our Sailing Club members.  Come see, and sail, an example of sailing history that won’t go out of style!

Two articles on Folkboats…

Good Old Boat (The Folkboat: Little Beauty with a Big Heart)

Yachting World (‘Did you sail that thing here?’ – solo across the Atlantic in a Folkboat)