Amid Unfavorable Weather Conditions, Sloop Clearwater Returns to the Hudson, But DC Events Will Go Ahead As Planned
BEACON, NY – The sloop Clearwater left from Croton, NY on Monday morning for Washington, DC, as part of an initiative to raise concerns about threats to federal clean water protections. Yesterday, due to unfavorable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, Clearwater made the decision to turn around. The sloop returned back to the Hudson River last night where a thorough assessment of the weather was made. The captains, crew and staff have made the difficult decision to forego the trip to DC in order to protect the safety of the crew and vessel. The crew and the Clearwater itself are now safely docked at Alpine, New Jersey.
This decision was made out of prudence, with safety as the top priority. 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, it was decided to head back to avoid encountering potentially challenging conditions.
Meanwhile, Clearwater can confirm that the Washington DC events Clearwater has organized will go ahead next week. The “cargo of concern” of 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. More information on the forum can be found at www.clearwater.org.
“As the senior captain of Clearwater, there are times when you have to make an unpopular decision but the safety of the ship and crew is paramount” said Captain Nick Rogers. “Despite the fact that the sloop has turned around, Clearwater’s agenda to protect the Hudson River, and rivers everywhere, moves forward. We will never abandon our mission to fight for clean water and the environment as a whole.”
“We don’t expect smooth sailing in our struggle for water quality” said Betsy Garthwaite, chair of Clearwater’s board of directors. “Maybe we can’t sail Clearwater to Washington in these stormy conditions, but nothing will deter us from getting there and delivering our message: all waters are connected and all waters must be protected. That’s why we’re following Pete Seeger’s footsteps and taking our concerns to Washington, and holding our Capital Hill forum on clean water for members of Congress next week.”
