KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Wooden Boat School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum will host a yard sale of tools, equipment, and various boat building ephemera on Sunday, October 31 from 10am to 4pm. Proceeds from the sale will support improvements to the wood shop at the school which offers a variety of woodworking classes and boatbuilding experiences. Also available for purchase will be raffle tickets for a drawing of the Atkin’s Nymph sailboat which will happen at the end of the day.

The public is invited to donate tools to the school in advance of the sale which may be used in curriculum or sold at the event. Tool donations can be dropped off at the Wooden Boat School from Monday, October 25 through Friday, October 29, from 9am to 5pm. The sale and raffle will take place at the school’s wood shop located on the museum campus at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston’s historic waterfront Rondout district.

Items will be priced to go and staff are hoping the sale will help make room for new projects. Proceeds from the boat raffle will support youth boat building programs. The Atkin’s Nymph is a 10’ wooden sailing skiff that was built by the 2018/2019 Youth Boat class. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25 and will be available on site. Tickets can also be purchased in advance at the museum store, open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-5pm, or by calling 845-338-0071. Winners need not be present to win. 

People can support the school in a number of ways. Staff are seeking volunteers with various skill sets, as well as new equipment including a stationary belt sander, shop vac, work truck, and casters. Financial support is always welcome and donations of boats also support the organization. A calendar of classes and details on how to support can be found online at www.hrmm.org/boat-school. People can also email Wooden Boat School Manager Becky Sellinger at bsellinger@hrmm.org.  

About the HRMM Wooden Boat School
The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. The school offers diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. Also available are restoration services for wooden boats. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/woodworking. 

KINGSTON, N.Y. – Hudson River Maritime Museum is offering local tales of legends and lore aboard Solaris on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout October. Passengers will explore the Hudson River and Rondout Creek by searchlight and listen to legends and lore of the Hudson River from the pages of Washington Irving or straight from newspaper headlines of centuries past. Guides will share stories including the tale of the serpent of the Hudson River, the terrible crime of William Salisbury, and Rondout's barge graveyard. Tickets range from $20-$25 and all proceeds support the museum’s educational programs. 

Solaris is the museum's 100% solar-powered tour boat and floating classroom. The boat was built on campus at the Wooden Boat School and is the only solar-powered boat in operation on the Hudson River. This quiet vessel does not require any fossil fuels to operate. The lantern cruises are part of over a dozen themed tours happening this season, including visits to local shipwrecks, Indigenous history events, and trips to the Rondout Lighthouse. 

All boat tickets include general admission to the museum, open Thursday-Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. This event is one of over a dozen themed boat tours happening on the Rondout Creek and Hudson River this season. Find details and a calendar at www.solarboattours.org or call 845-338-0071. 

​This story is a guest post from Kingston resident and museum member and volunteer Nelsie Aybar-Grau of The Rondout Rower. We’re excited to share Nelsie’s experience building an Annapolis Wherry Tandem at Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD. HRMM's Wooden Boat School offers boat building courses as well as introductory woodworking classes and wooden vessel restoration services. Boat building is a tradition with deep roots in the Hudson Valley’s harbors and ports and we thank Nelsie for sharing her story! 

By Nelsie Aybar-Grau

Never in my life had I EVER thought I would build my own boat.  If you would have told me that at the age of 72 I would build an Annapolis Wherry Tandem at Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD, I would have told you that “you’ve lost your mind!”

But that’s exactly what I did.  In five days! (minus finishing which I am still doing now).

It is a long road that led me to this.  It started at the Hudson River Maritime Museum.  When I was president of the Rondout Rowing Club I was asked to help out with the YouthBoat project where a group of students where taught woodworking skills. As part of the course we would take the students out on a traditional wooden boat, a Whitehall named John Magnus, so that they would learn to row a boat on the Rondout Creek.  The John Magnus is a replica of the Whitehall design built by members of the Floating the Apple not-for-profit in New York City.

Because of this I became interested in the very long history of the origins of the Whitehall.  There is very little information on the Whitehall but I got my hands on a copy of the book Building Classic Small Craft (copyright 1977) by John Gardner which had a couple of chapters on it.  It is believed that the basic design of the Whitehall was preceded by the Thames river wherries used by London watermen to provide taxi service. 

A Whitehall gig, which is the slightly longer version of the London wherry is 25 ft in length, requiring four rowers and a coxswain for a crew of five.  For me, it resembled the “4+” crew boats that I used in the Rondout Rowing Club.

