Sue Walsh and Kelli Farwell spent eight months trying to find the perfect boat to host their little restaurant. They first stumbled across a ship in California which would have cost them $100,000 just to bring it back to New York, through the Panama Canal.
Two years ago, they were aboard an East River ferry, going back to Williamsburg where they live. There was where they met Paul Sprieser, the captain of the ferry, who told Farwell about how he quit his job when he was 40 years old, to follow his dreams of becoming the captain of a ship. He also encouraged Farwell to learn the basics of how to steer a boat.
“The city looks much better from the water than from inside the city itself,” Sprieser told Farwell. “It’s a different perspective on everything.”
Captain Sprieser officiated the wedding of Sue Walsh and Kelli Farwell this summer, the event taking place on a boat.
When they finally found the right one, they got it back to New York through a 24-hour sea storm with 6-foot-tall waves crashing over the deck, the Daily News reports.
Then they had to deal with some frozen pipes and come up with a waste disposal system to avoid breaking the maritime laws, before fitting a modern kitchen on board of their new floating restaurant.
Guests on board of the Water Table diner boat will enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour loop around Manhattan, or around the Statue of Liberty, depending on the weather. While sitting around a long table in the interior cabin, they can either have an appetizer under the Brooklyn Bridge or why not choose a three course meal, obviously after the drinks are brought in.
The Water Table sets itself apart from the other dinner boats in Brooklyn. While other service yachts are rented out especially for private parties, Brooklyn’s first dinner boat takes reservations for small groups of 2 to 6 passengers. The fixed price for the menu is $75 per person, with extras available at additional costs.
Beer from Brooklyn Brewery and a collection of rums will be displayed behind the bar of the ship. Dramamine will also be available for sale for the seasick guests on board.
The Water Table will start cruising around Brooklyn this month, on December 6.
“Brooklyn is also an adjective, and a dining experience on a boat reflects what people in Brooklyn are looking for right now,” said Sue Walsh.