Narwhal Yacht Charters — Local services in New York

Eric & Genesis Our family took a trip to New York City to celebrate my wife’s birthday, and one of her coworkers recommended a private sailing charter with his college friend, Eric. It did not disappoint. For three hours, we sailed the Hudson and East Rivers, taking in the Freedom Tower, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The city skyline was unforgettable — but the real story was our captain. Eric is a U.S. Coast Guard–certified Master Captain and the President and Founder of Narwhal Yacht Charters, which he has been running for more than a decade. His path to this life was anything but ordinary. After college, Eric followed the well-worn road to “success.” He worked in the financial district of downtown Manhattan, surrounded by power, money, and prestige. From the outside, he had it all — a steady career, upward mobility, and eventually an MBA from Columbia University to climb even higher. But inside, something was missing. Finance promised wealth and status, but not joy. He found himself studying things he didn’t care about and working in a world that left him unfulfilled. Instead of using his MBA to advance in finance, Eric turned it into a pivot point. He dove into entrepreneurship, business development, and marketing with a new goal: to build a life around the thing that had always brought him happiness. “Sailing is in my blood. I began sailing while in the womb of my mother and haven’t stopped since. The smiles I witnessed taking friends out on my first sailboat inspired me to quit Corporate America, restore a classic boat, and sail for a living. I hope to share that passion with you.” Eric’s roots in sailing run deep. His parents lived aboard a Fisher 30 named Genesis for the first six years of their marriage, raising Eric and his siblings each summer with unforgettable memories on the water. When his father passed away, the family sold their beloved boat — but Eric later restored the name by bolting the original handmade nameplates from 1973 onto his own vessel. “To me, renaming my boat Genesis honors my father and the life we shared on the water. Every time I’m at the helm, I feel him beside me, filling the sails with wind.” But the Genesis is more than a tribute. It is also where Eric built a new life for himself — a life of love and family. He had his very first date with his wife aboard the Genesis. Later, he unfurled a proposal written across the mainsail. And eventually, the two were married on the boat itself. For Eric, the Genesis isn’t just a sailboat; it is the heart of his story. And while sailing is in his blood, New York City is in his soul. Eric loves the city just as deeply as he loves the water that surrounds it. It is his home, his community, and one of his greatest hobbies. In his free time, he studies New York history and delights in the city’s architecture. He has nicknames for its skyscrapers — the “Post-it Note Building,” the “Jenga Tower,” and the “Penguin of Madagascar.” He can even point out the tiny gap in the skyline where you can catch a glimpse of Trinity Church, the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton. Now in its 14th year, Narwhal Yacht Charters has sailed more than 64,000 nautical miles. Eric captains every trip himself, blending his passion for sailing with his love for New York City, ensuring his guests see both in a new light. As Eric puts it: “This is not a career for me; it’s a deep passion. Let me share that with you—you...

Like all the other reviews, I fully support and endorse the 5 star rating for Eric (the Captain of Narwhal Yacht Charters).

TL;DR - awesome yacht + wonderful captain = amazing, unforgettable day

Here's the longer version: For my birthday, I was looking to do something extravagant. I live in Manhattan and I run along the Hudson river often and I see all these luxury boats parked in the piers so one day, I thought, for my next birthday, I'm going to see if I can rent one out and hire a captain.

After googling for private luxury yachts, Narwhal Yacht Charters kept popping up with their countless 5 star rating so I decided that while it wasn't the "luxury" I had in mind, maybe it was best for my first outing like this to be on one that is endorsed by many and various outlets.

And let me tell you that the rave reviews do not give the experience justice to how amazing this was. First off, Eric was an amazing captain - just really chill, super cool and friendly. I'm not big on overly friendly people who act like your best friend from day 1 but Eric was just chill - and having lived on this boat for 5 years, he has the boat really well taken care of (ie very clean) and it really felt like we were entering his home.... except we are on the water. We were free to roam around the deck (and the cabin but it was beautiful outside so no reason to go inside) and just enjoy the amazing sail on the hudson around Manhattan.

I could go on and on about how great this experience was but as I said earlier, I cannot describe in words how amazing it was. I can only say that this was one of the best birthday activities I have ever done - nothing like spending quality time with some of your closest friends and having a captain that is very accommodating and super chill to navigate all of us around. If you are debating whether to do this or not, you really won't regret it. I'm pretty picky about the types of experiences I can get and I'm not one to write a 5 star review for the sake of writing it so trust me and the thousands of other reviews - it will be an experience that will blow your...

What can I say... chartering a sail on the Genesis with Captain Eric was one of the best decisions I've ever made in life. It was a perfect experience from beginning to end. I am still basking in the glow of how wonderful it was.

I booked a 4 hour sunset sail for my relatives who were visiting from abroad, and Captain Eric made us all feel right at home on his beautiful boat. He provides food and dramamine, blankets if you get chilly, and you can even bluetooth your own music!

Captain Eric is a super knowledgable guide and overall great human being-- congenial and accommodating, very communicative and professional. He answered my messages right away and welcomed any further questions. You can tell he really cares about his passengers and has a gift for sailing, I guarantee you will be in good hands.

His boat is immaculately clean and well-maintained (he's got a lovely history behind the boat, too!) and takes the smallest details into consideration. I have a lot of respect for his obvious passion for sailing & Hudson River area.

I've lived in NJ/NYC my entire life and learned so much I didn't know about the history of the Hudson River/all the boroughs/NJ. Not to mention, the views are absolutely breathtaking~ I didn't want the sail to end. I also loved that our group of 5 was able to enjoy the boat all to ourselves, and were able to bring our own snacks & beverages, too. With our own soundtrack, it was like heaven. This was a truly rare treat for us, and I imagine just about anyone would fall in love with this experience.

Captain Eric even allowed my small dog to come along in a carrier because we were the last charter of the day. (Eric cleans his boat daily, so manageable dogs in carriers are allowed on the last trip in case someone on the next sail is allergic.) We were so happy to have our pup with us.

All in all, I can't wait to book another trip someday! Thank you,...