When I began my own business of teaching sculling with my own crew training boats  I found I needed a boat permitting two scullers (sculling is rowing with two oars, one in each hand). So I began looking everywhere for a modern wherry because I felt that it would be safe on the Hudson River as well as the Rondout Creek.

I soon found that such a boat was out of my price range…… unless I built it myself.  What I kept remembering was Gardner explained how boatbuilding in bygone years was done by everyone who needed a boat to do some sort of work on local waterways.  Back in the day when there were no boat manufacturers people did what they could and over many, many years the designs improved until you had a boat like the wherry.  It was famous for its speed and stability. “Fast, seaworthy, trim” and “reliable, expeditious” were terms frequently attributed to the wherry. 

Using Google, of course, I searched for a way to get my hands on a tandem (two seater) wherry and came upon the kits manufactured by Chesapeake Lightcraft in Annapolis, Maryland. They had a design they had been honing for 20 years.  Their aim became to allow someone to build a boat in a week.  Although not perfect, they worked hard at making sure that anyone with the least amount of experience could build a wherry with their kits in five days. A very ambitious plan and very well executed.  The kit comes with a manual that one can follow individually or under the supervision of an instructor. The wood used in the kits is is plantation grown African marine plywood --- okoume, to be precise.  The lightest weight plywood you can find.

Not having a workshop AND not having the wherewithal to do this on my own I decided to go for the instructor-led course.  Because I chose the tandem (double) and not the single, they told me I would have to have a partner.  I had nobody to help me but on a whim I invited an old friend who I knew dabbled in woodworking, John Wilder.  Neither of us were totally convinced we could actually do this, but if Chesapeake Light Craft did not balk at our skill level or our age, we figured we would take the plunge.  It was a risk we wanted to take. And this was during the COVID pandemic!

It’s pretty hot in Annapolis in the summer.  In July it gets up into the 100+ temps and being in a workshop for 8 hours a day (minimum) was exhausting.  It’s no small feat to build a boat in five days!  We hit the ground running.  As soon as we were given instructions we set to the tasks at hand each hour, each day, relentlessly.  We did have a lunch break but pretty much we worked continuously.   You really had to if you wanted to take that boat home on the final day!

It was mind-boggling to watch the planks of wood we prepped and stitched together with copper wire become a navigable vessel. It went from looking like a Flamenco dancer’s fan to a trim boat within hours.  

I am not a very crafty person.  OK, I had put together a piece of furniture or put up shelving in my house, but I did not know much about how to use a sander, a plane, a rasp….  The doing of it is the learning.  By the end of the week I knew what “puzzle joints” are, what a scarf is, what “denatured alcohol” is (and the secret tip), how and when to sand, what level of grit paper to use,  how to mix epoxy and hardener,  when to use “fillet” (epoxy mixed with wood dust) or not, how to handle fiberglass.  How to remove epoxy (note:  epoxy cannot be removed, so don’t let it land on a spot you don’t want it to be unless you are committed to hours, no days!, of sanding.)

Curiously (and somewhat disappointing) I have found that most rowers are not boat builders---they just want to row. And most boat builders are not rowers---they just want to build small craft. 

In Kingston I think boat builders should learn to row and I think rowers should get into boat building ---especially since there are courses being given at the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat School!

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum, The Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center, TMI Project's Black Stories Matter, the Underground Railroad Education Center, and the Harambee Coalition and Pine Street African Burial Ground are proud to host the 2021 Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley, to be held Saturday, October 2, 2021 at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, NY. The conference will be available for a limited number of attendees in-person, and will be simultaneously broadcast virtually via Zoom. 
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The all-day conference features twelve presenters on four panels with topics including the role of the Black church, voting rights, the Underground Railroad, Jim Crow, the arts, Green Books, interpretation at area museums, and more, plus a roundtable discussion, and a program remembering Dr. A.J. Williams-Myers, a leader in Hudson Valley Black history research and education. Keynote speakers include Dr. Myra Young Armstead, Vice President for Academic Inclusive Excellence; Lyford Paterson Edwards and Helen Gray Edwards Professor of Historical Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY and Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American History, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.

This conference is open to everyone. The fee to attend is $30/person for in-person and $15/household for virtual access. For more information and to register, visit www.hrmm.org/black-history-conference.

This conference has the generous support of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project, individual donors, and others. SUNY Ulster is the conference facilities sponsor. 

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard Solaris, the 100% solar powered tour boat and floating classroom. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.

The Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center promotes literacy through teaching and learning about the African roots experience, including history and culture, through a dynamic exchange of information, ideas, and creativity. Learn more at www.africanrootslibrary.org. 

TMI Project's mission is to help craft and amplify radically true stories to ignite human connection, challenge the status quo, and inspire both storytellers and listeners to take action for positive social change. Black Stories Matter provides Black-led true storytelling workshops where Black folks can write about, share, and reflect upon their experiences without having to justify, explain, or defend the truth of their lived experiences. The culminating content -- written stories, live storytelling performances, videos, and podcasts -- is accessible to an all-inclusive audience. We pair our storytelling media with strategic tools to inspire deep introspection, a willingness to transform oneself and take bold action to end systemic racism. Learn more at www.tmiproject.org/blackstoriesmatter. 

The Underground Railroad Education Center researches and preserves the local and national history of the Underground Railroad movement, its international connections, and its legacy for today’s social justice issues, thereby empowering people of all ages to be agents of change toward an equitable and just society. Learn more at www.undergroundrailroadhistory.org. 

Harambee a mid-Hudson valley coalition that supports and promotes the strength of our community through cultural and educational events that enriches the lives of youth and adults. Harambee also cares for and manages the Pine Street African Burial Ground. Learn more at www.harambeekingstonny.org. 

Photo
Undated photo of Steamer Mary Powell crew posing on deck with Captain A.E. Anderson, center front row with newspaper. 1st row: Fannie Anthony stewardess; 4th from left, Pilot Hiram Briggs; 5th, Capt. A.E. Anderson (with paper); 6th Purser Joseph Reynolds, Jr. Standing, 3rd from left: Barber (with bow tie). Black men at right possibly stewards. Donald C. Ringwald collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

​At-risk youth participate in Kingston session of nation-wide sailing initiative

​KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Kingston Sailing Club partnered with Mentor Me of Ulster County, the Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and the National Women’s Sailing Association on Saturday, August 14, 2021 to offer a unique opportunity for local middle school girls. Almost 20 participants came to the museum’s waterfront campus as part of the nation-wide AdventureSail Day initiative. Girls at the Kingston session experienced a day-long introduction to sailing basics while developing self-confidence and exploring career paths in the maritime industry. 

The AdventureSail program was begun by the National Women’s Sailing Association in 1996 as a mentoring program for at-risk girls between the ages of 9 and 14 and is run by community sailing centers and yacht clubs all around the country. 2021 was the first year Kingston Sailing Club participated. 

The goal of AdventureSail Day is to enrich the lives of America’s underserved girls through sailing, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The program seeks to open girls’ eyes to a multitude of life’s positive possibilities, and through continued participation in sailing,  a positive activity that will encourage affirmative life choices, help girls develop self-confidence to overcome adverse living conditions, and introduce career paths and opportunities that involve the marine industry, marine related sciences and their local waters.

Kingston Sailing Club’s AdventureSail Day began with an hour of introductions, practice in tying basic knots, and a “chalk talk” on the parts of a sailboat and the basics of sailing, all presented by professional sailing instructors who volunteered their time to teach the girls and their chaperones. 

Next, eight volunteer Kingston Sailing Club (KSC) skippers and eight volunteer KSC crew members each took out one adult mentor and two girls for four hours of sailing on the Hudson River aboard their sailboats.  Lunch was generously donated by the local Bruderhof Communities and was eaten picnic style on the boats. 

Participants and their mentors got to experience riding on sailboats, setting the sails, trimming the sails, steering the boats, and some even went for a brief swim!  For most of the mentors and girls, the day was a first sailing experience. After some initial nerves, the girls and their mentors participated in every aspect of sailing the boats. Giggles, laughter, and cheers could be heard echoing across the River as the crews enjoyed the mighty Hudson. 

After sailing, everyone gathered back on shore at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Boat school for photos, talked about future sailing plans, and celebrated with an ice cream cake. 

Each of the girls took home a backpack donated by the National Women’s Sailing Association, filled with snacks provided by Mother Earth’s Storehouse in Kingston, a water bottle, a notebook and pencil, and a Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference t-shirt donated by Kingston Sailing Club members. Most importantly, each girl got a card with information about the Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and an invitation to apply for a scholarship to participate in its Youth Sailing Program in 2022. 

