Set your sights on sailing

By Lisa Iannucci
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

Most boating activities start in May and run through October. Myles Gordon, owner of the Great Hudson Sailing Center in Kingston, has seen an increase every year in sailboat sales and rentals.

''It's a great lifestyle and something the whole family can do," said Gordon. ''Modern sailboats are much easier to handle than the old style and you don't need to be Popeye anymore.''

Sailboats can be chartered and can include two or three bedrooms for longer trip.

If you want to let the captain do the work while you enjoy the scenery and maybe take a little snooze, embark on the Rip Van Winkle, a 125-foot, 300-passenger vessel from Hudson River Cruises.

''Many passengers are coming back to learning history and looking at their roots,'' said Donna Brundage, representative of Hudson Valley Cruises.

Departing from Kingston's Rondout Landing, the craft travels south to Hyde Park and circles back to the landing.

Take a specialty cruise

Poughkeepsie Journal A sailboat cruises the Hudson River at a leisurely pace.

Travelers enjoy a narrated cruise and information on the glorious mansions and estates seen along the way, such as the Mills and Vanderbilt mansions and the Rondout and Esopus lighthouses.

Specialty cruises, including mystery dinners, late night, over-21 cruises, children's daytime trips and sunset sails are also available.

The M/V Commander, a classic boat listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places, starts out of Haverstraw, offering cruises from West Haverstraw to West Point and Bannerman's Island, including a three-hour narrated cruise.

The Pride of the Hudson offers cruises out of Newburgh Landing in Newburgh. Relax on the fully-enclosed, climate-controlled main deck while enjoying the majestic panorama of the river and its valley as seen through huge wrap-around windows. Or enjoy the passing scenery from the spacious sundeck, topside. Special cruises to Bannerman's Castle are offered selected weekends.

A more personal kayak adventure is not just limited to skilled athletes. According to Jay Codey of Rhinebeck Kayak, ''Novices can quickly learn the basic skills needed to paddle and can enjoy various tours, especially a beginner tour that starts in Tivoli and heads south to Magdalen Island and Tivoli Bays.''

Boating has become so popular in the Hudson Valley that in April 2001, Gov. George Pataki announced a $1 million grant to the Hudson River Valley Greenway to establish a Hudson River Water Trail stretching from Battery Park in the Village of Waterford (Saratoga County) to Battery Park in Manhattan. The trail will provide access for kayaks, canoes and small boats along 156 miles of the river.