PETE SEEGER'S LEGACY A SAILOR'S APPRECIATION

"What can a song do? What can a sailboat do? Some would say music exists just to soothe or distract people from their troubles. Some say sailboats are just rich men’s toys. Wrong, wrong. In the summer of 1969 they helped to start cleaning up a river." -Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger passed away earlier this week at the age of 94. I think of him often when I take BIANKA sailing on the Hudson River. Usually it might for a just few days to spend some time enjoying one of my favorite anchorages near Hook Mountain. But, I have also taken my boat on up the river all the way up to Albany when I sailed my boat into Canada for a Nonsuch Rendezvous back in 2002. To me Pete Seeger's legacy will always be his efforts to raise awareness and money in efforts to clean up the Hudson through his help in founding  of the Clearwater organization in 1966. The efforts of he and others have paid off so much that the Hudson River known as  America's River because of it's place in history is considerably cleaner today than it was just a short time ago. So much so that people including me can once again swim in it's refreshing waters.  One of his major efforts was helping to raise money to build the CLEARWATER a 106 foot gaff rigged replica of a Hudson River sloop. The type of sailing vessel  that plied the Hudson in the 1800's. I often come across it sailing in my cruises to New York and elsewhere.

I'm sure that like the Hudson River every time I see the CLEARWATER from now on from the cockpit of BIANKA I'll always remember Pete Seeger and the efforts of he and others in helping to clean up one of America's most beautiful waterways and start singing one of Pete Seeger's tunes about the Hudson River.

Tweet

How Can I Keep from Singing?: The Ballad of Pete Seeger

My Dirty Stream (The Hudson River Song)

Sailing Down My Golden River

AN ELECTRIC SAILBOAT CRUISE TO NEW YORK: PART 3

After exiting the Buttermilk Channel I headed to starboard on a course to the Statue of Liberty. Out in the middle of the bay there appeared to be at least a hundred small dingy sailboats in the middle of the harbor having a race. I thought this is crazy having all these kids out here in such small boats. I was later to find that sailors on board these small sailboats were all part of the events of NY400 and consisted of the top racers from around the world and they were fast. But, from what I heard on the VHF some of the tugboat Captains were not real happy to see them out there blocking their usual transits across the harbor. Especially since they were so fast it was hard to keep out of their way.

As I approached the Statue of Liberty I thought I recognized the boat I saw in the distance.

It was the CLEARWATER. A replica of the sloops that plied the Hudson River over one hundred years ago. She makes a pretty picture when her sails are up.

That night I docked at the Liberty Landing Marina. As I came in I saw a relaxed fellow on his 24 foot sloop smoking a cigar peaceful as can be. Chatting with him later I mentioned that BIANKA used electric propulsion. He said that's why you were so quiet when you came into the dock. I just smiled.

Later that night there was a solemn reminder as the lights for the World Trade Center Memorial were turned on in preparation for the anniversary of that tragic event was coming up in a few days on September 11th.

The next day I sailed up the Hudson and docked at the 79th Street Marina. Lo and Behold I wound up being docked next to the Clearwater sloop. Below is a camera phone photo of BIANKA docked next to the Clearwater at the 79th Street Marinia.

I must say they were a busy crew as they went about chores on the deck in between excursions. I good naturedly harassed them telling them that BIANKA was greener they they were. They asked how. I said I use electric propulsion while they still had a diesel for auxilary propulsion.

PREVIOUS ELECTRIC SAILBOAT CRUISE TO NEW YORK POSTS: PART 1 PART 2