Lecture: Building the Hudson River Sloop CLEARWATER

The Hudson River Sloop CLEARWATER was launched in South Bristol, Maine on May 17, 1969. The dream began in 1964, a time when the Hudson was rank with raw sewage, toxic chemicals, and oil pollution. Musician and activist Pete Seeger along with several friends had a vision to build a majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries that would bring people to the river where they could experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it.

In this talk, Betsy Garthwaite, past president of the board of directors for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Inc., and a former sloop captain, will recount the story of the construction of the sloop, from the laying of the keel in October of 1968 to her launching in May of ‘69. Designed by naval architect Cyrus Hamlin and brought to life by the Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol—one of the last remaining wooden boat building shipyards at that time—the replica sloop that would come to be called CLEARWATER was born.

The talk will be held at 7 p.m. $5/person (Hudson River Maritime Museum members FREE).