Fall 2003 & Winter 2004 New Sails for Clearwater Clearwater is a replica of the traditional Hudson River sloops, the cargo vessels that worked the Hudson River from the 1700s through the mid-1800s—think of them as the tractor-trailers of the day. Today her cargo, instead of fur, livestock and produce consists of students from all over the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island Sound. She serves as a platform for hands-on education in everything from physics, biology and chemistry to environmental stewardship, community building and leadership skills. In order to maximize their capacity, Hudson River sloops were substantial vessels, and Clearwater is no exception, weighing in at roughly 70 tons. Needless to say, it takes a lot of canvas to get her moving. She is 106 feet long and 108 feet tall, providing a rig large enough to carry a 68-foot boom, tall enough so our sails can grab that glorious wind coming off the top of the Palisades and Bear Mountain. As a sloop she has only one mast and three sails: mainsail, jib, and topsail. Our mainsail is her driving force. At more than three thousand square feet, the main can get Clearwater moving in the lightest winds and it is, in fact, one of the three largest sails in North America. Our jib, with another thousand square feet, balances the rig fore and aft, and keeps us sailing straight. It is these two sails that we are looking to replace. With advances in textile science we no longer use real canvas, which is frightfully heavy and cumbersome to work with, and vulnerable to moisture, rot and sunlight. Modern textiles such as Dacron, Duradon and the newer Oceanus are lighter, easier to work with, and last much longer than canvas. Historically, five to six years has been our turnover rate for these sails. Both sails, thanks to the diligence and hard work of our crew, were with us for seven years. They got us through seven seasons of shipboard programs—approximately 340 sails per year. That’s more than 100,000 students who have “laid on” and raised our mainsail. As you can see from the photographs below, the sails were showing their age, and the crew had been forced to begin patching. But thanks to the help of our members, the mainsail, jib and fittings, and the steamed oak mast hoops that attach the mainsail to the mast have been replaced.

Sailmaker Nat Wilson constructed the new mainsail up in Boothbay, ME. Check out these great photos of Nat and his team cutting our new main in the gymnasium of the Boothbay YMCA!   The Master Himself, With His New Project Yup, That’s One Big Sail Swimming in a Sea of Oceanus

Check out these before pictures.

Worn Seizing at Clew Patchwork on Threadbare Sail

Leather Worn Off Clew Kringle Extensive Patchwork, Unfortunately Wearing Above and Below What Little Healthy Stitching Remains