Philly Plain Dealer

In the Penn’s Landing Marina and all along the Philadelphia side of the Delaware River there are dozens of pontoons, yachts, and swan boats that people can rent or ride in – but there is only one captain-chartered sailboat available to the public, the SV First Light. Phila Sail is the name of the company owned by James Jackson, the only Black male owner of a charter company on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. 

Jackson grew up drawing sailboats as a kid, he joked that he “manifested his doodles” as the now proud owner of an O’Day 322 sailboat. 

Sailing the Delaware can bring a new perspective to Philadelphians, Jackson explained “There are very few places in the world where there is the mix of commercial and recreational traffic, views of urban settings as well as rural settings like Petty Island. Being able to see nature as well as see the city is relatively unique for a sailing charter. It gives people the opportunity to see the city from a perspective they don’t normally get…. People can decompress, unwind, and enjoy themselves.”

Phila Sail offers affordable sunset cruises that cost $100 per person, Jackson said that “breaks even on fuel” for a couple hours on the Delaware. He offers this because one of his goals “is to make the water more accessible to the public.” Phila Sail also hopes to set up an educational program for Philly Public School students once the business is more established. 

The Phila Sail experience is educational and relaxing, the Philly sunset is the star of the show on a beautiful summer day and there are few better ways to enjoy a sunset than from the water. 

According to a 2022 National Marine Manufacturers Association report about 92% of boat owners in America are white and “Demographic trends show that the Next Generation of boating prospects will most likely be more diverse and less likely to come from boat owning families than previous generations.” 

When Jackson was asked about how he fit into this predominantly white world, he eloquently explained how race plays a role in the industry.

James Jackson’s response to the question, “what is it like not being white in the sail boating space?” by saying: 

“Philadelphia and the whole Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay were places before the Civil War where Black men could be free and did pursue commerce successfully, there were many wealthy Black watermen and whole entire towns along the Chesapeake and Delaware River that were only successful because of Black watermen. 

One of the most famous abolitionists and funders of the Underground Railroad was a Black sailmaker, I believe it was James Forton. The history of seafaring and commercial water use on the Delaware is filled with Black innovators. A lot of classic industries are having trouble finding people who want to pursue them, that includes seafaring and pilots, these things that were gatekept from the end of the Civil Rights Era through even now, that stop people from pursuing these careers…. typically these jobs take a lot of experience in addition to skill to pursue them. So to be a professional mariner you have to have a lot of time on the water before you get certified and those things are still in place so there’s a lack of women and people of color in these careers, and now we’re approaching a time when we need to adjust how that works because it’s still gatekept and there aren’t people to pursue those careers and those industries are dying because of that.

To my knowledge, I am the only Black male owner of a charter company on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. I know all the other charter owners and SeaPhilly is owned by Georgette Luna and Chris Stock, she’s a woman of color. There’s non-white owners and non-white participation, but there’s still a limited ability for women and people of color to get merchant mariner credentials and actually be successful in the industry by themselves.”

Phila Sail is a one of one Philly experience that there is no alternative for. If you’ve never been sailing or haven’t been on the Delaware in a couple years, it is a fantastic way to experience the city’s waterways.