La bella vita: The newest way to cruise Northport Harbor is fun, sophisticated and... electric

“This is exactly what we needed.”

It’s a phrase commonly voiced after disembarking from the Onda Bella, a 22-foot electric boat offering passengers a refreshingly different perspective of the Northport area. On one particular day, Onda Bella co-owner Keith Brady said, a group of seven women from all over Long Island spent a couple hours reuniting onboard the boat before touring the area on foot. 

“Our goal is to draw people from across Long Island to experience not only our cruise but also the beauty of Northport Village,” Brady told the Journal in a phone interview last month. “This group planned to visit other local spots after their cruise, and they had never been to Northport before. I love that our cruise can kick-start someone’s Northport adventure and encourage them to explore more local businesses.”

It’s an effort to collaborate with fellow business owners that Brady makes with intention. He noted collaborations between Onda Bella and The Northport Hotel, Sand City, and the soon-to-open La Porta Pizza in Northport Village, as well as Del Vino Vineyards just outside the Village, as just some of the relationships he and Onda Bella co-founders Brandon Havrilla and Will Bruner have formed since opening for business. “Not only are we here for ourselves, but we really want to be able to utilize our business to help other businesses,” Brady said. “And I think that's what's special about this town; everybody is on board with helping each other as much as possible. And I love that.” 

The idea to bring Onda Bella (“beautiful wave” in Italian) to Northport wasn’t premeditated. Havrilla and Bruner were at a boat show in the city when they spotted a Duffy Sun Cruiser 22; they immediately sent a photo to Brady. Described by Duffy as “the first choice for luxurious fun in the sun,” the cruiser just looked cool, Brady said. 

“That could be a fun little cruise down in Northport Village,” Brady responded to the guys.

“It's funny you mention that,” they said. “That’s exactly what we’re thinking.”

The trio, all independent business owners who share a passion for the water, hospitality and entrepreneurship, bought the boat in February, then took a few months to upgrade the interior to give it a more high-end feel. Their first cruise set out into Northport Harbor on May 28.

A European vibe
Advertised as a “European-inspired cruise,” the Onda Bella offers an exclusive and intimate escape from the everyday, Brady said, transporting its passengers into a unique setting from the moment they step off the Seymour’s Boatyard dock and onto the boat. “I felt like it had that European vibe, that flair to it. So that's what we went with,” Brady said. Menu items available for preorder include wine from Del Vino (the Ultimo Cabernet or Bobina Pinot Grigio, for example), the Italian pilsner from Sand City, charcuterie boards, lobster rolls and soon, pizza from La Porta.  

The cruise, ideal for friends, families or colleagues, maxes out at around seven miles per hour, and – being electric – is very quiet. “So you really don't hear anything,” Brady said. “You can hang out on the back deck and have a conversation with friends and just hear the trickle of the water behind you. It's a very pleasant boating experience for people to get together and enjoy.” 

Standard cruises last two hours, though time can be added on, and hit the area’s most scenic spots, from Northport Harbor to Centerport Harbor, Asharoken and Sand City. Passengers can stop at an Onda Bella mooring with a floating dock off of Asharoken Beach to paddleboard or swim. “It's really based on the preference of folks,” Brady said, determined by a questionnaire sent out prior to the cruise. “Do they want to swim? Do they just want to cruise around? So depending on what people want to do, we tailor the cruise to their preferences.”

The majority of passengers just want to cruise and relax, he said, with the sunset cruise being the most popular time to hit the water. “If you get one of those beautiful sunsets out there, it's just breathtaking,” Brady said. 

Locals encouraged to cruise
So far, many of Onda Bella’s guests have been from the South Shore, people looking to get a feel for the North Shore “and the waters up here,” Brady said, as well as people from as close as Huntington and as far as Staten Island. After their first cruise, most passengers say they’re coming back, with family or friends. 

“So that's nice,” he said. “You know, customers that have come on so far, say they’re booking again.” But Brady and his Onda Bella business partners, while attracting people from all over the island, still want to connect with the community here at home, and give people who don’t have a boat a perspective of their hometown they may not often get. “We want this to be an experience for the folks who maybe aren't out on the water in Northport, to give them an opportunity to get out there, get their kids out there,” Brady said. “If you're not somebody who's spent much time on the water, it’s really a nice way to get out and get on the water and see Northport from a different view.”

A Northport Village resident for the past nine years, Brady – along with Havrilla, grew up in East Northport and graduated from Northport High School. With Havrilla and Bruner on the South Shore now, Brady takes the role of Northport Village spokesperson on with pride. He and his wife Natalie are raising three girls here, the oldest just graduated from Ocean Avenue Elementary School. 

The couple met at the University of Tampa, “and somehow I convinced her to move up north,” Brady said. “I don't know how, but maybe that's my salesmanship.” His sales pitch, for the Village and Onda Bella, is very convincing: “Sometimes you just stop and look around and you realize how beautiful this place is, you know? I've been all around Long Island. And I just feel this truly is the best town on the island, just how it comes to a head at the harbor. And you have the gazebo and the events and then the playground, how it's all centralized down at the base, and how all the small businesses just kind of lead there. I think it's really a very special place. And when you're out on the water, just being on the water with my family and seeing them start to love it as much as I do, has been a really fulfilling thing.”

Onda Bella launches from Seymour’s Boatyard in Northport Village, and offers two-hour cruises for groups of up to eight guests, four times a day, seven days a week. For more information and to book a cruise, visit www.ondabellacruises.com. You can also follow Onda Bella on Instagram.