For those considering cutting up a 60-foot, double-deck, 44-ton vessel to get it out of the Adirondacks and into less-remote waters, Jeff Pyle said, “I suggest everyone avoid that process at least once in their life.”
The hull of the boat was built in 1977. Pyle and fellow principals, wife Stephenie and his brother Richard ”“ “We”™re a family business” ”“ cut it in three parts to move it. Everything was removed: “The engines, the windows, every door, right down to the hull. It all needed to be approved by the Coast Guard before it could be reassembled. So I say the hull was built in 1977 and everything else in 2006.”
The boat ”“ The Mystère ”“ is berthed in Albany now, waiting dockage in Poughkeepsie at Victor C. Waryas Park, as early as this week.
The boat seats 80 for dinners or 88 for a wine cruise. All catered events by decree of the captain must involve a chef from the Culinary Institute of America “with a proven track record.” Lola”™s Cafe and Catering in Poughkeepsie is partnering with the boat for food and Hyde Park Brewery is brewing a beer in its honor ”“ still to be named. Jeff Pyle said the food will be as local as possible and will rotate through the seasons. “We want to make every trip a new experience.”
A dinner cruise lasts about two-and-a-half hours; Sunday brunch and lunch are about a half-hour shorter. The boat is available for longer charter cruises.
The boat under the management of the Pyles attracted some 40,000 patrons in the four years they have owned it, plying the waters of Oneida Lake, the Erie Canal, the Oswego River and Lake Ontario. The business ”“ Empire Cruise Lines ”“ was based in Syracuse.
The Pyle brothers, who grew up in Poughkeepsie where their parents Dot and Dick Pyle still live, originally sent some 20 letters to municipalities when they considered relocating. Mayor John Tkazyik “got back to us in a matter of days, which was amazing.”
In the end, it came down to a decision between Albany and Poughkeepsie: “I left the area in the early ”™80s and I originally said no to the idea of Poughkeepsie. But Richard was visiting and he saw the development going on. I drove there a year and a half ago and immediately fired off a letter to the mayor.”
In the final accounting, Poughkeepsie edged out Albany mostly because, according to Jeff, “I saw a sincere effort to develop, improve and reclaim the waterfront.” By way of example, he pointed to the Walkway Over the Hudson, which joins Highland 212 feet above the river and said, “A lot has changed, and for the better, since I was a kid. We really like the visible and ongoing effort on the waterfront. You have to have that momentum; it”™s critical. Our business philosophy is that a business needs to move forward, like a shark needs to always swim to breathe or it dies.”
The Pyles also knew the ocean ”“ also presumably its sharks and other dangers ”“ and that is part of the reason they now ply freshwater. “My brother and I always had boats down at the Jersey shore,” he said. “Bigger and bigger commercial. But when I got married, my wife said no more of that ocean. This is a huge investment for us financially and materially, but this is also my family. We want to succeed and stay.”
The Pyles have a 10-year agreement with the city, which, according to the Dutchess County Department of Tourism, will promote: “jobs, economic development and fun.”
The website is www.empirecruiselines.com.
Editors ..What this article omits is the fact that the People’s Dock at Waryas Park has now been made “exclusive” by the tour boat agreement with the City.Fishers will not be able to use the dock or Park users either. Boaters will not be able to tie up and jet skiers will be turned away.
Mayor Tkazyik and the Chair of the Common Council would not let the Waterfront Advisory Committee review the proposal before the Council vote.
This is not what you would call democracy in action. State Parks has now called the “Exclusive use” agreement illegal.
Sinscerely,
john mylod
Mr Mylod is incorrect. The language has been amended and has been reviewed by the State Parks.