After living in Buffalo pretty much my whole life, I finally hitched a ride on the Moondance Cat yesterday. I joined my wife for her annual Martin Cooks staff party, which hosted around 30 people for a two-hour voyage. The outing started at the Erie Basin Marina (next to The Hatch). We set out from the “marina” at 1:30pm, and sailed to the Outer Harbor (inside the breakwall), before circling back to navigate the City Ship Canal (a short tributary that forks from the Buffalo River).
The two hour trek was spectacular, with blowing winds and sunny skies. During the sail, I asked the captain a few questions about the 56′ long and 31′ wide Moondance, which is now enjoying 35 years in operation. He told me that the catamaran holds 65 passengers, which, on an off night (non weekend) would cost each passenger, at full capacity, around ten+ bucks for a two-hour cruise (our cruise was around $775). That meant that, in the future, if I was to rally thirty friends to book the boat for a couple of hours, it would only cost each person approximately twenty+ bucks, which is a real bargain when considering the fantastic lake-bound outing.
There is a full bar on The Moondance, and a bartender is on duty from start to finish (drinks are additional). And for the most part there is no interaction with the skipper and the first mate, who are situated at the back of the boat, meaning that the outing feels more like bareboating than a captained charter.
In the past, I always looked at The Moondance as something for the corporate crowd, who wanted to treat employees to a day on the lake. Or maybe something for wedding parties, or celebrations. But after enjoying yesterday’s cruise, I’m thinking that the cat is easily more accessible than I ever imagined, as long as there are 30 friends at hand who also appreciate a day on the water.
The Moondance Cat | 329 Erie Street | Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716) 854-7245 | Facebook