The Best Boat Rides on Long Island

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From tiki parties to twilight sails, these local charters put summer on the water within easy reach

Summer on Long Island means shoreline sunsets, sea-breeze evenings, and more ways than ever to leave the dock behind. Across the Island— from Port Washington to Montauk— independent captains and family-run fleets have crafted excursions for every mood, group size, and budget. Check out the Best Boat Rides on Long Island below!👇

Floating Parties & Tiki Time

Paddle Pub & Cruisin’ Tikis (Huntington & Patchogue) – ★ 5.0

Pedal-assisted “cycle boats” and motorized tiki barges turn the harbor into a floating dance floor. Public mixer tickets start at $59, while private outings (ideal for birthdays or team-building) range from $499–$1,699. BYOB, load a playlist, and let the crew handle the steering while small and medium groups toast the sunset. For more information, click HERE!

Tiki Boat Long Island (Port Jefferson) – ★ 5.0

Billing itself as Long Island’s premier party boat, this full-service barge adds VIP seating, a dance floor, and onboard bartenders to the classic tiki concept. Public cruises begin at $49 pp (weeknights), climbing to $69 pp on Saturdays. Corporate buyouts and private celebrations transform Port Jeff’s harbor into a tropical lounge. For more information, click HERE!

HampTiki (Hampton Bays) – ★ 5.0

Shinnecock and Peconic bays get the island-style treatment aboard a spacious 12-passenger vessel with sound system, cooler, and plenty of dance space. Daytime and sunset charters start at $800 for two hours, scaling by duration or party size. Perfect for bachelor/bachelorette bashes that want Hamptons scenery without the Hamptons price tag. For more information, click HERE!

Classic Sailing & Private Yachts

Captain Steve Sailing (Port Washington) – ★ 4.9

A 34-foot Beneteau Oceanis carries up to six guests past Gold Coast mansions and under the Whitestone Bridge. Rates run $200/hr weekdays and $250/hr weekends (two-hour minimum). Take the helm, drop anchor at Half Moon Beach, or learn the ropes with weekday sailing lessons. For more information, click HERE!

Too Happy Charters (Huntington Harbor)

Hand-crafted yachts with two staterooms, climate control, and full entertainment systems deliver resort comfort close to home. Popular sunset cruises (starters plus light dinner) start at $750 Monday–Thursday and $950 Friday–Sunday for three-hour slots, while full-day anchor adventures invite lounging, swimming, and dinghy explorations. For more information, click HERE!

MTK Cruises (Montauk) – ★ 5.0

This family-owned fleet offers a 40-foot pontoon and twin 27-foot sailing catamarans. Two-hour day sails begin at $250 for two passengers (plus port fee) with à-la-carte pricing for larger groups; trampoline swim tours, after-hours parties, and kid-friendly lake excursions ensure Montauk magic for every age. For more information, click HERE!

Onda Bella Cruises (Northport) – ★ 5.0

A quiet electric Duffy glides eight guests through Northport Harbor. The Viaggio daytime jaunt starts at $525 (Mon–Thu); the coveted Sunset Sereno runs $625–$700. Optional add-ons—lobster rolls, charcuterie, craft beer—turn a two-hour cruise into an effortless celebration. For more information, click HERE!

History, Scenery & Family Fun

Great Gatsby Boat Tour (Port Washington) – ★ 4.9

Step into Fitzgerald’s Jazz-Age world on a two-hour narrated voyage past “East Egg” and “West Egg,” Gold Coast estates, and Execution Rocks Lighthouse. Tickets are $65 for adults and $50 for under-18s, with centennial-year events planned for 2025. For more information, click HERE!

Nautical Mile Cruises (Freeport) – ★ 4.8

Departing the famed Freeport strip, this operator mixes $32 sunset sails, $29 moonlight rides, and dog-friendly specialty cruises. A DJ, dance floor, and cash bar keep energy high, while private-party options scale for school outings to milestone birthdays. For more information, click HERE!

Enjoy the Summer on the Water with these Boat Rides on Long Island

From pedal-powered tiki barges to serene electric yachts, Long Island’s waterways host an excursion for every traveler— without the hassle of airport lines or long road trips. Booking one of these local charters means supporting small businesses, exploring hidden coves, and collecting the kind of summer stories that only happen on open water.

With calendars filling fast, now is the moment to gather a crew, pick a port, and let Long Island’s Best Boat Rides carry the season’s memories across the Sound.

Looking for Waterfront Dining on Long Island? Click HERE!

Melissa Farrell

Melissa Farrell has a mission to support local business by "Going Local." As a local business owner herself, she understands the struggles entrepreneurs face when owning a business and is always trying to find ways to shine a spotlight onto them. Melissa started Going Local Tours & Experiences back in 2020 during the pandemic in hopes to bring people back into local restaurants and shops. She created food tours in Huntington, NY that would stop at 3-4 local businesses and gave the guests the chance to meet the owner and hear the story behind the business. She soon realized how powerful storytelling is when connecting people to local businesses and created options with local store owners as well to bring them onto the tour to share their story. Melissa wanted to expand out of Huntington to be able to support even more local businesses and started creating luxury picnics where she would bring local to you! She would find local businesses in the area of the picnic set up and deliver it to you offering ways to support over 3 local businesses at each picnic. This wasn't enough. She wanted to find a better way to help spread awareness of local businesses and share their stories. Enter Evangeline Knell...a woman with over 30 years of broadcasting experience who somehow convinced Melissa to host a 3 day live stream from the Huntington Fall Festival. She had never been on camera before, but working alongside Evie to create the 3 shows, gave Melissa the confidence to take on the challenge. The 3 shows produced focused on the local vendors, the food trucks and the events that occurred at the festival and had a much larger reach than Melissa could ever of done on her own. They soon realized a business partnership was needed and combined their two businesses, Identity Digital which is a production company and Going Local Tours and Experiences to form Going Local Media. Evie and Melissa even formed their own distribution outlet by creating Going Local TV, a streaming platform like Netflix or YouTube, that is all about local businesses, events and organizations on Long Island. There are over 200 videos including their podcast series "Let's Get Local" "Long Island Business Minds" and "Local Business Spotlight" that help spread awareness of our local businesses and Long Island Professionals. They are always thinking up new ways to support local, including this site, Going Local Long Island is a directory of articles on how to Go Local on Long Island. We appreciate you taking the time to read this and for supporting local! Thank you!

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