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

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum, The Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center, TMI Project's Black Stories Matter, the Underground Railroad Education Center, and the Harambee Coalition and Pine Street African Burial Ground are proud to host the 2021 Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley, to be held Saturday, October 2, 2021 at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, NY. The conference will be available for a limited number of attendees in-person, and will be simultaneously broadcast virtually via Zoom. 

The focus of this conference is the history of Black and African-American residents in the Hudson Valley, including communities and work along the canals and tributaries of the Hudson River. The Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley is open for researchers of all levels to apply as presenters. The general public is welcome to attend. 

The call for proposals is still open and the conference organizers encourage researchers of all levels to apply at www.hrmm.org/black-history-conference. Proposal deadline is Friday, August 27, 2021. Proposals and any questions should be emailed to conference@hrmm.org.

Everyone with an interest in Black history is invited to consult the Hudson Valley Black History Collaborative Research Guide, a project of the History Alliance of Kingston, for more information about Black history in the Hudson Valley. The guide is available on the conference page (www.hrmm.org/black-history-conference) and on the History Alliance of Kingston (HAK) website (www.historyallianceofkingston.org). Those with knowledge of additional resources not listed may add them for inclusion via the online form available on the HAK website.

The fee to attend is $30/person for in-person and $15/household for virtual access. Registration will be live on the Hudson River Maritime Museum website by the end of August.

This conference has the generous support of SUNY Ulster as a facilities sponsor, individual donors, and others. If you would like to sponsor the conference, including ticket scholarships, please visit www.hrmm.org/black-history-conference for more information on sponsorship levels and benefits.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard Solaris, the 100% solar powered tour boat and floating classroom. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.

The Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center promotes literacy through teaching and learning about the African roots experience, including history and culture, through a dynamic exchange of information, ideas, and creativity. Learn more at www.africanrootslibrary.org. 

TMI Project's mission is to help craft and amplify radically true stories to ignite human connection, challenge the status quo, and inspire both storytellers and listeners to take action for positive social change. Black Stories Matter provides Black-led true storytelling workshops where Black folks can write about, share, and reflect upon their experiences without having to justify, explain, or defend the truth of their lived experiences. The culminating content -- written stories, live storytelling performances, videos, and podcasts -- is accessible to an all-inclusive audience. We pair our storytelling media with strategic tools to inspire deep introspection, a willingness to transform oneself and take bold action to end systemic racism. Learn more at www.tmiproject.org/blackstoriesmatter. 

The Underground Railroad Education Center researches and preserves the local and national history of the Underground Railroad movement, its international connections, and its legacy for today’s social justice issues, thereby empowering people of all ages to be agents of change toward an equitable and just society. Learn more at www.undergroundrailroadhistory.org. 

Harambee a mid-Hudson valley coalition that supports and promotes the strength of our community through cultural and educational events that enriches the lives of youth and adults. Harambee also cares for and manages the Pine Street African Burial Ground. Learn more at www.harambeekingstonny.org. 

PHOTO
Members of the Lopez Radio Patrol, Hudson River Day Line security guards aboard the steamboat "Alexander Hamilton," September 6, 1971 (the last year of the Hamilton's Hudson River service). Photo by R. R. Haines. Donald C. Ringwald Collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum. 

Maritime Museum hosts historic firefighting vessel August 13-16 
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Fireboat Visit to Kingston Cancelled

The visit from fireboat John J. Harvey scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled. There was a last-minute positive Covid test on the operational crew. Because of the resulting quarantine for crew, the fireboat visit has had to be cancelled. Any reservations will be refunded. We apologize for this inconvenience and look forward to having Harvey and the team back at the museum when they're ready. If you have any questions, please call us at 845-338-0071.

KINGSTON, N.Y. – Hudson River Maritime Museum will welcome Fireboat John J. Harvey to the museum’s waterfront campus from Friday, August 13 to Monday, August 16. Harvey will be making stops throughout the Hudson Valley as part of her Hudson River trip this summer and will be at the Kingston waterfront offering free public trips and deck tours.

People who enjoy a deck tour or trip on the boat will receive half-price admission to the Hudson River Maritime Museum. 

Fireboat John J. Harvey, launched in Brooklyn in 1931, was named for FDNY pilot John J. Harvey. Firefighter Harvey was killed in the line of duty fighting a ship fire. Harvey was a historic first; the first fireboat powered by internal combustion engines and the first that could pump and maneuver simultaneously. She was the largest, fastest fire fighting machine of her time, capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute, roughly the equivalent of 20 terrestrial fire trucks. The innovations of her design influenced all subsequent fireboats.

