The Clearwater Generations Storytelling Archive is a growing collection of memories from the Clearwater community—those who have sailed the sloop, worked for the river, and found inspiration in its mission. Since 1966, Clearwater has sparked education, advocacy, and music that connect people to the Hudson and to one another. Nearly sixty years on, our community continues to grow, and these stories show how grassroots generosity and collective action are powerful forces for good.
Sejle sammen/Sailing Together
Dear Clearwater, Clearwater never sailed as far as Denmark, nevertheless she steered me on a course that linked me forever to a Viking ship from a small town on a small island in that [...]
As Long As I Can Haul A Line
Dear Clearwater, For many people, the words “middle school” bring up memories of awkwardness and questionable fashion choices, but for me, I think of two life changing decisions: joining marching band, which led me [...]
Still Together On the Hudson
Dear Clearwater, In the fall of 1973, I borrowed my parents' car to bring my belongings to college for the start of my senior year. When I returned home the next day, I [...]
An Autumnal Thriller
Dear Clearwater, Long, long ago, before personal computers were invented, the Clearwater used to honor the fall harvest by having a pumpkin sail the last two weeks in October. We would start in Albany, [...]
“Year of Living Deeply – A Memoir of 1969.”
Dear Clearwater, I first met Pete Seeger in 1968, when he told me that he was raising money to build a replica of a cargo sloop that had plied the river a century ago. The [...]
“Real Sailing Happens on the Hudson.”
Dear Clearwater, I first met Clearwater in 2009 when I started as a month-long winter maintenance apprentice. The stories I have about Clearwater and her people are many. The impact that the boat and the [...]
“Two Unforgettable Weeks Aboard.”
Dear Clearwater, This year in late September, I visited New York City together with my oldest daughter Rebecca. It was my first visit to the city after exactly 25 years. We stood at the Hudson [...]
“Growing Up Clearwater.”
Dear Clearwater, My first introduction to Clearwater was a winter maintenance potluck. I was 6 years old and my mom read about it in the paper. By the time I did my first week of [...]
“Clearwater Changed Everything.”
Dear Clearwater, This August, I finished my second summer living, working, and sailing on the Sloop Clearwater, and I couldn’t be more grateful. If you told me in June of 2021 that a month later [...]
“Clearwater Is My Favorite Teacher.”
Dear Clearwater, The first time I set foot on a sailboat was when I joined the Winter maintenance crew in Feb. 1999. Saugerties? Never heard of it, but there I went anyway. I could find [...]
“The Gift Clearwater Gave Me.”
Dear Clearwater, My first time on the boat was an autumn sail out of Beacon in 1998, I was part of a Hudson Valley AmeriCorps team, and we had a team building activity (read: party) [...]
“Revolutionary Work.”
Dear Clearwater, My earliest memories of Clearwater go back to when I was about 4 years old, traveling with my parents Tom and Edral Winslow, going to places like Caffe Lena to see my father [...]
“Learning While Doing.”
Dear Clearwater, I remember my first trip with my students on the Clearwater and how much the integrative, hands-on experience excited and empowered even the weakest of science students. To prepare for each sail, students [...]
“Beginning Before Clearwater Was Born.”
Dear Clearwater, As children, my grandmother and her sister used to walk out to the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse at low-tide, often waiting too long until the tide was too high for them to walk back, [...]
“Clearwater Through and Through.”
Dear Clearwater, The Armour Family in 1994. It’s daunting to try to map out my family’s Clearwater story because I consider myself tremendously fortunate to have been born into this vibrant community. The [...]
“Four Generations of Clearwater.”
Dear Clearwater, I can recall my first memory of Clearwater, visiting with my parents down at South Street Seaport, not long after the Clearwater had first sailed into New York. Even as a boy I [...]
The stories in the Generations Archive celebrate the people and spirit that keep Clearwater sailing and advocating for the Hudson River and educating the next generation of environmental leaders.