South Street Seaport Museum Announces 2022 Sailing Season For Schooner Pioneer and Tugboat W.O. Decker

The South Street Seaport Museum announces the 2022 Sailing Season for 1885 schooner Pioneer and rides aboard 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker to run from May 25 to October 30, 2022 from Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets). Tickets will go on sale to the public starting April 15, 2022 at seaportmuseum.org/sailnyharbor.

Sail the New York Harbor on 1885 Schooner Pioneer

The only place to sail New York Harbor aboard a historic 1885 schooner! See the sights of New York Harbor, the magnificent Lower Manhattan skyline, and Governors Island from the decks of this National Register of Historic Places-listed vessel. Bring your family for an afternoon sail, a date for a sunset sail, or just yourself to enjoy history at sea. See the city from a new perspective as you grab a halyard to help raise a sail or simply sit back and enjoy the view. Bring a picnic lunch or dinner, afternoon snack, beverages, or a bottle of wine to enjoy on your two- or three-hour sail.

Take a Ride on 1930 Tugboat W.O. Decker

Take an exciting 75-minute ride on the last surviving New York-built wooden tugboat W.O. Decker, recently named "Tugboat of the Year" by the Steamship Historical Society of America. Cruises will explore New York Harbor, and views may include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Battery, and Governors Island, as you set out on an adventure unlike any you've had before!

Both schooner Pioneer and tugboat W.O. Decker are also available for charters from May to October 2022, and charter booking is now open. Charters sail within New York Harbor, one of the most fascinating harbors in the world, and afford unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the New York and New Jersey skylines, as well as a chance to witness all manner of vessels, from tugboats to cruise ships, as they perform their duties on the waterfront. Departing from Pier 16, these historic vessels are ideal for private sails, group or company outings, and photo or film shoots. Pricing ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, and early bird discounts are available. To reserve your group and book a custom charter experience today, contact charters@seany.org.

Educational programs and field trips are offered aboard both ships, and booking for school groups is now open. Head into New York Harbor for an outdoor educational experience that students will never forget. During a two- or three-hour sailing program, each class will enjoy one-of-a-kind activities such as hauling on ropes to raise sail, viewing the Statue of Liberty and other historic landmarks, and trawling for organisms from the bottom of the Harbor. Programs are custom-tailored to fit grade level and curriculum, with pricing starting at $500. Scholarships are available, and Title I school groups are encouraged to apply. To learn more or to reserve your group today, contact education@seany.org.

Seaport Museum Memberships include unlimited admission to museum exhibitions, invitations to special events, and great discounts year-round, including 20% off on W.O. Decker and Pioneer sails. Memberships start at $50 and help support Museum's exhibitions, preserve the ships and the collections, grow public programs, and serve over 12,000 students through education initiatives. To join the Museum as a Member, visit seaportmuseum.org/membership.

Be sure to review the latest COVID-19 protocols at seaportmuseum.org/covid-19-updates. People over age 5 may be required to show proof they are fully vaccinated to board. Proof of vaccination can be provided in the form of a physical immunization card, NY Excelsior Pass app, or the NYC COVID Safe app at check-in. Additionally, in accordance with current Federal and New York State COVID-19 guidance for transportation, masks are required at all times.

The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the South Street Seaport Historic District in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working nineteenth century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of "Where New York Begins." www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org

Schooner Pioneer is an award-winning sail training vessel teaching volunteers traditional maritime skills and the art of tall ship sailing. In the days before paved roads, small coastal schooners such as Pioneer were the delivery trucks of their era, carrying various cargoes between coastal communities: lumber and stone from the islands of Maine, brick on the Hudson River, and oyster shell on the Chesapeake Bay. Almost all American cargo sloops and schooners were wood, but because she was built in what was then this country's center of iron shipbuilding, Pioneer had a wrought-iron hull. She was the first of only two cargo sloops built of iron in this country and is the only iron-hulled American merchant sailing vessel still in existence. By 1930, when new owners moved her from the Delaware River to Massachusetts, she had been fitted with an engine, and was no longer using sails. In 1966 she was substantially rebuilt and turned into a sailing vessel once again. Now she plies the waters of NY Harbor carrying adults and children instead of cargo in her current role as a piece of "living history." For more information, visit seaportmuseum.org/pioneer.

The last surviving New York-built, wooden tugboat, W.O. Decker was built in 1930 by the Newtown Creek Towing Company and originally named Russell I, after the towing company's owners. She was renamed W.O. Decker in 1946 after being sold to the Decker family's Staten Island tugboat firm. The tugboat was initially steam-powered and later refitted with a diesel engine. She was donated to the Seaport Museum in 1986 and was refitted with a diesel engine. W.O. Decker is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an exemplary model of the types of steam tugs that were once an abundant sight in New York Harbor. This unique vessel is a true testament to New York City's maritime heritage, which is a direct factor in the city's global prominence today. For more information, visit seaportmuseum.org/decker.