Wavertree Liverpool: History Afloat

City-Kid Review:

Runs. And Runs. Steers the Steering Wheel. Runs down the stairs.
“I LIKE it!!”

I apologize.
I always hear something faintly scatological when I hear the word ‘float’ or ‘afloat’, or variations, thereof. I don’t think it entirely due to the fact I was raised in England, but it may be. However, I have walked past this floating landmark of a museum so many times, I have forgotten it is possible to climb aboard.

But it is. Very possible. And, today, we did just that.

We ended up having a private tour.  We had just done a sail on the equally elderly-  but who’s counting –  Pioneer schooner.  As we were there, we decided to explore the Pioneer’s much bigger sister. Turns out, the  tour of the Wavertree is included in the ticket price – even better!

If your city kid is at all interested in boats, boating, water, anything maritime, I highly recommend a visit to this…ahem.. floating museum. It even had sailors living aboard when we visited. The ship was built in 1885 and has sailed around the world. It was moored in South Africa before the South Street Seaport Museum bought it, brought it to New York Harbor and lovingly restored it.

One thing you will notice as you first climb aboard is the sheer amount of space. You don’t usually get to see this much space in downtown Manhattan. Everywhere a door is open you may enter, but they ask you not to wander off into the living sailors’ quarters.

The difference between the Officers quarters and those of the Deckhands is remarkable. The close quarters of the deckhands comprises of ten single bunks attached to the walls, for twenty sailors, with a tiny hot kitchen next door. The Captain’s quarters, at the other end of the ship, is a luxurious series of rooms with a central dining area. Even with no-one in them you can feel the difference in space and temperature – the deckhands dorm decidedly warmer than the officers rooms and once the stove was going, I imagine the close quarters would be even hotter.

Skylar, our enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide pointed towards the end of Schemorhorn Row, which you can easily see from the ship. In 1812, it was the tallest building in New York City. It was a hotel for a while. In fact, not surprisingly, many of those old redbrick buildings were either hotels or boarding houses in those early days. The ship is so evocative of a bygone era.

Need to Knows:

Location: Wavertree Liverpool is the enormous boat docked at Pier 16 at South Street Seaport. Just keep walking towards the East River and you cannot miss it. Where is South Street Seaport? Here.

The Wavertree is open Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm. You can purchase tickets online, and the only stipulated time is 11.30am, but you can show up at any time.  At least, that  is what we did. If they have the staff, they will take you on board and you may even have it to yourself (apart from the sailors) as we did!

Food: There are so many places to eat in the South Street Seaport area, from tourist and bar places on Fulton Street, to NYC basics such as Hale & Hearty, and Starbucks.

Top-Tip

The spacious Imagination Playground is a City Kid favorite, with a tower, a slide, a massive sandpit and separate water area is right by Pier 15, on the other side of South Street. We have spent many an hour or three in this wonderful playground which even has a playground monitor. On the day we combined it with a boat visit, the monitor, Glenn, was particularly fantastic, drawing fun cartoons on the tower wall. The playground has its own bathroom.

Front street has plenty of lovely restaurants and a great cafe from my ‘best cappuccino in NYC’ days  – Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee, at 222 Front Street.

Do you have a favorite floating experience? Please share with us about it in the comments section.

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