The Cottage
657 Square Feet, And Every Seat Faces Water.
An inventory rather than a brochure. Everything we know about this cottage is set down below, including the parts that will put some people off. Where a detail is missing it is because we have not confirmed it, not because we would rather you did not ask.
Smooth Sailing is a single-bedroom cottage of six hundred and fifty-seven square feet, standing at the waterline on the eastern shore of Seneca. Windows on three sides. A dock that begins where the porch ends. It sleeps two in comfort and four at a push, and the distance between those two numbers is worth taking seriously.
There is no dishwasher and no washing machine. There is a Keurig, a full-size refrigerator, a window unit for August and an electric fire for October. It is a cottage run properly, which is a different proposition from a small house doing an impression of a large one.
Sleeping
Two In Comfort, Four At A Push.
The queen is the real bed. The pull-out is genuinely useful for one or two smaller guests, and genuinely not a second bedroom.
- Sleeps
- Up to 4 · two comfortably
- Bedroom
- 1 · queen bed
- Living room
- Pull-out sofa
- Bathroom
- 1 · walk-in shower, no bath
- Size
- 657 square feet
The Waterfront
The Dock Runs To The Door.
Not a view of the lake. The lake.
- Position
- The cottage sits at the waterline
- Dock
- Private dock running directly to the cottage porch
- Depth at the end
- About 10 feet
- Swimming
- Ten feet of water at the end of the dock. Swim at your own risk.
- Underfoot
- Shale bottom — pack water shoes
- Shoreline
- Shale and gravel shore terrace
- Sunset
- Over the water — this is the east shore
On The Water
Take Something Out.
- Kayaks
- 2, included
- Paddleboards
- 2, included
- Life jackets
- A wide assortment, including child sizes
- Your own boat
- Welcome under 22 feet, with a waiver and a fee. Bring your own lines and bumpers
Kitchen And Inside
Enough To Cook Properly.
Not so much that you feel obliged to.
- Cooking
- Electric range and oven
- Cold
- Full-size refrigerator
- Coffee
- Keurig — and we leave coffee for you
- Microwave
- Yes
- Dishwasher
- None — washing up is by hand
- Laundry
- None on site
- Windows
- Lake-facing windows on three sides, plus a picture window over the water
- Television
- Smart TV — sign into your own accounts
- Heating
- Electric fireplace and a space heater
- Cooling
- Window unit
Outside
Two Fires And A Grill.
- Fire pits
- 2 — one propane, one wood-burning
- Firewood
- Provided
- Grill
- Gas
- Table
- Picnic table under an umbrella, on the shore
- Porch
- Covered, facing the water
Dogs
Up To Two, And They Get The Shoreline.
Unlike most waterfront rentals, your dog is allowed on the part you came for.
- How many
- Up to 2, with prior approval
- Where
- Dogs stay on the cottage side of the grounds; the big house next door is pet-free
- Swimming
- Allowed, at their own risk — check their pads after a long swim
- Left alone
- Not in the cottage. Tell us and we will point you at someone local
- Cleaning up
- Yours to do — on the beach and dock
Arrival And Access
About Thirty Steps Down.
They are the reason the cottage sits where it does — closer to the water than anything you could drive up to.
- Stairs
- About thirty steps in two runs — ten from the parking area to the driveway, then twenty down to the beach
- Parking
- Two cars, at the top
- Getting in
- Smart lock — we send your code before you arrive
- Check in
- From 3 PM
- Check out
- By 10 AM
- Step-free access
- Not possible here, and not next door either — both properties sit on the same bluff
- Wi-Fi
- Gigabit-class Wi-Fi with mesh coverage
Booking Details
The Terms, Plainly.
- Minimum stay
- 2 nights
- Season
- Open April through November · closed December through March
- Minimum age
- 25 to book
- Payment
- 50% at booking, the balance 28 days before you arrive
- Cancellation
- Firm — the exact windows appear on your quote
- Security deposit
- None held. We carry damage protection instead
- Quiet hours
- 10 PM – 8 AM
- Smoking
- Not indoors, not on the deck
- Parties and events
- No — the headcount on the booking is the headcount
A Note On Fit
Who This Is Not For.
Anyone for whom thirty steps is a genuine obstacle. Four adults expecting four adults’ worth of room. Any party larger than four. Anyone who wants a dishwasher, a washing machine, or a kitchen equipped to cook Christmas in.
None of which is an apology. It is a small cottage for two, built for the water, and it is very good at being precisely that.
Still Wondering
The Questions We Get Most.
- How many people does the cottage sleep?
- Four at most. Two sleep comfortably in the queen bed, and the pull-out sofa in the living room adds one or two more — it suits smaller guests best. If there are four adults in your group, this is not the right cottage.
- How big is it?
- Six hundred and fifty-seven square feet. One bedroom, one bathroom, a full kitchen and a living room with windows on three sides. Small on purpose.
- Is there heating and air conditioning?
- A window air conditioning unit for summer, and an electric fireplace plus a space heater for the cooler end of the season. It is a cottage rather than a winterised house, which is why we close from December through March.
- How well equipped is the kitchen?
- Enough to cook properly. An electric range and oven, a full-size refrigerator, a microwave, a Keurig with coffee left for you, and the basics you would rather not buy — oil, salt, pepper. There is no dishwasher, so plan on washing up by hand.
- How close to the water is it really?
- The dock runs to the porch. You walk out the door onto the deck, and the deck meets the dock. There is no lawn to cross and no road between you and the lake.
- Can we swim?
- Yes. There is about ten feet of water at the end of the dock, and a ladder to get back out. There is no lifeguard and no shallow end — you swim at your own risk, and we ask that you keep an eye on anyone who is not a confident swimmer. The bottom is shale, so pack water shoes.
- Tell me about the stairs.
- About thirty steps, in two runs: ten from the parking area down to the driveway, then twenty more down to the beach and the cottage. They are the reason the cottage sits where it does — closer to the water than anything you could drive up to. You will carry the groceries down and the bags back up. If that trade sounds right, it is the right cottage.
- Is the cottage accessible for someone with limited mobility?
- No, and we would rather say so plainly. The only way in is down about thirty steps, and there is no alternative route. Our other property next door sits on the same bluff and is reached the same way, so it is not a solution either. If steps are genuinely difficult for anyone coming, neither of our places will work, and we would rather tell you that now than have you find out on arrival.
- Where do we park?
- There is room for two cars at the top, and the stairs start from there. Worth knowing if you are travelling in more than one vehicle.
- Where exactly is the cottage?
- On the east shore of Seneca Lake, just outside Burdett in Schuyler County — a few minutes north of Watkins Glen. We send the full address and driving directions with your booking confirmation rather than publishing them, which keeps the place quiet for whoever is staying.
- What time is check-in and check-out?
- Check in from 3 PM. Check out by 10 AM.
- How do we get in?
- A smart lock on the door. We send your code before you arrive, so there is no key to collect and nobody to meet — come and go as you like.