All trips on John J. Harvey are free. Trips lasting 30-45 minutes will venture out onto the Rondout Creek and each trip can accommodate up to 70 people. Registration is required for trips and details can be found at www.hrmm.org/john-j-harvey. These opportunities are available first come first served. Attendees will be prompted to pay a nominal deposit for registration which will be refunded after their arrival. Deck tours do not require registration.

People are also invited to travel to and from New York City on Harvey on August 12 and 16. Visit www.fireboat.org for details. 

Friday, August 13
12:30-1:30pm - Free Public Trip
2:00-3:00pm - Free Public Trip
4:00-5:00pm - Free Public Trip

Sunday, August 15
11:50am – Arrival at Kingston Waterfront
12:30-1:30pm – Free Public Trip
1:30-4:00pm – Deck Tours
4:00-5:00pm – Free Public Trip

Monday, August 16
9:00am – Depart from Kingston Waterfront

Harvey served and protected NY Harbor for over 6 decades, assisting during such notable fires as the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932, the burning of Normandie in 1942, and the potentially disastrous fire on ammunition ship El Estero during World War II. Decommissioned in 1994, Harvey was saved from the scrap yard by a dedicated group of volunteers and restored as an operational museum and education center, offering free public trips in New York Harbor, and attending notable maritime festivals in Waterford and Oyster Bay in NY, and Mystic and New London in CT.

On September 11 2001, John J. Harvey was recalled to service by the FDNY and reactivated as Marine Company 2. Alongside the FDNY fireboats Fire Fighter and John D. McKean she pumped water for 80 hours until water mains in lower Manhattan were restored to service. Harvey's action that week was the subject of countless print and video news articles as well as a 2002 Maira Kalman book Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey.

Learn more about the John J. Harvey’s history, mission, and programming at www.fireboat.org. 

KINGSTON, N.Y. – Adventure awaits! Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware, returns to the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston from Saturday, August 21 through Saturday, August 28 offering sailing adventures and deck tours for all ages on this magnificent square-rigged ship.

Bring your friends or family on a 2.5-hour day sail on August 21 and 22 or a weekday sail on the high tide on Tuesday, August 24 through Saturday, August 28. Passengers are invited to haul lines, set sails, or just relax and enjoy time on an authentic re-creation of a 17th-Century Dutch Pinnace. 

Sailing tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for youth 17 and under. Advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended. The latest COVID restrictions apply. All passengers should bring a mask if they want to participate in ship activities like hauling lines, in brief but close quarters. For a complete schedule of the ship's visit to Kingston, visit: https://booking.kalmarnyckel.org/BookASail-new.asp?mode=&id=&DateF=-1&LocationF=Kingston%2C+NY&SailTypeF=-1

Ship tours will be offered at the Museum dock on Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22 as well as Saturday, August 28 from 9:00am to 11:00am for $10 for adults, $5 for children age 6-17, and free for age 5 and under. First come, first served; advance purchase is not available.

Kalmar Nyckel is a full-scale replica of the Dutch-built merchant ship that brought Swedish settlers to North America in 1638, to establish the colony of New Sweden (now Delaware). Launched in 1997, today’s Kalmar Nyckel has a crew of 200 volunteers trained by a professional staff who help maintain, sail, and teach its programs. The ship offers a variety of sea- and land-based recreational and educational experiences that reach more than 30,000 people in a typical year.

“Voyaging up the Hudson River is a thrill for our Captain and crew! It’s also the first major trip the ship has made this year due to COVID guidelines,” says Cathy Parsells, Executive Director of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. The summer schedule includes visits to Historic New Castle, DE and Bristol, PA before returning to its home berth in Wilmington, DE.

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer-based educational organization, that built, owns, and operates Kalmar Nyckel. The foundation invites visitors and passengers to explore the cultural and maritime heritage of Delaware, North America, and its enduring ties to Sweden and Finland. The ship serves as a catalyst for social and economic development and outreach in and beyond the state of Delaware.

For details on Kalmar Nyckel sails, tours, charters, educational programs, volunteer opportunities and the Tatiana and Gerret Copeland Maritime Center visit www.KalmarNyckel.org, call 302.429.7447, and follow Kalmar Nyckel on Facebook and Instagram.

