FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that 2021 youth sailing programs are now open for registration. The first session is free, virtual, and open to all young people interested in learning more about what the sailing school offers this season. A new feature this year is a course for intermediate youth sailors. Program details can be found online at www.hrmm.org/youth-sailing-program. 

Youth Sailors' Zoom Get-Together – A social hour on Zoom. Meet youth sailors, reconnect with friends, and find out what's new for youth sailing in 2021! Moderated by Jody Sterling, Sailing Program Director, this session welcomes new and returning youth sailors to the 2021 season. All are welcome to this free session. April 19, 4:30pm-5:30pm.

Youth sailors will also find a variety of on-the-water classes beginning in May. COVID-safer practices will continue until New York State and local authorities change their directives. Safety practices include small class sizes, outdoor-only activities, and the wearing of masks. On-the-water classes include the following: 

Youth Basic Centerboard Boat Sailing – A three-hour class in which US Sailing certified instructors will introduce new sailors to the basics of sailing on a stable centerboard sailboat and teach them how to handle an unexpected capsize safely.  This class has no prerequisite. The cost is $55. Two dates available: June 8, 4:00pm-7:00pm, and June 22, 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Youth Centerboard Boat Sailing Clinic - A three-hour class in which a US Sailing certified instructor will review the basics and help students improve their sailing skills.  Prerequisite is completion of Youth Basic Centerboard Sailing (above) or its equivalent. The clinic may be taken multiple times. The cost is $50. Three dates available: May 25, 4:00pm-7:00pm. June 1 4:00pm-7:00pm. June 15, 4pm-7pm. 

Youth Intermediate Class - A series of six classes that will meet once a week on Thursdays, from 4:00pm-7:00pm on board centerboard sailboats. US Sailing certified instructors will introduce students to various sailing skills and the basics of racing. Prerequisites: Students must have completed at least one week of the Youth Sailing Program or several sailing clinic classes to enroll.  Six Thursdays, 4:00pm-7:00pm, starting May 27, 2021. Cost is $200 for the series.

Summer Youth Sailing Program – A one-week youth sailing experience for youth ages nine to 17. Four sessions are available in July and August, and participants attend class from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Sessions are taught by US Sailing certified instructors and focus on safety, fun and learning. Mixed age and experience levels allow seasoned students to take on leadership roles. New sailors learn from instructors and their peers and proceed at their own pace. Four sessions available: July 19-23, July 26-30, August 2-6, August 9-13. Cost is $450 per week. 

Museum members are eligible for registration discounts. For details about classes and registration  for Youth Sailing School offerings, visit the Sailing School online  www.hrmm.org/youth-sailing-program or call 845-338-0071.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Wooden Boat School at Hudson River Maritime Museum is offering a series of introductory woodworking classes throughout the Spring. Participants will work on-site in the museum’s wood shop to create take-home projects with the help of skilled instructors. Projects include traditional Adirondack chairs, cigar box guitars, lathe-turned pens and live-edge wood tables. Beginning in June, students can also attend an in-depth Foundations of Woodworking series that is ideal for people who are new to woodworking. 

Oval Shaker Boxes – March 7 & 14
Dado Built Tool Box – March 13
Wooden Tissue Box – March 27
Cigar Box Guitar – March 28
Pen Turning – April 17
Half Hull Carving – April 24 & 25
Adirondack Chair - May 15-16
Live Edge Table – May 23
Hand Built Wooden Plane – June 5
Remote Control Pond Yacht - August 30-September 4

Registration is also open for the school’s Foundations of Woodworking classes. This series of five classes is an extensive introduction into working with wood as a material, the tools used, their maintenance, and safety. Students will also learn about joinery. The series is designed to be taken as a whole, however classes can be taken individually based on experience, and at the instructor’s discretion. The series is taught by Wayne Ford, a master woodworker and shipwright and Bill Sterling, a luthier, woodworker and retired art teacher.

Staff and instructors are committed to keeping students safe from COVID-19. Precautions include limited class sizes, social distancing, face coverings, and practicing hand washing and sanitizing.

For details about classes and to register, visit the Wooden Boat School online at www.hrmm.org/woodworking or call 845-338-0071. People who have questions can contact John Phelan, Wooden Boat School Coordinator, at [email protected].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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KINGSTON, N.Y. – Hudson River Maritime Museum is open for timed admission on Fridays and Saturdays. Staff are ensuring exhibits and programs continue to be available to the public and can be enjoyed safely. 

