Sloops like the Clearwater used to sail the Hudson River regularly in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Sailors transported people and goods up, down, and across the river, but they also fished the river from those decks. Once, the river was full of life that helped sustain the peoples on both banks for generations. As trains and then cars became the prime modes of transportation and industry continuously polluted the river, the fish either died off, or became unsafe to eat. As fishing ended, the crisp, white sails disappeared.
Pete Seeger spent a lifetime promoting peace and understanding with his banjo and songs. As an older man, in the 1970s, he sought for a new way to bring attention to the environmental devastation that had become a way of modern life. He traded a stage for a sloop deck and revived one of the last remaining historic boats to sail the Hudson again.
The return of the white sail acted as a reminder and an emblem. Instead of trying to turn a profit, the captain and crew of young scientists and educators welcomed students aboard to learn about the condition of the river and how to improve it. The students also learned about how sloops work, and how, working together, they can become a crew.
In 2018, the current crew welcomed me aboard to photograph this tour, allowing me access to almost every nook and cranny. It was a delight to have the run of a boat I knew so well from being a kid, growing up along the Hudson River. It remains a favorite tour, and I’m told it’s still used to help orient new crew members and students. Welcome aboard!
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