Latest Clearwater Blog Posts
The Crew, the River, and Why I Keep Coming Back
Peter at the Tiller, South Street Seaport, 1991 My family, the Cafieros, had been sailors for generations before my grandfather Claudio emigrated to New York City and became the captain of a railroad barge in the harbor. Those barges included living quarters [...]
Clearwater Member Spotlight: Bridget Kenny
Growing up in the Hudson Valley, Bridget Kenny attended the Great Hudson River Revival with her parents, listened to Pete Seeger’s music, and encountered the sloop in the 1980s at the Strawberry Festival in Newburgh. A few years later, she sailed on Clearwater for [...]
From Queerwater to Crew: Discovering My Place on the Sloop Clearwater
The first time I heard of The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, I was 13 in a community center, being handed a flyer about “Queerwater”- a 3 day youth program that I was just barely too young for. I hadn’t given it much thought, considering [...]
Notes from the Helm: Reflections on 2025 Sailing Season
The change of season brings a time of transition for the sloop and crew, as we downrig Clearwater and begin winter maintenance. Each sailing season on the Hudson is unique, shaped by the mix of new and returning crew, weather conditions, and all the [...]
Restoring the Clearwater: 2026-2027 Transom + Topsides Project
Clearwater will begin its next major restoration project in July 2026, focusing on the transom and topsides – the upper sections of the hull above the waterline and the flat surface at the stern. This 10-month project, running through April 2027, marks the final [...]
Clearwater’s Spiritual Ethics
“I feel most spiritual when I’m out in the woods. I feel part of nature. Or looking up at the stars. Now I say, it’s all according to your definition of God. God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes I’m looking at God.” [...]