Clearwater sail to D.C. halted by bad weather
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has suspended its sail to Washington, D.C., due to bad weather, but members of the organization still will go to the nation’s capital to urge federal lawmakers to protect the Hudson and other American waterways, the organization said Thursday.
The Clearwater set sail from Croton-on-Hudson, in Westchester County, on Monday. On Wednesday, because of “unfavorable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean,” the decision was made to turn around and head back to the Hudson, the organization said. The sloop ultimately docked at Alpine, N.J.
“This decision was made out of prudence, with safety as the top priority,” Clearwater said in a press release. “The Clearwater is a Hudson River sloop designed for carrying cargo on the river rather than for ocean voyages in rough conditions. With recent severe weather in the area and a tropical storm in the Gulf [of Mexico], it was decided to head back to avoid encountering potentially challenging conditions.”
Regarding the organization’s Washington plans, Clearwater said “testimonials, petitions and municipal resolutions Clearwater has collected will be delivered to Congress, and a Capitol Hill forum on clean-water issues will go ahead as planned on June 29.”
The Sloop Clearwater and its namesake organization were founded in 1966 by folk musician and longtime Dutchess County resident Pete Seeger as a way to draw attention to the preservation needs of the Hudson River.
The Clearwater’s winter homeport is along the Rondout Creek in Downtown Kingston.