The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays, from 12pm to 4pm. Admission should be purchased in advance online at www.hrmm.org and by 3pm the day prior to the visit. Each half hour time slot is limited to 4 people, with a special $12/person admission rate which helps the museum cover costs while maintaining small group size. Groups of more than four people are encouraged to email [email protected] or call 845-338-0071 ext. 10 to make special arrangements. 

The museum features many exhibits that tell the story of the Hudson River with focus on environmental aspects of the river, ice boats, steamboats, tugboats, sloops, canals, river industries, boat models, lighthouses and more. Currently featured is the exhibit Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson. Built in 1861, decommissioned in 1917, and scrapped between 1919 and 1921, the steamboat Mary Powell remained a Hudson Valley constant during a period of incredible social and technological change in the United States. She saw the duration of the Civil War, the industrial revolution, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and the start of the First World War. Called “Queen of the Hudson” before construction was even completed, the Mary Powell became an iconic symbol of “America’s Rhine.” Operated for most of her career by one enterprising family - the Andersons - Mary Powell also represented the best of Hudson River travel - the speed, elegance, safety, and attention to detail that made travel by water preferable for many throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

This exhibit reunites many of the surviving Mary Powell artifacts, including her pilot wheel, on loan from Senate House State Historic Site. Learn more about the museum’s exhibits at www.hrmm.org/exhibits. 

The museum’s Riverport Wooden Boat School is also offering woodworking classes giving participants the opportunity to create take-home projects such as an Adirondack chair and live-edge table. Registration is also open for classes offered through the Sailing School. The museum store will be open with admission and some museum store items are available online at www.hrmm.org/store/c1/Featured_Products.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
KINGSTON, N.Y. –  The Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that 2021 sailing programs are now open for registration. New this year are 2 online classes in addition to on-the-water sessions later in the season.
 
Sailboat Ownership - An online interactive 4-hour class featuring 2 sessions. This class is for newer and prospective sailboat owners.  Participants will meet like-minded sailors and learn more about boat ownership. Class meets March 1 and March 8, 6:00 - 8:00 pm.  Price is $36/$40 per person.
 
Introduction to Sailboat Racing - An interactive, online 4-hour class featuring 2 sessions. This class is for sailors new to racing or interested in learning more about racing basics. Participants will meet local sailors and become more comfortable with the excitement of sailboat racing! Class meets March 15 and 22, 2021, 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Price is $36/$40 per person.  
 
 
Adult sailors will also find a variety of on-the-water classes beginning in May. COVID-safer practices will continue until New York State and local authorities change their directives. Practices include small class sizes, outdoor-only activities, and the wearing of masks. On-the-water classes include the following:
 
First Sail - A 2-hour introduction to sailing with a U.S. Sailing certified instructor on board our classic catboat Tidbit. Two to five students at any level of sailing experience are welcome to join this excursion out on the beautiful Hudson. Price is $35 - $50 per person.
 
New Boat Owners Sailing Class - Supports newer boat owners as they develop and practice their skills. Participants will sail their own vessels along with the sailing school fleet with instructors on nearby safety boats. $50 per boat.
 
Adult Basic Centerboard, Adult Basic Centerboard Two, and Adult Centerboard Sailing Clinic – These classes will be offered in 2021. Centerboard boat classes are a great way to learn to sail. Participants will work with a U.S. Sailing certified instructor on small boats and get a close-to-the-water learning experience in this sequence of three 3-hour classes.
 
US Sailing Basic Keelboat, Basic Keelboat II: Spinnaker, Basic Keelboat II: Skipper - These are in-depth courses on larger keel boats and will be offered in 2021 to those who wish to make a time commitment of 21 hours for each class. U.S. Sailing certified instructors cover many topics and students are eligible for testing to earn certification as U.S. Sailing Keelboat Sailors at the end of the first course. They can earn more sea time and hone their skills during the second and third classes in this series.
 
For details about classes and to find registration links for all Sailing School offerings, visit the Sailing School online at https://www.hrmm.org/adult-sailing.html or call (845) 338-0071.
 
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y. HRMM is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. The Museum opened the Riverport Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Riverport Sailing School in 2017.