Hudson River Schedule
Saturday, August 21    

• 9:00 - 11:00am     Ship Tour   
• 1:00pm - 3:30pm    Day Sail

Sunday, August 22

• 9:00am - 11:00am    Ship Tour
• 2:00pm - 4:30pm      Day Sail

Tuesday, August 24

• 9:30am - 12:00pm Day Sail
• 3:00pm - 5:30pm    Day Sail  

Wednesday, August 25

• 9:30am - 12:00pm    Day Sail
• 3:30 - 6:00pm             Afternoon Sail

Thursday August 26

• 10:00am -12:30pm   Day Sail
• 4:30pm - 7:00pm      Evening Sail

Friday, August 27

• 11:00am - 1:30pm Day Sail
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm Evening Sail

Saturday, August 28

• 9:00am - 11:00am Ship Tour
• 12:30pm - 3:00pm Day Sail

Fees

• Deck tours:  $10 adults, $5 children 6-17, and free for age 5 and under
• Sails:  $60 adults / $40 children  

Visit “Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson” in person or online

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that the new exhibit “Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson” is now complete. The physical exhibit opened in the fall of 2020, and now the companion online exhibit, complete with interactive timeline, is available to all. 
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For the first time in nearly 100 years, the gang is back together. “The gang” being artifacts from the Mary Powell. Although the museum has many Mary Powell artifacts in its collection, including one of famous steamboat’s lunettes – a decoration from her paddlewheel boxes – new artifact donations and those on loan from other institutions and private collectors are now on display for the first time. Her pilot wheel had long been held at the Senate House State Historic Site, but with assistance from the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the Hudson River Maritime Museum is proud to host the pilot wheel as the centerpiece of this new exhibit. The exhibit also showcases items related to the Anderson family, on loan from the Klyne Esopus Museum. Featuring previously un-exhibited items from the Mary Powell, including an electric lantern from the turn of the 20th century and a newly-donated enamel stove from the captain’s quarters, the new exhibit showcases both the history and nostalgia surrounding the Queen of the Hudson. 

Operating from 1861 until her last season in 1917, the Mary Powell was called “Queen of the Hudson” from the beginning, thanks to her rarely-matched speed, beautiful lines, and the tightly run operation of the Anderson family. Famous in part due to her extraordinarily long career, the Mary Powell was removed from service in 1918 in large part due to coal shortages during World War I. Sold in 1919 and scrapped between 1920 and 1926, the remains of her wooden hull still lay in the mud of Rondout Creek. Even long after she was gone, the “Queen of the Hudson” still loomed large in the memories and imagination of Hudson Valley residents.

Visitors to the Hudson River Maritime Museum can peruse dozens of historic artifacts and images from the Mary Powell. The exhibit also features a large giclee print of Len Tantillo’s new painting of the Port of Rondout, featuring the Mary Powell prominently. Visitors to the museum and online can learn more in-depth stories about the Anderson family, the crew of the Mary Powell, including African Americans, her famous passengers, famous challengers who wanted to race the Mary Powell, enjoy an interactive timeline placing the Mary Powell in historical context, and much more with the museum’s companion online exhibit, available at www.hrmm.org/mary-powell.

“Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson” is supported in part by the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
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The Hudson River Maritime Museum is now open Thursdays through Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. 

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to host two programs with the 1903 Raceabout Sloop Eleanor this summer. On Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration & Sailing Society president Chris Hoppe will give a virtual lecture, “A History and the Restoration of the Raceabout Sloop Eleanor,” as part of the Follow the River Lecture Series, sponsored by Rondout Savings Bank. 

This virtual lecture will cover the story of Eleanor’s construction, life afloat, and restoration. Built in 1903 at City Island, New York for racing on the Long Island Sound, the historic raceabout sloop Eleanor was designed by naval architect Clinton H. Crane. Her sleek and low-riding hull design allows her to come about in less than her own length. After nearly a decade of painstaking restoration work, Eleanor was launched from her warehouse in Hudson, NY back into the Hudson River in June of 2020. Owned, restored, and operated by the Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society Inc., Eleanor is sailing again. 

Tickets for this virtual lecture, held via Zoom, are $5 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. Those interested in attending can view upcoming lectures and register at www.hrmm.org/lecture-series. 

Then, on Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11, 2021, the sloop Eleanor will be at the Hudson River Maritime Museum docks. Members of the general public are invited to visit the sloop and learn more about the Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration & Sailing Society. This program is free and open to the public, but donations to support the ongoing maintenance of the Eleanor are encouraged. Eleanor can be visited by the public on Saturday, July 10, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and on Sunday, July 11, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.