By: Alicia Petrulis
For the fifth year in a row, NV5’s New York City team boarded the sailing yacht Ventura to tour the sights surrounding the southern tip of Manhattan, including NV5’s very own office! Matthew Nayer, a Senior Civil Engineer at NV5, sails on the Ventura in his free time, and organized this annual trip to create an opportunity to bring the team together, while supporting and raising awareness for important causes.
This year’s charity donations went to STEM Kids NYC, which is an organization that offers a more intensive level of education to K-12 students, in an effort to promote interest and talent within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. In addition to expanding the employable STEM workforce, the programs provide a proactive alternative to students living in an urban area to focus on their future and mitigate the chances of poverty, imprisonment, and unemployment. To learn more about this cause, visit their website here.
The Hudson River sail began at North Cove Marina, just west of the World Trade Center. The Ventura cruised through the Upper Bay, passing by Governors Island, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty, before idling to view a fiery sunset. As night fell and the vessel made way its way back, a powerful storm hit, sending everyone down to the cabin to seek shelter. The boat crew, including Matt, worked through the stinging rain and wind to bring the ship safely back to the dock. View the action in the video below.