Not to disparage my previous logs, but I’m pretty psyched to write this one. There is some really amazing stuff going on at Clearwater, none of it by me. While I have been squeezing in wedding plans between crew hiring – we’ve got a great group this Spring – and funding paperwork (just as important, though not as much fun as talking to crew), my colleagues and crew have been busy as beavers.

In my last log, the crew and shipwrights were turning the corner from frames, the inner skeleton,  to planks, the carefully crafted skin that keeps the water out and the air in. And the progress is rolling along. Some extra carpenters have joined in and the step by step process of measuring, cutting, shaping, steaming, bending, fitting and fastening is returning our Sloop to herself.

Check out these great progress photos of the port bow!

Planks removed and two futtocks on their way in

More new frames than old!

All the new frames and the first new planks

It’s a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but we have a spectacular team on the job.  The work is fascinating to behold and the results will be on display for the public at our next open boat on April 3 from noon to 6PM. I hope everyone can come up to Saugerties for the last chance in a long while to see the sloop, all 69 tons, out of the water.

And now for something completely different… my hard-working colleague, Education Director Dave Conover, is on an amazing adventure, and has been keeping me posted each step of the way. Some of you may recall the two exciting and emotional sails we did with a group of students from Greenland.  These kids were amazing to have aboard and their culture was a source of wonderment to all of us Valley-dwellers. Well, Dave took that interest to the next level and arranged a two-week visit from our home to theirs in Uummanaq, Greenland.  After several jet-lagged, cold and rainy hours in Copenhagen, he was off by planes, trains, automobiles, boats AND helicopters to spend some time in the Greenland community.  He will follow this log up with his own report, but here a few photos to whet your whistle:

The miracle of modern technology enabled a mass video phone call  between our office and Dave in Ummanaq and it was an inspirational experience  for everyone involved.

And this is just a slice of the exciting things going on here at Clearwater – so come join us at the boat, on the water, at the new office and at Revival and be a part of the fun!

– Captain Sam