Baldwin native, teacher, launches charter boat company

Baldwin native Emily Bess teaches high-school English in Queens during the school year. But when summer arrives, she trades her classroom for the open water along Long Island’s South Shore as a captain and tour guide for a charter boat company. 

Bess showcases her passengers the best of what the South Shore has to offer aboard the Freeport-based Siren Song Charters, female owned and operated business by her.

Her earliest memories include spending time aboard the boat operated by her father, Rick Cohen, who navigated the Freeport Water Taxi, a cruise company he founded in 2012 that offers boat tours and shuttle service to and from Freeport and Point Lookout.

Two years later, Bess received her U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license — marking a third generation that her family has earned that credential — and she took over piloting the water taxi service.

“I grew up around boats,” Bess, a Class of 2006 Baldwin High School graduate, said. “I’m a third-generation Long Island boater. My father is a captain; my grandfather passed when I was little and was a Long Island fisherman.

“This is kind of what I’ve always known, but it’s kind of atypical for girls to be boat captains,” she added.

As she began to learn how to operate a boat, she also learned the business aspect through her father.

Bess is now blending her passion and expertise with her teaching abilities to foster a family-friendly atmosphere in her charter business. Her tours feature activities ranging from bird watching and sunset viewing to sharing the history of the South Shore.

“I’m looking for more kid-friendly activities,” she said, “like teacher moments, as opposed to going out and doing fishing charters.”

As in starting any business, Bess has faced a few challenges, she said. She acknowledged that her limited fishing experience was one obstacle she encountered when launching her business last month. Being a female in the industry could be viewed as a challenge as well, she said.

“I can’t say for sure, but I believe I’m the only female boat captain out on the Nautical Mile,” Bess said of the famous attraction in Freeport. “There’s been a bit of a challenge just getting my name out there and showing people that I am a confident boat captain as a female.”

Her tours begin at the Nautical Mile and take passengers to Jones Beach, Point Lookout and Long Beach.

She said her father has wholeheartedly supported her business, and even accompanied her to acquire her boat on the Facebook Marketplace. The two traveled by boat to Maryland to find the “perfect boat for me,” Bess said.

“I want to just get my name out,” she said when asked about her goal. “Someone who is a reliable person that gives really good tours. I want to get families out and enjoy the water, which isn’t always accessible to people because not everyone has a boat.

“I want to show off what the South Shore of Long Island has to offer,” she added.

For more information on how to schedule a tour, visit SirenSongFreeport.com.