He'll ferry you from Cutchogue to the U.S. Open and back

Chip Cheek took his first customers by boat Monday from Broadwater Cove in Cutchogue to Strong’s Southampton Shinnecock Bay Marina, a quarter-mile walk from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Cheek, 65, from Cutchogue, is the co-owner of Peconic Bay Sunset Cruises alongside his wife, Lisa. Throughout the week of the U.S. Open, Cheek, the captain, will take passengers to and from Strong’s in Southampton for $150 roundtrip. Each ride takes about 90 minutes, Cheek said.

“Oh my god, it became a vacation rather than just an arduous journey,” said Joel Ehrlich, one of Cheek’s first three passengers of the week. “It's really wonderful.”

Ehrlich, 63, of Mattituck, traveled with his wife, Phyllis, and friend Peter Masso for Monday’s U.S. Open practice round. Cheek says the group is his only trip on Monday, and he also has single bookings for the practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Once the U.S. Open officially starts, Cheek said he has multiple trips lined up from Thursday through Sunday. He added he can take eight people each trip on his white 30-foot Sea Ray.

Cheek said he has worked in hospitality his whole life and also sells wine wholesale for Raphael Vineyards on the North Fork. In 2020, he started Peconic Bay Sunset Cruises — which offers services including sunset cruises and boat charters. This was several years after separate bouts of kidney and colon cancer and pancreatitis made him reevaluate how he wanted to spend his time.

“People get sick,” Cheek said, noting he’s had clean health since 2015 and gets checked every six months, “but it makes you realize that you don't have all the time in the world.”

It inspired Cheek to spend as much time as possible on the water and start his business. Now, it’s leading him to spare people on the North Fork the hassle of getting to Shinnecock for the U.S. Open.