Sydney HeliTours - Blue Mountains Discovery

Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009.  The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn.  East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.

Enjoy this brand-new addition to the Gray Line CitySightseeing NY experience: a special VIP Tour Access ticket that lets you skip the line at some of our busiest stops and board the bus first for some of our most popular excursions. You can enjoy this premium experience on this All Around Town Tour.       ​CitySights NY has just made seeing the city a truly welcome experience by offering audio tracks in 11 different languages on all of our popular hop on/hop off bus excursions aboard a double-decker bus. In addition to a licenced guide who provides live narration, you can listen along in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian and Hebrew. Discover Lower Manhattan and more in one of the many tours available in this package such as the Downtown Tour, where you’ll get easy access to the most popular sites in town: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and “Ground Zero". See the whole city and enjoy maximum flexibility over 48 hours with our All Around Town Tour. All Around Town Tour Now Offered in 11 Languages!*       Tour Includes: Hop on Hop off double-decker tickets valid for 48 hours from the time you arrive in NYC and exchange your confirmation voucher for a boarding ticket.  Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Ferry Enjoy the fun & flexibility of hop-on, hop-off by sea! Learn about NYC with guided tour commentary while traveling from stop to stop. This service operates with four stops: Pier 78, West 38th Street and Hudson River; 199 Vesey Street Pier (lower Manhattan) - connection to Downtown Tour at stop #11, Park Row Pier 11 (Wall Street and South Street) - connection to Downtown Tour at stop #13, South Street Seaport DUMBO (Fulton Street and Furman Street) - connection to Brooklyn Tour at stop #2, Brooklyn Promenade What You'll See: Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Battery Park Governors Island Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Bridge Williamsburg Bridge South Street Seaport Chrysler Building *Ticket valid for the date purchased or date redeemed. The Gray Line New York Eat and Play Card       Take a bite out of Big Apple vacation expenses with New York’s only discount card providing vacation savings on virtually everything – restaurants, lounges, attractions, retailers, tours, Broadway shows, and more. With exclusive access to % discounts of 10% – 50% off the entire bill, your savings potential is unlimited and unmatched. You can easily save over $100 every day and double your money back with just one use. Valid for up to 4 people and for 30 days (from first use), The Card is accepted at over 100 popular places across Manhattan.

Duffy Square - Statue of Lt. Colonel Father Francis Patrick Duffy TKTS Discount Theater ticket kiosk Statue of George M. Cohan Times Square Alliance Information Center Palace Theater Marriott Marquis Hotel Marquis Theatre Bertelsmann Building Planet Hollywood MTV Studios Minskoff Theater Toys R Us Hard Rock Cafe One Times Square NASDAQ Market Site Thomson Reuters Building New Amsterdam Theater ESPN Zone Conde Nast Building Knickerbocker Hotel Building Bank of America Building Bryant Park WR Grace Building Bryant Park Hotel Bryant Park Cafe Chrysler Building Library Lions - Patience & Fortitude New York Public Library Lord & Taylor Empire State Building Little Korea aka Korea Town Madison Square 51 Madison Avenue - New York Life Insurance Company Building 41 Madison Avenue - site of Jerome Mansion Herald Square Macy's Haier Building - former Greenwich Savings Bank Keen's Steakhouse Bryant Park Statue of Dr. Jose Bonifacio Andrada Statue of Benito Juarez Hippodrome Building International Center for Photography Clubhouse Row - Hotel Algonquin et al NHL Store William Jenkins Worth Cenotaph - obelisk Madison Square Park Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower Shake Shack William Seward Statue Flatiron Building Ladies Mile District Parsons School of Design of the New School University Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University Forbes Gallery Forbes Magazine Headquarters First Presbyterian Church Church of the Ascension (Episcopal) Washington Square Arch University Place Grace Episcopal Church Astor Place Bayard-Condict Building Cable Building The Wall by Forrest Meyers Prada Flagship store designed by Rem Kohlhaas Bloomingdales SoHo branch Top Shop/Top Man store Haughwout Building International Culinary Academy/French Culinary Institute with L'Ecole Restaurant Canal Street Chinatown Information Kiosk Manhattan Bridge Dumbo district

