Cruise the Connecticut River Before the Summer Ends

There are still a few prime summer weeks left to explore Connecticut and enjoy the beautiful surroundings offered here. One great way to do that is aboard the River Quest Cruise Ship, which departs from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam.

The cruising vessel, originally built as a floating classroom, has a capacity
of 65 passengers and is outfitted with comfortable chairs, tables, binoculars
and a large screen television used for fish finding and navigational tools. Captain Mark Yuknat and his “co-captain” Mindy Yuknat do a great job of keeping passengers of all ages, engaged, educated and excited on the many different cruises they offer.

Each expedition is an educational yet enjoyable experience. Whether it be the
exhilaration of a three-hour breakfast cruise, the romance of the two-hour
 sunset cruise, the serenity of the one-and-half hour afternoon cruise, the merriment of a specialty cruise or the fun of a kid friendly one hour, Saturday morning children’s cruise, Mark and Mindy promise a great time and some meaningful learning about the Connecticut River.

As the River Quest leaves port, the journey begins; Mark at the helm and Mindy MC-ing the excursion. Heading north, visitors are invited to check out the Osprey nest atop the East Haddam Swing Bridge.

“This year there are four baby Osprey,” explains Mindy as guests focus their binoculars.

Mark blows the horn as the boat floats under the bridge, then points out the
 Nathan Hale School House on the bank of the river.

Mindy picks up again and teaches the young people some quick easy nautical terms: the bow is the front of the boat, the stern is the back of the boat, the left side is the port side and the right side is the starboard side.

As the boat turns around, it passes the famed and the Goodspeed Airport, then south down the river. Mindy points out a great black backed Gull and an Egret as well as the Chester Ferry, the second oldest ferry crossing in the United States.

Then, over the Honey Hill Fault line, which stretches across the Atlantic Ocean, past the Gillette’s Castle and a random patch of wild rice.

As the journey continues, the couple talks about the 55 different kinds of fish in 
the river as well as different wildlife and the subject of pollution; kids listen intently checking off items on their scavenger hunt list and pointing
 out different sites to parents and relatives.

This is the first year the Yuknats have included the new childrens’ cruise offered most Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The shorter cruise is specifically tailored to accommodate children, their curiosity, their limited attention span and their natural verve for knowledge.

“So far this kid’s cruise has been very well received,” explains an upbeat Mindy, who obviously enjoys the people to people interaction.  

“Everyone has said the kids are loving it and we have gotten a lot of positive feedback. Each week the number of participants keeps growing so we are hoping to offer this cruise into September.”

“We loved it,” said Alison Rufrano of Ashford, who was aboard the cruise along with her 1-year-old daughter, her niece and three nephews.

“All the kids had a great time and really enjoyed learning about the river and all it has to offer. We will definitely be back.”

The Yuknats have been offering cruises for over 11 years and they still greet every passenger with a smile. They have an ongoing love affair with Connecticut and its waterways and their jovial banter and obvious good nature shows through during their presentations, making visitors feel welcome and comfortable.

“We love doing this and educating people of all ages about Connecticut and all of its beauty,” says Captain Mark, who grew up summering at his grandmother’s house in Old Lyme.

Mindy adds, “Our hope is that these cruises help people to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us here and to enjoy all our state has to offer.”

For more information about River Quest cruises and private charters go to www.ctriverquest.com.

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