A Quintessential Sag Harbor Experience: Taking a Ride on the American Beauty

Taking a casual stroll down Long Wharf in the summer, or driving over the Jordan C. Haerter Veterans Memorial Bridge, it can seem like almost everyone in Sag Harbor must own a boat or have access to one.

A powerful connection to the water — as a way to get around, make a living, make the local economy hum, or simply as a way to enjoy life — has been woven into the identity of the community since it was first established in the early 1700s.

But in more modern times, the boats docked in and around the wharf and moored nearby, dotting the calm waters in and around the bridge, are of a certain variety — mainly, expensive and exclusive — and the classic summertime pleasure of a ride out on the bay seems reserved for only an elite group.

For more than 30 years, Captain Don Heckman has ensured that both locals and visitors alike can access a quintessential Sag Harbor experience, thanks to his long-running business, American Beauty Boat Cruises and Charters.

Heckman created the business in 1992, and it represented an unexpected career pivot at that time. Heckman originally hails from New Jersey, but fell in love with Sag Harbor in the 1970s, while he was a student at nearby Southampton College. He worked as a commercial fisherman, but was forced to change paths after surgery to remove a brain tumor. He found a way to stay out on the water though, earning his captain’s license and buying his first tour boat, the original “American Beauty” and starting the business in 1992. Ten years ago, he bought his current boat, the “American Beauty II,” a 44-foot sightseeing/party boat that can accommodate up to 33 passengers and is U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified.

The boat has a bathroom and a shaded area to provide comfort for passengers. It also includes a pair of tables for guests who want to bring food and beverages on board for the trip.

Doing what he does day in and day out, with no sick days or vacation from the time it warms up enough to go out — typically in April — to when it becomes too cold again — sometime in October — might seem like too much of a Groundhog’s Day kind of experience for many people. Three decades later, Heckman said he’s still happy.

“I enjoy it because I can take people out on the water, people that normally would not do a water cruise,” he said. “That’s why I enjoy it. I like showing them what Sag Harbor was like centuries ago. Most of the geography hasn’t changed.”

During an hour-and-a-half-long nature cruise on a picture perfect day in mid August, several passengers got a taste of what Heckman was talking about. After motoring out of the harbor and gawking at the mega yachts pulled up alongside Long Wharf, a calm settled over the area, and passengers took out their cellphones to photograph the undisturbed shoreline of the Mashomack Nature Preserve and Barcelona Neck, where shorebirds darted around and several large osprey were visible, both flying in the sky in search of prey or sitting at a nest, talons wrapped around a fresh catch.

The sun glittered on the water as the occasional sailboat passed by, and the ferry carrying cars back and forth to Shelter Island was visible in the distance.

Those areas give a true sense of what the village was like hundreds of years ago, making the American Beauty II feel like a time machine of sorts, especially for those unaccustomed to being out on the water or who have only visited the area a few times.

Heidi Bucking, Heckman’s first mate, pointed out the sights to passengers, pointing out to them not only geographical points of interest, but other interesting tidbits as well, like which house along the shore had belonged to Jimmy Buffett.

During the journey, Heckman plays a narrative recording over the boat’s loudspeakers that goes through the history of Sag Harbor Village, sharing important historical details and moments, like Meig’s Raid, a Revolutionary War battle that took place in Sag Harbor. During that raid, led by Patriot Colonel Jonathan Meigs, six British loyalists were killed and many more were captured.

The audio narration also shares how Sag Harbor was a bustling port city many years ago, an economic hub before it became known as a tourist town.

“Sag Harbor was a big spot 300 years ago,” Heckman says. “It was one of the main entrances to New York.”

While a lot has changed since then, Heckman said he can still draw similarities between the village’s identity during that time and what it is like today.

“I see people from all around the world, and that’s really how Sag Harbor was centuries ago,” he said. “People come from all over to visit New York City and they end up on the East End of Long Island. They want to see the difference between the two areas, I guess. And they can see that when they take a boat ride.”

The passengers on that particular sunset cruise were a mix of locals and out-of-towners, some who had been out on the American Beauty before, and others who were on the boat and exploring the area for the first time. A young couple from New Jersey were with their two young children, the younger of whom, their daughter, was taking her first-ever boat ride, smiling with glee whenever the boat would gently rock back and forth in the wake of a power boat that had just passed. A retired couple from Atlanta, Linda and Harun Akbar, were visiting friends in Quogue and had decided to take a drive out to Sag Harbor. After the nature cruise, they were planning on eating dinner in the village before heading back west.

In addition to nature cruises, which set off in the mid afternoon, Heckman also offers sunset cruises as well as private charters for weddings, bachelorette parties, school reunions, birthday parties and more, charging by the hour. He keeps his rates reasonable, trying to democratize the experience of getting out on the water

“It allows people to have a boating experience without it being pretentious,” he said.

HarborFest is one of the busiest weekends of the year for Heckman, and visitors to the popular fall festival can add a ride on American Beauty II to their HarborFest checklist.

During HarborFest weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday, visitors can sign up for the 3 p.m. nature cruise. Check-in starts at 2:30 p.m. on Long Wharf. The cost is $35 for adults, $25 for children ages 5-12, and $10 for children 4 and under. There will also be a two-hour sunset cruise on Sunday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with check-in starting at 5 p.m. The cost is $50 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under.