Dan's Papers - August 15, 2008 - Electric Boat In Greenport Doesn't Need To Charge More For Fuel

Captain Dave On His Electric Boat "Glory" Offers Family and Environmentally Friendly Fun

Kicking back with Captain Dave on "Glory" in Greenport is one of the best ways to battle your high blood pressure. This year the electric boat known as "Glory" is celebrating its 10th year on water. "Glory" is one of the "Greenest" ways to enjoy the water on Long Island.

It's the only electric boat in the universe according the skipper. That joke went over well with the group of vacationers I joined for the tranquil trip with Captain Dave Berson in Peconic Bay. Well it may not be the only one but Captain Dave tells me "Glory" is the only United States Coast Guard certified, zero emissions, harbor tour boat in all of New York.

After a brief introduction by Captain Dave he blew into his conch shell and we made our way from Preston's Dock, past Claudio's Clam Bar out into Greenport Harbor.

It turned out there was a harelegger named Patty on the boat. Hareleggers are what families born and raised on Shelter Island from generations ago are often referred to. She began telling animated tales about her family history and how deeply rooted they were on Shelter Island with the horse and wagon transportation business they used to run. Patty told stories about the days when singers like Glenn Miller would play the enormous hotels that once thrived on Shelter Island. That is before they burned down. Before I knew it the whole boat was chit chatting. "The dynamic on the boat is to initiate a dialogue amongst strangers," Captain Dave said with a grin. "It's not just a tour boat. It's a unique operation with an emphasis on community."

Now traveling at about 6 knots, we finally caught a bit of a Southwest breeze. "You're on the wrong boat if you're looking to water ski," Captain Dave told me as we hit stride.

That's when young Eli, just 4 and a quarter years old as he told us, wanted to grab the wheel. The mini Mets fan refused to give his hat up for a Captain's hat so he drove the boat without it. What a thrill for the little guy, and even more so for his parents who were snapping away with their cameras. "Glory" is a very kid friendly boat, but we'll get a little more into that in a few minutes.

The water was very calm on the way across the bay, but something wasn't right. It was the fact that there were just a handful of powerboats out there with us. That's very uncharacteristic for this time of summer Captain Dave explained. That may have something to do with gas being more than $5.50 a gallon on the water in some places. "Glory" on the other hand runs on electric. It costs anywhere between $80 and $100 for the entire season to operate "Glory." That's one of the reasons'Captain Dave says he hasn't had to raise his prices since he began running "Glory"10 years ago. He prides himself for still being able to charge $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $5 for kids under 12.

So what else makes "Glory" so special? "After 10 years we are expanding the role the boat can play," Captain Dave said referring to him and his partner Andrew Rowsom. They run a summer science program for children to teach them about the water. "The bay is so special, and they're the ones who are going to have to take care of it, that's why I'm enthused."

Now a little about "Glory." The vessel is a 1990 reproduction of a 30 foot fantail launch originally built by the Electronic Launch Company for the Chicago Exposition of 1893. Glory has a fiberglass hull and an interior crafted with mahogany and red oak. The canvas awning on the boat was handmade by Captain Dave himself. She operates on 8 state-of-the-art absorbed glass matt batteries. They produce enough power to keep the boat going for 60 miles. Boats like this were originally made for high rollers of the day like J.P. Morgan, but soon became obsolete when inexpensive fossil fuel powered boats became popular. Right now the boat runs on electric supplied by the village of Greenport. But there is a science class at Riverhead High School that's working on a way to line the of Preston's with solar panels and hook "Glory" into that. "It's nice to be able to run a business with a clear conscious about what it's doing to the environment," is what Rowsom told me when I asked him about the business he helped build.

So if you're looking to take a romantic sunset tour - or to kick back and relax with your buddies head down to Preston's Dock in Greenport and go for the "Glory." The boat holds fourteen people and runs seven days a week. Just grab the grease pencil and scratch your name into the sign up board at the dock. If you want more information on Glory head over to www.greenportlaunch.com.