Launching Spring 2027

The Hudson,
entirely yours.

Private charters from the Newburgh waterfront to Bannerman’s Castle and the Hudson Highlands. One party aboard, every departure. Never shared. Never combined.

Be the first to hear about opening day, the first open dates and the Founding Fifteen gift certificates.

Request a 2027 date See the passage
Whole-boat private charters Up to six guests USCG-licensed captain from launch Departing Newburgh waterfront

“Never shared. Never combined.”

Every Hudson Valley Expeditions charter is booked by the boat, not by the seat. Your party — and only your party — with a dedicated captain, on your schedule. This is the standing rule of the house, and it has no exceptions.

Founding Season · May through October

Two signature charters

Both routes run the same storied water — the difference is the light. Pricing is per charter, for the whole boat, up to six guests. Not per person. Never per seat.

Bannerman’s Castle · Storm King · West Point

Castle & Highlands

Duration up to 3 hoursDepartures Morning · Afternoon

The signature expedition: a slow, close pass of Bannerman’s Castle, then beneath Storm King and through the Highlands to see West Point from the river, the way few visitors ever do. It is water the Revolution was fought to hold, from the Great Chain that barred British warships in 1778 to Benedict Arnold’s plot to hand the fortress over in 1780. Taken at your pace, with time to linger anywhere the water holds you.

Departs 9:30 AM, and 1:30 PM through Sep 22.

$895per charter · whole boat
Check dates
Evening light · Timed to sunset, nightly

The Golden Hour

Duration up to 2 hoursDeparture Set by the sun

An evening charter choreographed around the sunset itself. Each date’s departure is calculated from that night’s actual sundown, so you’re on the water as the Highlands turn to brass and back at the dock in the afterglow. No two evenings run at the same hour — and none of them miss the light.

Departs 90 minutes before sunset: 4:15 to 7:00 PM across the season.

$595per charter · whole boat
Check dates
Private, alwaysOne party per departure. The whole vessel is yours.
Dedicated captainEvery 2027 charter runs with a USCG-licensed captain who knows every reach and eddy.
Made for occasionsProposals, anniversaries, a quiet evening. Tell us the occasion and we plan around it.
Six guestsAn intimate limit, set by Coast Guard rule — and kept by design.
The passage · From NOAA chart data

7.7 nautical miles, six landmarks

Castle & Highlands runs the whole reach to West Point and back. The Golden Hour turns for home at Pollepel Island, in the last of the light.

Castle & Highlands

Chart drawn by Hudson Valley Expeditions from NOAA ENC US4NY1DQ and US4NY1CQ, edition 5, published by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. Soundings in feet. Not an official chart and not for navigation.

  1. 1

    Newburgh waterfront

    0.0 NM

    Your dock, on the west shore of Newburgh Bay.

  2. 2

    Pollepel Island

    2.9 NM

    Bannerman’s Castle, the ruined arsenal on its own island.

  3. 3

    The Highlands gate

    4.2 NM

    Storm King to starboard, Breakneck Ridge to port. The river narrows and the mountains close in.

    Castle & Highlands only
  4. 4

    Cold Spring

    5.7 NM

    The village waterfront beneath Bull Hill.

    Castle & Highlands only
  5. 5

    World’s End

    7.0 NM

    Charted at 165 feet, the deepest water in the Hudson, at the bend where the Great Chain barred British warships in 1778.

    Castle & Highlands only
  6. 6

    West Point

    7.7 NM

    West Point from the river: the fortress Benedict Arnold plotted to hand to the British in 1780, home of the Military Academy since 1802.

    Castle & Highlands only

Distances are nautical miles from the dock along the charted course. The Golden Hour loop runs 6.6 NM in all; Castle & Highlands runs 15.4 NM there and back.

Reserve · Founding Season 2027

The charter calendar

Requests for the 2027 season are open now. Choose a charter, then a date. Golden Hour times move with the sun — and on shorter autumn days, the calendar quietly retires the afternoon run so every charter keeps its full measure of light.

1

Charter

Priced per charter, for the whole boat, up to six guests.

2

Date

The Golden Hour leaves 90 minutes before sunset, so every date has its own departure time.

May 2027

    Choose a date

    3

    Your party

    Tell us who is coming. The captain replies personally within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until your date is confirmed.

    Guests up to six, children included
    The founding vessel

    Sea Ray SPX 210

    Trim, quick, and open to the sky — the right boat for close work along the castle walls and under the Highlands. Meticulously kept, captained by its owner, and limited to six guests so every seat is the best one.

    • GuestsUp to 6
    • StyleOpen bowrider — nothing between you and the river
    • CaptainOwner-operated, USCG-licensed from launch
    • Home portNewburgh waterfront, NY
    • Best forGolden Hour & Castle and Highlands charters
    The founding vessel · Newburgh, NY
    Coming soon

    On the horizon

    The founding season is only the first chart. Three expeditions are already being plotted — join a charter this season and you’ll be the first to hear when they open.

