The WaterFront Center marks 25 years in Oyster Bay
Nonprofit educates thousands on marine science each year
Posted July 18, 2025
The mission of the WaterFront Center is to use education and recreation to help people connect to the water. One way it does so is by taking students and families out on historic vessels like the oyster sloop Christeen.
Courtesy the WaterFront Center
Our mission is to connect people to the water through education and recreation.”
George Ellis, executive director, The WaterFront Center
The WaterFront Center, in Oyster Bay, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, marking a quarter-century of offering public access to the harbor through marine education and recreation. What began as a local effort to preserve the shoreline from overdevelopment has grown into a regional institution, welcoming thousands of people each year to experience Long Island Sound in new ways.
The center was established in 2000, “but it starts back a little bit further,” Jamé Krauter, the center’s director of marketing and engagement, said. “About 1980, a real estate development proposal threatened the former Jacobson Shipyard. They wanted to basically take this spot to create more homes, but because of the environmental impact and the cultural impact on the harbor, different groups got together to encourage a different plan.”
That plan became the Western Waterfront Conceptual Land Use Plan of 1998, driven by community advocacy led by Friends of the Bay and then State Sen. Carl Marcellino. It called for public access to the water, marine education, boat-building and non-invasive recreation. What followed was the formation of the WaterFront Center, originally named the Community Environmental and Marine Education Center.
Today the nonprofit offers sailing instruction, environmental education, and access to historic vessels like the oyster sloop Christeen and the replica harbor workboat Ida May. Its programs serve over 5,000 people a year through tours, charters, school visits and community cruises.
“Our mission is to connect people to the water through education and recreation,” Executive Director George Ellis said. “People get to experience something that we see makes a big difference in their lives.”
The Christeen, the oldest oyster sloop in America, was initially restored by the Christine Oyster Sloop Preservation Corps and given to the WaterFront Center as a floating classroom. The Ida May, launched in 2023, serves a similar role, and has expanded outreach through collaborative trips like a recent voyage to Mamaroneck’s Marine Education Center.
Board secretary Jaime Deming, who joined the board 24 years ago, emphasized the value of preserving access to the harbor for public benefit.
“People from the community said they wanted to see a marine education center, and to preserve maritime history,” Deming said. “Public access to the water is not free. We provide a wonderful service to people who otherwise would never get to.”
Deming helped secure the acquisition of the Oyster Bay Sailing School after it was nearly purchased for corporate use. Under her leadership, the school’s junior programs merged with the WaterFront Center’s educational offerings, creating a summer curriculum of sailing and marine science.
In the decades since, the organization has expanded to include adaptive and therapeutic programs like Veterans on the Water and ZigZag, which offer no-cost sailing to veterans and those with disabilities, respectively.
“Our partnerships with local community organizations are integral in what we do,” Krauter said. “We work closely with the Youth and Family Counseling Agency of Oyster Bay-East Norwich, the Life Enrichment Center, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.”
For students across Long Island who visit throughout the year, the experience can be transformative. “We had Uniondale High School here for a marine education program,” Ellis said. “Ninety-five percent of these kids had never had any experience with the water. Seeing those impacts on people on a daily basis really makes you appreciate what the organization does.”
Oyster Bay Town Clerk Rich LaMarca said the center’s contributions go far beyond recreation.“It’s an honor to celebrate this milestone with the WaterFront Center,” LaMarca said. “Their programs help foster a greater appreciation for our natural resources and give residents, especially children, an opportunity to learn about the environment, maritime history and the importance of stewardship.”
In honor of its 25th anniversary, the center has introduced new programs, including pond yacht sailing, a fishing camp and themed cruises in partnership with local businesses.
“This year we’re hosting our benefit in Building J, where the Christeen and Ida May were built,” Krauter said. “It adds a nice element to the celebration and ties it all back to our history.”
Despite its growth, the center remains grounded in its founding principles: public access, environmental awareness, and community engagement. “We’re a nonprofit, so we are funded by private donations mostly,” Krauter said. “One of the biggest things is that people in the community don’t realize what a wonderful resource and community organization we really are.”
Looking ahead, the center continues to focus on expanding its reach and ensuring that the next generation can learn to love and protect Long Island’s waters.
“We’re multifaceted,” Ellis said. “People think of us in how they interact with us, renting a kayak, summer camp, a boat ride, but we do so much more. Without the WaterFront Center, there would be a huge void. We’re very fortunate to have supporters who understand what that impact is.”
For more information or to support the center’s mission, visit TheWaterFrontCenter.org.