Three Iconic Boating Cities

Three Iconic Boating Cities

Aviara docked in downtown Chicago
For entertainment, check out the Chicago Riverwalk. It has three downtown docks, including this one at City Winery, a restaurant and live-music venue. Cate Brown

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Chicago

This city of 2.7 million doesn’t become an American metropolis without the water. Lake Michigan connects to the Chicago River, which connects to the Mississippi River, creating a shipping superhighway through the heart of the country—Chicago to New Orleans, without a stop.

Aviara cruising downtown Chicago
The Aviara AV32 cruises the Chicago River, which winds through the city in the shadow of some of America’s first high-rises Cate Brown

Reversing its flow and dying it green might impress everyday folk, but for mariners, it’s the ease of access to the city’s core that makes the Chicago River a boon for boaters. Among the highlights: the Chicago Riverwalk and historic downtown high-rises (among them the Home Insurance Building, America’s first skyscraper). Add to that the 26 miles of lakefront that provides boater access to Soldier Field, Burnham Harbor and Navy Pier, a hub for dining, shopping and people-watching.

Centennial Wheel behind Aviara
Centennial Wheel is one of the signature visuals of Navy Pier, an entertainment, shopping and dining destination. The online slip-reservation system makes it easy to schedule a visit. Cate Brown

For this day cruise, our vessel of choice was the Aviara AV32, an open layout with luxe cockpit seating, a triple-touchscreen display at the helm and serious power—on plane in 3.7 seconds. It’s a proper dayboat for a tour of this windy—and waterfront—city.

Aviara cruising past Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty has been lifting her lamp beside the golden door since 1886—but get your hero shot and keep moving because the national monument is accessible only by officially approved ferries. Cate Brown

New York

A megalopolis with more than 8 million residents and 520 miles of coastline. A city centered around a 22-square-mile island with 789 bridges and tunnels that connect five boroughs. For boaters, New York City is big, far beyond just its apples.

Aviara approaching Battery Park
Approaching from the south, the Aviara points its bow toward Battery Park and lower Manhattan, where the Freedom Tower stands far above the other high-rises. Cate Brown

If you’re running a big boat, North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place accommodates yachts up to 175 feet; its location provides immediate access to Tribeca and lower Manhattan. But most everyday boaters launch from outside the city limits. We departed from West Shore Marina in Huntington and made the one-hour run around Long Island to Manhattan. The ride in the Aviara AV32 was a breeze. A bowrider on steroids powered by twin Mercury 300s, it offers all the boost and comfort needed.

Aviara cruising the Hudson River
Heading north on the Hudson River as lower Manhattan looms in the background. Cate Brown

There is more here than any day cruise could cover: the East River and its trifecta of famous bridges (Manhattan, Brooklyn and Robert F. Kennedy, aka the Triborough Bridge); the views of midtown from the East River; the Statue of Liberty near Ellis Island. But not seeing it all is understandable—iconic can’t be accomplished in a day.

Read Next: Five Great Cities to Dock and Dine

Aviara in Biscayne Bay
Miami’s ever-expanding skyline is on full display from Biscayne Bay. Garrett Cortese

Miami

If you take the population of Miami-Dade County (2.7 million) and divide it by the county’s number of registered boats (74,622), you get one boat for every 36 residents. When you consider how common it is to see a trailered boat on US 1, or the long line of trucks waiting to launch at Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park or Coconut Grove’s Dinner Key Marina on the weekend, that statistic sounds just right. Miami is a boater’s paradise. Year-round beach weather, a river snaking through downtown, good fishing within sight of the skyline, and six public marinas make it one of the most aqua-centric cities on Earth.

Spacious bow seating on Aviara
The AV40 offers plenty of bow seating, and a spacious cabin belowdecks that sleeps four. Garrett Cortese

Whether it’s the eight-figure homes on Star Island, the hyper-modern high-rises regularly sprouting up downtown or the rustic residences of Stiltsville, taking it all in requires a vessel with a wide-open layout and plenty of comfort. Cue the Aviara AV40. Stellar amenities abound, but we love the coamings that lie down level with the swim platform, which transforms the cockpit into a private cabana wherever you are in the Magic City.

Aviara at anchor in Miami
The Aviara AV40’s coamings lie down level with the swim platform, opening up the cockpit for your crew. Garrett Cortese

Other Iconic Boating Cities

Charleston

Poling through marshes, cuts and tidal creeks for redfish and shrimp; checking out Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter and the city’s centuries of history; low-key runs to Myrtle Beach, Kiawah Island and Savannah—boating in Charleston has you covered, from high-brow entertainment to Lowcountry boils.

Tampa

The 813 is the second-biggest boating destination in Florida (Miami is No. 1) largely because it neighbors St. Petersburg and Clearwater, two equally salty cities. Choose whatever maritime pastime that suits you: offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, exploring protected areas like Riviera Bay, and long-range cruising on the Gulf’s Intracoastal Waterway.

Seattle

A water temperature of 67 degrees in summer might sound chilly to Southern readers, but it hasn’t impacted the volume of wakeboats, pontoons and runabouts that turn Puget Sound into a marine playground. The diversity of boating options is what puts Seattle on our list. One minute you’re checking out the Space Needle from Elliot Bay, the next you’re anchored up at Blake Island Marine State Park with Mount Rainier in the distance.

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