Sails Up at Rowes Wharf, Then Boston's Harbor Islands
The crew raises sail off Rowes Wharf and downtown drops astern. Nothing is narrated. The crew answers what you ask.
Rowes Wharf sits behind the Boston Harbor Hotel, under the big arch on Atlantic Avenue, and the check-in booth is inside the ferry terminal a few steps from the dock. Boarding opens five minutes before the scheduled departure. The schooner leaves on time and does not come back for anyone who is late.
Once the boat is clear of the wharf the crew raises sail. Everyone sits out on the open deck. Nobody is on a microphone.
Two lengths sit under the same listing, and the calendar splits each one again. A 90-minute sail and a two-hour sail, each sold at a peak and an off-peak rate, plus a two-hour option that adds shucked local oysters and is limited to guests 21 and over.
Departure times move with the season. The time printed on your confirmation is the one the boat keeps.
Sightseeing Day Sail around Boston Harbor90 or 120 minutes from Rowes Wharf aboard a schooner. 4.8 from 640 reviews.www.viator.comWhat happens once the sails go up
The crew raises sail once the boat is clear of the wharf, then comes around with drinks. Cards are the only payment taken aboard. Cash buys nothing out there. Soda and water are USD 2, beer USD 6, wine USD 7 a glass, mixed drinks USD 9.
Bring your own food. Leave your own alcohol and your cooler at home. Identification gets checked before boarding for anyone planning to drink, and 21 is the line.
What slides past the rail
The route stays inside the harbor. You pass the Seaport District, Fan Pier with the Moakley Courthouse, then the inner harbor islands: Castle Island with Fort Independence, Spectacle Island, and Long Island under its head light.
Nothing stops. The boat ties up nowhere, and all of it goes by from the water. Ask the crew what you are looking at and they will tell you. Otherwise the deck stays quiet.
Everyone aboard needs a ticket
Coast Guard capacity rules count every body on deck, and the operator states that infants and toddlers each need a ticket of their own. Families who budget for two adults and assume the under-threes ride free get caught at the booth.
One booking on this listing tops out at eight travelers, and at least one has to be an adult. Stacking several bookings to move a larger group can bring added fees or a cancellation from the operator.
Getting to the wharf
Two subway stops leave you within a few blocks. South Station carries the Red and Silver lines and the commuter rail, and Aquarium sits on the Blue line. Either one puts you on Atlantic Avenue near the arch.
Driving is the expensive option. The Boston Harbor Hotel garage runs USD 42 on a weekday, USD 36 with a validation from the operator. After 5:00 PM on weekdays and all day at the weekend it drops to USD 20, or USD 14 validated. The operator's own instruction is to ask the ticket representative for that validation at check-in.
Dress for the water. The deck runs cooler than Atlantic Avenue, and the operator asks for layers and flat shoes.
The sail goes out in light rain. A captain can cancel or hold a departure right up to the scheduled time when wind, fog, or cold makes it unsafe, and a sail cancelled that way can be rescheduled, credited, or refunded. Booked through this listing, a cancellation made at least 24 hours before departure gets a full refund. Miss the boat and neither of those applies.
The schooner returns to the dock it left. The ferry terminal doors put you back on Atlantic Avenue with the rest of the afternoon still open.