Growing up in the Hudson Valley, Carol grew up swimming at Kington Point Beach and like many, sailed for the first time aboard the Clearwater. After working onboard a series of other other education-focused tallships, Carol was excited to join our crew this year as First Mate, feeling incredibly fortunate that I get to help foster stewardship for the Hudson and welcome people from her community aboard to experience the beauty of their river.
Her favorite part of her role as mate is training new volunteers and trainees. She reflected, “It’s incredible to have new sailors step aboard with no experience and watch their confidence grow. Oftentimes, I function more like a coach than a boss, and I love encouraging others and testing their comfort zones. It makes me proud when our trainees leave with a deep love of the Clearwater, its crew, and the labor that is required to keep a vision this special afloat.”
Carol’s also enjoyed sharing the magic of music and learning the lore of the Hudson River, including the legend of Heer of Dunderberg, a goblin known to cause meteorological havoc if not appeased by a sacrifice of goods – generally offered a small snack of fruits or a leftover bagel by the Clearwater crew. Sailors beware!
Lastly, join us in congratulating Carol on her new Captain’s License! She has been working on her license for the past several years, and completed the Captain’s course we hosted last winter in partnership with the Practical Navigator, which we were able to offer to crew members at no cost. Carol is excited to continue learning under Captains Rory and Liam, and is especially looking forward to mastering the art of docking the sloop.
Come sailing and meet Carol and the rest of our crew: clearwater.org/come-sailing
