Onrust

Cruises Aboard Onrust

The Connecticut River Museum hosts the Onrust, a re-creation of the vessel Adriaen Block built in 1614.  Onrust is available for public cruises and private charters.  

Built over several years in upstate New York using traditional plans and means, the Onrust is a wholly unique ship that serves to educate and entertain visitors curious about the age of exploration, the fur trade, and our early colonial history.

River cruises are offered Thursdays through Sundays. While at dock, the Onrust is available for exploration. (based on staff availability)

Learn more about the history of the Onrust and the construction of this amazing replica at the official website of the Onrust Project.

For an “on the water” experience, take a look here:  Onrust River Cruise Photo Tour. Photo Credit: UCONN Agency Course Students

Cruise Rates

Daytime

2:00pm & 4:00pm: $30

Sunset

6:00 pm* : $35

Reservations strongly recommended,
Call 860.767.8269 ext.110 to make a reservation.

Our Sunset Sails become Swallow Sails for the month of September.
Please book your sail as you would normally.

*Please note that cruise times change through
late Summer as the days get shorter.
Please check to confirm you have the correct
departure time before arriving.

For information on group tours and educational
programs aboard Onrust, please contact the Museum’s
education department at 860.767.8269 ext.121
or email: ainsall@ctrivermuseum.org.

PURCHASE TICKETS

 

Onrust History

The Onrust (Dutch for “unrest” or “restless” )was a Dutch Ship built by captain and explorer Adriaen Block and the crew of his ship, the Tyger, which had been destroyed by fire during the winter of 1613 in New York Bay.

Onrust’s construction took place near Manhattan during the winter of 1614. She was about 45 feet long, 12 feet in beam and had a load capacity of 16 tons. The ship was America’s first yacht.

Onrust was launched into upper New York Bay in April of 1614. She explored the New York coast and rivers, and sailed through the treacherous passage called ‘Hellegat’ (Dutch for ‘Hell’s hole’, later anglicized to Hell Gate) in the East River. She then went on to explore the harbors of Long Island and Connecticut, discovering

the Housatonic and Thames Rivers. She sailed up the Connecticut River past the future site of Hartford. The Onrust continued on to Narragansett and Buzzards Bays, and from there to Cape Cod.

The last historical account of the Onrust describes her 1616 expedition to explore the Delaware River under the command of Captain Cornelius Hendrickson.

Block was immortalized as namesake of the small island in Long Island Sound that is perennially popular with modern visitors to these waters. His voyage was used as the basis for the Dutch claim to the territory of New Netherland, an area that included parts of what are now the states of New York, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

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