Q & A
New York by Tugboat
Q. My wife has always had a fascination with tugboats, and I would like to arrange for her to ride on one. Is there a company in the New York area that offers the opportunity? -- J.T., Port Washington, N.Y.
A. Though tugs are more likely to be guiding vessels than sightseers, a few do accommodate visitors. Among them are these:
The W.O. Decker, based at the South Street Seaport, offers public tours this year on Saturdays between April and Oct. 18 and chartered tours for a minimum of three at other times. A maximum of six passengers applies to all tours.
Departing from Pier 16, the W.O. Decker offers seven itineraries, varying from week to week and taking four or six hours. Among the four-hour tours is one that travels up the Hudson River, almost to the George Washington Bridge and then heads south to Liberty State Park; the six-hour trips include one along the Hudson to Dobbs Ferry, returning via the Harlem River.
Saturday tours depart at 10 a.m. in April, May, September and October and at 9 a.m. from June through August, but not on July 19 and Sept. 13. The cost for the general public is $125 for four-hour trips and $180 for six-hour trips. For members of the South Street Seaport Museum, it is $105 and $150, respectively. The Decker can be chartered for a minimum of three hours. The hourly rate for the boat is $150, $125 for museum members. Information: (212) 748-8786.
Also available for hire by up to six passengers are two tugboats owned by the Kosnac Floating Derrick Corporation. Headed by Veronica Kosnac Marshall, the company dates to 1931, when Mrs. Marshall's grandfather Fred founded it. The tugboats can be hired for a minimum of two hours at $255 an hour. Charges for time begin when the boat leaves the company's dock in West Brighton, Staten Island. But passengers can start and end the trip elsewhere.
Mrs. Marshall said passengers liked to see Kill Van Kull, the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, then head up the East River to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and finally go up the Hudson a bit to see the former World Trade Center site. Information: (718) 876-5447; ktugs@aol.com.
Touring Auto Plants
Q. A pilgrimage by my husband and 10-year-old son to the Mercedes, BMW and Porsche birthplaces is on hold. Are any American sites (Detroit? Lansing?) worth a visit? -- Janis Hirsch, Los Angeles
A. You would, indeed, have to leave American soil to see where Porsches are manufactured. But tours for the public are available at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Ala., near Birmingham, and the BMW plant in Spartanburg, S.C. There is one small problem, though: the minimum age for visitors is 12. There are other possibilities, but not in Michigan.
Whatever plant tour you take, remember cameras and open-toed shoes are prohibited and sometimes so are cellphones, backpacks, purses and briefcases; photo ID's and reservations may be required. Because of plant shutdowns, it's a good idea to call ahead.
The Mercedes-Benz plant, (888) 286-8762, www.bamabenz.com, is where S.U.V.'s are made. Nearby are a visitors center and a museum, where the highlights include an 1885 Daimler motorcycle and an 1886 three-wheel Benz patent motorwagen. Tours: Monday to Friday at 10, 10:15 a.m., 11 and 11:15 a.m. and at 1 and 1:15 p.m. Admission: $5.
The BMW plant, (888) 868-7269, www.bmwzentrum.com, is where the Z4 roadster and X5 sports activity vehicle are built On the site are a visitors center and museum, where the highlights include a 1928 Dixi and at least one of the Art Cars made by such people as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Tours: Tuesday to Friday at 10 and 10:15 a.m., 1, 1:15, 3 and 3:15. Admission: $5.
Plants where children 10 or younger are welcome include these:
Kentucky -- The GM Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, (270) 745-8287. Reservations are not required. Tours, which are free, are given Monday to Friday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Minimum age: 7. Highlights at the nearby National Corvette Museum, (800) 538-3883, online at www.corvettemuseum.com, include a Corvette from 1953, the car's first year, and prototypes that never made it to the showroom, including the only 1983 in existence. Admission to the museum is $8; it is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no age minimum for the museum. The Toyota plant in Georgetown, (800) 866-4485, www.toyoytageorgetown.com, runs a tram tour Monday to Friday at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. On Thursday there is a 6 p.m. tour. Minimum age: first grade. Free.
Tennessee -- The Saturn Spring Hill plant, (800) 326-3321, www.saturn.com. The plant, which has been closed for retooling, begins production, and tours, tomorrow. Free tours, on a tram, are Monday to Friday at 8:30 and 10 a.m. and at 1 and 2:30 p.m. (No 8:30 tour on Wednesday.) Visitors can book three months ahead. Minimum age: 6, or 42 inches high. Tours of the Nissan plant in Smyrna, (615) 459-1444, aboard a tram, run Tuesday at 8:30 and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Minimum age: 10.
Pen Pal in Japan
Q. I am planning a trip to Japan with my 8-year-old daughter. Can you offer advice on finding a Japanese child who could be a pen pal she might visit? -- K.P.G., Chicago
A. Since schools in Japan don't teach English till students are 12 or 13, the outlook is limited. But there are possibilities that you can explore.
iEARN, (212) 870-2693, www.iearn.org, connects students so they can collaborate on projects 'that can make a difference,' says Lisa Jobson, director of programs. Active in 100 countries, iEARN links individuals and students in 700 American schools (kindergarten to 12th grade).
The KeyPals Club service, accessible free through teaching.com, has almost 50,000 members from 112 countries, with 2,000 from Japan. To participate, parents or teachers fax or mail a permission slip. Using such criteria as interests, geography and language, the club matches potential pen pals. The match is activated only after both parties agree.
Patrice Fusillo, author of Japan Guide (Open Road), suggests the home visit program as a way to meet Japanese. Though Tokyo and Yokohama no longer have this program, it is available in other major cities. Information: Japan National Tourist Organization, (212) 757-5640.
Your daughter will find a friendly introduction at the Kids Web Japan site, jin.jcic.or.jp/kidsweb. It covers subjects like sports, coins and legends.
PAUL FREIREICH
Q & A