Any recommendations for one boat tour over another?

Depends on what you want. To my knowledge only the Circle Line does a full circle around the island. But many consider that one too long. Nywaterway.com has better boats and covers in 90 mins. what Circle Line covers in 2 hrs. The smaller boats like shearwatersailing.com and sail-nyc.com are very nice for a more special experience. Goldstar.com often has great discounts for many of the cruises.

Mclaurie gives solid advice.

I took out-of-towners on the 2-hour Circle Line & was
pleasantly surprised at how knowledgeable & very funny the
guide was, which made for a great experience.

On a nice hot day just being on the boat is great, and so the longer trip is worth it. Maybe not so much if you just want to see the sights. The last couple of times I took it the tours guides were very good and added a lot to the trip.

Bookmarking.