| Jennifer Merin As the bell rings and rope are cast off, the tall ship “Sloop Clearwater” slips away from her mooring at NYC’s 79th Street Boat Basin, angles into the flow of the Hudson River and begins to move downstream.
Almost immediately, Captain Nick Rogers and his crew, assisted by willing volunteers who’re aboard for a day sail on the Hudson, launch into the business of hoisting the sails.
After a volley of commands and responses -- “Ready on the throat!” “Ready on the peak!” “One, two, three: heave!” “Hold the line.” -- the massive mainsail is set and capturing the wind, and the tall ship is fully and majestically underway.
It’s a beautiful day for sailing. Blue skies and a good breeze.
This is a public sailing, so the passengers on board are a good mix of New Yorkers and tourists, ranging in age from tot to senior, and sailing solo or with family or as groups of friends.
The ambiance aboard is cheerful and relaxed, but adventures aboard the Clearwater are not without mission. And, the mission is, on this sail and all others, environmental awareness and education.
In fact, the Clearwater is a floating classroom, of sorts, and the majority of her sailings are slated for school children on field trips. In fact, Clearwater’s environmental education programs serve more than 15,000 students annually.
The Clearwater’s crew includes environmental educators who use on board water testing devices, a clear-sided tank that’s populated by small fish, snails, crabs and other Hudson River inhabitants, and a library of books about Hudson River sailing and history to make all passengers aware of local pollution issues and to encourage them to become actively engaged in protecting the environment and keeping the waterway clean.
That the Hudson River is now significantly cleaner than it was when the Clearwater was launched in 1969 may be due to the tall ship’s boosting of public awareness and to the lobbying efforts of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., the Beacon, NY-based nonprofit educational organization that owns and operates the sloop. Clearwater’s members have helped advocate for the Clean Water Act, the Hudson River Park Act and removal of PCB’s from the Hudson.
The Sloop Clearwater was among the first vessels in the U.S. to conduct science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship, virtually creating the template by which such programs are conducted around the world today.
And, the tall ship continues to be the nonprofit organization’s most visible and beloved icon. The Clearwater is a flagship of America’s environmental movement.
She was actually commissioned by Pete Seeger, the legendary folksinger and environmental activist, in 1966. At that time, Hudson River was rank with raw sewage, toxic chemicals and oil pollution. Fish had disappeared from the river over many miles of its length. Seeger’s intention was to bring people to the river -- to sail upon it, experience its beauty and celebrate it by moving to preserve it.
Designed after the 18th and 19th century Dutch sailing sloops that were used to haul cargo up and down the Hudson River, the Sloop Clearwater has an inherent element of nostalgia, and follows in the legend-and-lore-rich tradition of the great sailing vessels of yore.
She is constructed with a large gaff rig, hinged centerboard, and wide shallow hull that equip her, as they did her forebears, to meet the challenges brought by the strong river tides and currents, shallow waters, and variable winds she encounters on the Hudson River. Designed by Cy Hamlin and built by The Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, the Clearwater has a traditional plank-on-frame wooden construction. She is 106 feet long, with a deck length of 75 feet. She is 25 feet abeam (meaning the width at a 90 degree angle to either side of the vessel) and can hold up to 70 tons of cargo -- or 50 passengers.
The sloop rig consists of a single mast and fidded topmast which together rise to a height of 108 feet. The 65-foot long main boom and 45-foot gaff carry the 3,000-square-foot mainsail. A 28-foot long bowsprit carries a 900-square-foot jib on the foredeck. In light wind, a 450-square-foot topsail may also be raised.
But, if you’re not a sailing buff, these specifications might mean little to you. So, suffice it to say that the Clearwater is big and beautiful! In 2004, she was named to the National Register of Historic Places. And, while her mission and tradition are taken seriously, she is meant to provide passengers and other supporters with memorable fun.
On board, passengers hoist sails, take turns steering the vessel with the hand-hewn tiller and participate in informal crew-initiated sing-alongs -- which include, of course, Pete Seeger’s songs and some popular sea shanties. The crew provides accompaniment on guitar, violin, mandolin and flute. It’s education and entertainment all wrapped up in one engagingly charming package.
Each summer, Clearwater re-connects Hudson Valley residents with their cultural heritage and traditions by attracting them to the riverside for the Great Hudson River Revival, the country’s oldest music and environmental festival. This year’s festival, scheduled for June 19-20 at Croton Point Park at Croton-on-Hudson, NY, headlines Pete Seeger (now in his 90s), Steve Earle, Shawn Colvin,David Bromberg Quartet, Joan Osborne,Buckwheat Zydeco and an impressive roster of other artists, plus a juried crafts fair and other attractions.
For further information about the Clearwater, her sailing schedule and associated events and membership in the nonprofit organization, visit http://www.clearwater.org
Copyright 2010 Jennifer Merin
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