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Discover Connecticut, New York City, Long Island and the New Jersey coasts this summer. Go beyond the mainstream to the hidden gem destinations, activities and events that make for an extra memorable day trip or part of a more extended cruise.
One of the best places to dine with a waterfront view of the New York City skyline is in New Jersey. Set your bow for Liberty Landing Marina, a Suntex property in Jersey City, where the Maddy Rose restaurant at Liberty House serves fresh seafood, seared steaks and signature cocktails. On the property at Maritime Parc is a new restaurant, The Feathered Fox, known for its charred steak cuts and chops. Dock for $1 per foot and dine for up to three hours. Extra special eye candy arrives June 7-8, when Liberty Landing hosts Sail GP races, where nearly a dozen countries compete on high-performance F50 foiling catamarans.
To the north, tucked near the mouth of the Long Island Sound on the Housatonic River in Stratford, CT, is Outriggers Restaurant. Dine on just-caught seafood while enjoying scenic views of the bucolic outdoors, oyster boats and ospreys. The raw bar is stocked with oysters and clams on the half-shell. Hot and cold lobster roll sandwiches, fried seafood platters, and fish tacos are favorites on the seafood-centric menu. Eat indoors if it’s chilly or on the large deck outside set with umbrella-topped tables. Live music in the summer makes for a fun evening of eating and entertainment. Docking is a breeze since Outriggers is located at Safe Harbor Stratford marina. Transient slips are available for boats 15 to 100 feet LOA, up to a 24-foot beam and 8-foot maximum draft.
To the south, The Lobster House is one of the most renowned restaurants in Cape May, NJ. But many boaters don’t know there is first-come, first-serve free dockage alongside the 130-foot Grand Banks schooner American, which serves cocktails, lunch and lighter fare during dinner. Those that luck out can dock in at one of the 25 transient slips at nearby South Jersey Marina, walking distance to the Lobster House. Wine before you dine by taking a rideshare 2.5 miles inland to the Cape May Winery & Vineyard. Taste up to six wines Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. or book a semiprivate hour-long educational tasting on Saturday afternoons.
One of the least habited places along the Connecticut coast is the most fun to visit by boat. Only 23 of the more than a hundred islands, rocks and sandbars that compose this archipelago are inhabited. Only one, Outer Island, is open to the public by ferry or small powerboat from May to September; however, this two- plus-square-mile chain of islands, located in Stony Creek Harbor off Branford, CT, is a great cruising ground. It’s perfect for watersports like kayaking and paddleboarding, both available for rent from shops in Branford. The closest place to dock is Safe Harbor Bruce & Johnsons marina in Stony Creek, with transient slips for 20 to 60 feet with 7-foot draft or less. There are public cruises and private charters, too.
Spend a day at Tuckerton Seaport, a maritime village in Tuckerton, NJ. This 40-acre site offers something for everyone. There’s a decoy gallery and decoy carving workshops, a working boatworks where old Barnegat Bay sneakbox designs (19th-century duck hunting boats) are restored, a boardwalk, wetlands nature trail, the re-creation of Tucker’s Island Lighthouse, and the NJ Surf Museum, one of the largest of its kind dedicated to riding the waves on the U.S. East Coast. Restaurants and shops are here, too. BYOB (bring your own boat) and tie up at the docks or grab one of the transient slips at Sheltered Cove Marina, a little over 1.5 miles to the south. Or take a 30-foot pontoon ferry boat from Beach Haven on Long Beach Island.
North of Atlantic City, and 10 to 12 miles inland, is historic Smithville, NJ. What started as a speck of a stagecoach stop in the 1700s is now a lakeside village with over 60 shops, seven restaurants and weekend events throughout the year. Kids will especially enjoy a ride on the painted ponies of the Carousel, which spins to the sounds of a Wurlitzer organ, and the Thomas the Tank Engine-colored Smithville train, with its six-minute route along the village outskirts. Families can rent paddleboats for a half-hour ride around Lake Meone. While land is the only way to reach Smithville, the 630-slip Frank S. Farley State Marina at Golden Nugget Atlantic City resort is only 12 miles away, with transient slips available.
A hidden treasure of a modern-day seaport town is Port Jefferson, 50 miles east of New York City on the north shore of Long Island. Stroll Harborfront Park, looking at the Ship Builder Memorial and taking a selfie in the big wooden chair overlooking the harbor. Steps away is the Long Island Explorium, a hands-on, nautically themed children’s museum. Beyond, the first block or two on Main Street heading south is a treasure trove of shops, cafes and restaurants in a quaint town setting. Pull into a transient slip at Port Jefferson Marina for a couple of hours or a day to access the town. The Port Jefferson Yacht Club offers guest slips, docks and moorings for day-trippers or overnighters.
Many of the big-money fishing tournaments aren’t open to the public. However, one of the huge highlights of New Jersey’s Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational, August 13 to 16, 2025, is its concurrent Dock Road Marlin Fest. The public is welcome to watch the daily weigh-ins in the heart of the town’s commercial marine district, where some 25 vendors also set up as part of the street fest. Daily transient slips are available on the outer bulkhead at the adjacent Queen City Marina. Feel inspired? The Star Fish, a custom-built 40-foot power boat, runs half and full-day charter fishing trips from the marina.
Watch or walk in the Merry Merfolk Parade in Greenport, NY, at the Long Island Sound town’s annual Maritime Festival, September 20 and 21, 2025. “Merfolk” are people dressed as mermaids, mermen and other quirky sea creatures. Not as sizable as NYC’s biggies, like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this three-decade-plus tradition, hosted at the East End Seaport Museum on the waterfront, is definitely a find worth the visit. The weekend’s fun includes a street fair, food and artisan vendors, live music and a cardboard boat race. Mitchell Park Marina on Front Street accommodates transient boaters. It’s less than a half-mile walk from the marina to the museum.
The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is not one to miss, especially for those who love touring military vessels, such as U.S. Coast Guard ships. Set for Fort Trumbull State Park in New London, September 6 and 7, 2025, last year’s boats on display included USCG patrol boats and buoy tenders, schooners, oceanography craft and one of the nearby submarine base’s security boats. A kid’s nautical zone, with face painting, and educational and craft activities, makes this event family-friendly. There are also vendors from local nonprofits and area businesses. For the day or week, transient dockage is available at Crocker’s Boatyard, a half-mile from Fort Trumbull.
Southern New Jersey is, in reality, a peninsula. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, with all the famous “Jersey Shore” destinations like Atlantic City, Long Beach Island and the Wildwoods. To the west is the Delaware Bay and Delaware River, a route that is more traveled by commercial than pleasure craft. Yet, for those looking for an overnight or couple of days cruising trip, start with a visit to the port of Philadelphia, right across the river from Camden, New Jersey.
The Philadelphia Marine Center and Piers Marina, located in the waterfront Penn’s Landing complex with the Ben Franklin Bridge as a backdrop, offers transient dockage. The Independence Seaport Museum is at the landing, showcasing the city’s maritime history. It’s a short walk to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Visit during the Fourth of July and watch fireworks over the river, which is part of the two-week Wawa Welcome America Festival. Afterwards, it’s a 70 NM cruise down the Delaware River to Cape May. The route is best done in two days with a stop at the Delaware City Marina, across from Salem, New Jersey and on America’s Great Loop, where 10 of its 100 slips are for transients.
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