George Westinghouse Vocational High School 911 Headquarters WNYE Radio & Television - New York City Department of Education Radio & Television studios New York Technical College of the City University of New York Brooklyn General Post Office Fox Cable News Building Diamond District McGraw Hill Building 1251 Sixth Avenue - former Exxon Building Barclays Capital Building - formerly Lehman Brothers HQ Colony Records Brill Building Ambassador Theater Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel Hershey Store M&M Store Morgan Stanley HQ W Times Square Hotel Museum of Sex Madison Square Marble Collegiate Church Church of the Transfiguration ("Little Church Around the Corner") Theodore Roosevelt United States Federal Courthouse for the Eastern District of New York Cadman Plaza Brooklyn War Memorial (World Wars I & II) Old Fulton Street Brooklyn Eagle Warehouse Grimaldi's Pizzeria Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory River Cafe Fulton Ferry Landing Continental Army Evacuation (August 29, 1776) Marker Fulton Ferry marker Crossing Brooklyn Ferry railing inscription Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Heights Promenade Brooklyn Queens Expressway Atlantic Avenue Sahadi Imports Damascus Bakery Former St. Vincent's Home for Boys Brooklyn House of Detention Society of Friends (Quaker) Meeting House Kings County Supreme Court Brooklyn Borough Hall Brooklyn Bridge Marriott Hotel New York Municipal Building Woolworth Building AIG (former Cities Service) Building 70 Pine Street Thurgood Marshall United States Federal Courthouse for the Southern District of New York  Hong Kong Bank Building 10 Downing Street Winston Churchill Square Father Demo Square Blue Note Jazz Club 3rd Street Basketball Courts Golden Swan Gardens St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church Jefferson Market Courthouse Library New York Foundling Hospital Siegel-Cooper Building - Bed, Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx and Filene's Basement Grand Lodge of the Masons (71 West 23rd Street) Manhattan Mall - former Gimbels Department Store site Greeley Square Horace Greeley statue Herald Center City University Graduate Center and Oxford University Press (former B Altman Dept. Store)

 

Sail within 100 feet of the Statue of Liberty for the best photo ops.  Stunning panoramic views of midtown and lower Manhattan.  Insightful narration by Circle Line’s world famous guides.  Top rated on TripAdvisor.  Free Circle Line Skyline Navigator App with narration in seven languages and enhanced content.   Onboard café with a freshly prepared menu of sandwiches, salads and snacks + full bar serving up hot and cold beverages, beer, wine and cocktails Onboard amenities including outdoor deck space, heated/air conditioned indoor seating with large windows made for sightseeing, and restrooms. CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS Statue of Liberty Ellis Island One World Trade Center World Financial Center Empire State Building Pier 54 (Titanic Pier) Battery Park  RULES AND REGULATIONS  All School & Camp Groups MUST be accompanied by at least 1 adult chaperone (18 years of age or older) for every 10 students/children. Running is not permitted anywhere in the attraction. Food and beverage can be purchased on site. Outside food and beverages are strictly prohibited with the exception of special dietary needs. Security and First Aid may be obtained by contacting any staff personnel. Buses are not allowed to park and wait by the entrance once the group has been dropped off. (Please see bus parking information below.) Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises reserves the right to remove any individual or group that does not comply to these guidelines FREE CIRCLE LINE NAVIGATOR APP OFFERS GUESTS TOURS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, PORTUGUESE, AND MANDARIN CHINESE.  Download the Circle Line Navigator App Before Your Cruise             

CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH MENU Made-To-Order Omelet Station Belgian Waffles and French Toast Fresh berries, whipped cream, fruit preserves and maple syrup Greek Yogurt Parfait Greek yogurt, housemade granola, fresh fruit and berries, dried fruits and nuts American Breakfast Station Assorted miniature quiche, oven roasted breakfast potatoes, apple wood smoked bacon, smoked ham and chicken apple sausage Freshly baked breakfast breads and pastries Chilled Pacific Seafood Station Jumbo shrimp cocktail, Baja style ceviche, Pacific lobster gazpacho, locally made sushi and nigiri, black caviar and Nova Lox with bagels California Farm Fresh Salad Station Freshly composed salads including- Caesar, Mixed Baby Greens, Classic Spinach, Greek Chef Attended Carving Station Natural, grass-fed choice beef sirloin and honey-herb roasted turkey breast. Served with silver dollar rolls and accompaniments. Chef’s Choice Housemade Specialties Bakery Fresh Desserts Assorted cakes and pies, petit fours, chocolate dipped strawberries and housemade warm bread pudding Complimentary Mimosas and freshly roasted coffee and tea

Admission to KSCVC includes all of the exhibits, attractions, the IMAX theatre tickets and a very comprehensive bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center.  It is easy to spend a full day at KSCVC, particularly if you would like to add on 'Lunch With an Astronaut*' or one of the special interest guided tours. Hotels are plentiful in nearby Titusville or the Cocoa Beach area, just south of Cape Canaveral. *Additional fee, to be paid direct at KSCVC. Orlando Balloon Rides Orlando Balloon Rides is the Premier Balloon Company in Central Florida and is the largest passenger ride operator on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. The well established companies of Blue Water Balloons and Orange Blossom Balloons have merged to form Orlando Balloon Rides. They fly thousands of people a year in balloons specifically designed and engineered for passenger comfort. Their balloons are all 2007 models or newer and have all the latest safety features with you in mind. Orlando Balloons are most proud of their 100%, unblemished safety record. Their reputation has been built over many years and Orlando Balloon Rides is held with great regard not only by the ballooning community but also in the travel and tourist industry. The company holds contracts with more than 80 national and international tour and travel operators as well as many local guest service organizations. These contracts cover many American and Canadian operators, every British Tour Company, the top 7 Japanese Tour Companies and many other European operators. They are the only company in the South East US contracted to fly guests from AAA motor club.