Despite a bit of misty weather this morning, Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s The New York City Waterfalls turned on today without a hitch. So Team Around Town—myself and first mate/writer Erin Clements—set sail aboard Classic Harbor Line’s 80-foot yacht, the Manhattan, to see the aquatic art installation for ourselves. As we settled into our berth, I suddenly realized the excitement of seeing four man-made waterfalls made me forget I get seasick on the Staten Island Ferry. Fortunately, crew member Sarah filled me in on an age-old sailor’s cure: pinch your wrists. I think it worked, although it could’ve just been the complimentary champagne.

It actually takes a while to get from Chelsea Piers to lower Manhattan, so when we encountered our first fall, splashing down at the tip of Governors Island, it was like happening upon Shangri-La after being lost in the Himalayas. It had a certain beauty to it, but more cute than majestic. Isolated from the iron, grit and steel of Manhattan, it kind of reminds you of a giant waterslide.

Once you pass Battery Park City, the three other waterfalls—ringing the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 35, and Piers 4 and 5—come into view fairly quickly. After a consult, Erin and I agreed that our favorite is the one under the Brooklyn Bridge. (Kinda made the old gal look like she sprung a leak). Perhaps it was the cloudy skies or my returning nausea, but I wasn’t as flabbergasted as I anticipated. I think that’s owed more to my overly high expectations than the falls themselves. Sorry, folks, I don’t see Eliasson’s waterworks capturing the city’s attention like The Gates did. (Several passersby at Chelsea Piers didn’t even know about the project.) But on the trip back, as I saw the Domino Sugar factory, Stuy-Town, the Battery Maritime Building and even Lady Liberty from a relatively rare perspective, I realized that anything that gets New Yorkers out on the water is a good thing. Tak for lån, Mr. Eliasson. Thank you.

Want to see the waterfalls by boat? Tickets for the Manhattan are only $40.