    In planning

    The Full-Day River Cruise

    Sunrise to golden hour on a single, unhurried run of the Hudson — the castle, the Highlands, a long lunch at anchor, and every mile in between. A whole day where the only schedule is the river’s.

    Full day · Private · Details to come
    In planning

    The Manhattan Expedition

    Newburgh to Battery Park and back — under the Hudson Highlands, past West Point and the Palisades, to the foot of the skyline. The river’s greatest hits, end to end, in a single expedition.

    Newburgh ⇄ Battery Park · Private
    Fleet expansion

    A Second, Larger Vessel

    A bigger boat is on the chart — more room to move, an enclosed cabin, and the range for longer expeditions. Built for the full-day and Manhattan routes above, and for parties who want more ship under them.

    Expanding the fleet · Season two
    A gift, before the season begins

    The Founding Fifteen

    Before the founding season opens, exactly fifteen numbered gift certificates will be issued — no more. Each is hand-numbered, delivered as a printed certificate or an elegant digital one, and redeemable for any charter on the 2027 calendar. Give someone the river before anyone else has sailed it.

    The Golden HourEvening charter · whole boat · up to 6
    $595Reserve
    Castle & HighlandsSignature charter · whole boat · up to 6
    $895Reserve
    Captain’s ChoiceAn open-value certificate, toward any charter
    You decideInquire

    Our founding promise: your certificate never loses its value, and Founding Season pricing is locked through October 2027. If the founding season does not launch as planned, every certificate is refunded in full — no questions, no fine print.

    Hudson Valley Expeditions

    Founding Season Certificate

    Private Hudson River Charters · MMXXVII
    No. ___ of Fifteen

    Good for one private charter upon the Hudson River — the whole vessel, up to six guests, never shared, never combined.

    The CaptainNewburgh, New York
    Before you board

    Questions, answered

    Is the charter really private?
    Completely. Every departure carries one party and one party only — yours. We never sell individual seats, never pair groups, never combine bookings to fill the boat. The price is for the vessel, not per person, and that rule has no exceptions.
    How many guests can join?
    Up to six guests, per U.S. Coast Guard regulation — and honestly, six is the right number. Everyone gets a great seat, the captain can narrate without a microphone, and the boat stays nimble enough for a close pass of the castle walls.
    Why does the Golden Hour departure time change?
    Because the sun does. Each date’s departure is calculated from that evening’s actual sunset over Newburgh, so you’re on the water for the best of the light and back at the dock in the afterglow. A late-June Golden Hour leaves at 7:00 PM; by the end of October it leaves at 4:15 PM. The calendar above shows the exact time for any date you choose.
    What happens if the weather turns?
    The captain makes the final call — safety and comfort come first, always. If we cancel a charter for weather, you choose a new date at no charge or receive a full credit good for one year. Light haze or a passing cloud rarely stops a charter; the Hudson is often at its most beautiful in changing weather.
    What if we need to cancel or reschedule?
    Plans change — we understand. Guest cancellations receive a rebooking credit valid for one full year, good toward any charter on the calendar. Just let us know as early as you’re able so the date can be offered to another party.
    Where do we depart from, and is there parking?
    All charters depart the Newburgh waterfront, with parking steps from the dock. Your confirmation includes the exact meeting point and the captain’s mobile number for the day.
    Is there a restroom aboard?
    Not on the founding vessel — she’s an open bowrider, built for sun and sightlines, which is why every charter runs three hours or less and departs steps from full facilities at the Newburgh waterfront. A larger vessel with an enclosed cabin is on the horizon for longer expeditions.
    Can we bring food and drinks?
    Please do. Bring a picnic, a bottle of something cold, a cake for the occasion — we’ll have it stowed and chilled before you step aboard. We only ask that glassware stay modest and that anyone enjoying wine or spirits be 21 or over. The captain, of course, drinks only coffee.
    Are children welcome?
    Very much so — some of the best reactions to Bannerman’s Castle come from the under-ten crowd. Properly fitted life jackets are aboard in every size, infant through adult. Children count toward the six-guest limit.
    When is my charter actually confirmed?
    Your request reaches the captain directly, and you’ll hear back within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until your date and departure are personally confirmed — no holds, no surprises.
    We’re planning a proposal. Can you help?
    It would be our honor — the Golden Hour was practically designed for it. Mention it in the notes when you request your date and the captain will call to plan the moment: the timing, the backdrop, the approach, and where to stand so the photo looks the way you’ve pictured it.
    For concierge & guest services

    A river experience worthy
    of your guests.

    Hudson Valley Expeditions works directly with a small circle of the valley’s finest properties. Held departures, a direct line to the captain for your desk, and every detail settled before your guests reach the dock. If your guests deserve the river, we should talk.

    Contact the Captain

    charters@hudsonvalleyexpeditions.com · 845.393.3434