New Suffolk Charters on Cutchogue Harbor
North Fork, NY
New Suffolk is about five streets and a beach, and that is the appeal. It is the quietest waterfront hamlet on the North Fork, and it has a strange claim to fame. The first US Navy submarines were tested right off the end of Main Street. A New Suffolk charter puts you on that same water with a licensed captain running the boat. We pick up in Greenport, a short drive northeast, and our captains have more than 200 charters behind them. Call (631) 251-1777 and we will sort out the day.
The submarine story, from the water
At the dead end of Main Street there is a historical marker. It reads that this is the site of the first submarine base in the country. Between 1899 and 1905, the Holland Torpedo Boat Company ran the USS Holland and six other submarines out of the yard here, on Cutchogue Harbor. The Navy itself gives the official first submarine base title to New London, Connecticut, so New Suffolk’s claim is a local one rather than a federal designation. Either way, the trials happened in this water.
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From a boat you can sit off that shoreline and look back at a hamlet that has barely changed shape since. The two-room New Suffolk schoolhouse, listed on the National Register in 2002, is still there. In 2007 it had nine students across grades K through 6, which made it one of the smallest school districts in New York.
Where to meet us
There is no CiTH dock in New Suffolk. Our home dock is 63 S Menantic Rd, Shelter Island, NY 11964, and our North Fork pickup is Greenport. From New Suffolk that is a drive up through Cutchogue and east on Main Road. Sag Harbor is available as a South Fork pickup if that suits your group better.
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A standard charter is about four hours, with half-day and full-day options.
What the water out here gives you
New Suffolk sits on Cutchogue Harbor, which opens into Great Peconic Bay. Robins Island is right there, private and undeveloped, and it is the landmark that defines the view.
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This is the west end of the bay, further from the inlets and the open water. In practice that means calmer conditions more often. It is a good stretch for anyone who is nervous about a rough ride, and a good stretch for kids.
Trips New Suffolk charters run most
Quiet cruising. If your group wants the boat and the water and not much else, this is the corner of the bay for it.
Swimming and anchoring. Calm water, shallow edges, easy afternoons.
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Inshore fishing. Fluke, porgies, bluefish and black sea bass through the summer. Our fishing charters page breaks down each trip.
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Sunset. West-facing water, roughly 90 minutes before sundown, two to three hours on the boat.
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Sightseeing runs. The wider Twin Forks loop takes in Shelter Island’s shoreline and the Greenport waterfront. Our Hamptons boat tours page covers the routes.
Why book New Suffolk charters with us
We are cousins who grew up in the marina business on Shelter Island. Our captains hold USCG licenses, earned in 2019, and have run more than 200 charters since. We pick up at Greenport and Sag Harbor, which means you are not driving to an unfamiliar marina and hoping for parking.
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We run a fleet of 27+ vessels, from smaller boats for a family afternoon up to our flagship Pershing yachts. That range is the reason we can match a boat to the day rather than the other way round. The fleet page shows what is available.
A hamlet that stayed small
New Suffolk is worth understanding before you get on the water, because the scale is the point. The two-room schoolhouse on Fifth Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. In 2007 it had nine students across grades K through 6, which made it one of the smallest school districts in New York State.
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The submarine yard came and went in six years. The vineyards that reshaped the rest of the North Fork mostly passed this hamlet by. What is left is a beach, a few streets, a marina and a view of Robins Island.
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From the water, that emptiness reads differently than it does from the road. There is very little built shoreline here compared with almost anywhere else on the East End.
Call (631) 251-1777 and we will price your date.
If someone in your group is nervous about boats
Almost every group has one. Someone who gets carsick, someone who has never been on a boat, someone who says yes and then quietly dreads it. New Suffolk is the right corner of the bay for that person, and it is worth saying why.
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Motion sickness is driven by movement, and movement is driven by fetch, which is the distance wind travels across open water before it reaches you. At the western end of Peconic Bay the fetch is short and the water is shallow. Chop stays small. It is a different experience from open ocean, and people who assume they cannot handle a boat are usually fine here.
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A few things help beyond the location. Book a morning trip, because the wind typically builds through the afternoon. Eat something beforehand rather than going out on an empty stomach. Stay on deck with a view of the horizon instead of sitting below. And tell the captain when you board, so the route can be planned around it rather than discovered halfway through.
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We would rather run a slower, closer trip that everyone enjoys than a longer one that one person endures. Say so when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Book a New Suffolk charter
New Suffolk charters suit quiet-water days and first-time passengers. Call (631) 251-1777 or email captain@chartersinthehamptons.com with your date, group size and preferred pickup.
