Clearwater Maintenance 2013

If anyone out there needs to be convinced of the beauty of the Hudson Valley less than 100 miles north of the big city, take a glance at this foto by Tim Hetrick showing tanker Icdas 11 escorted by a paparazzi savvy eagle.

The foto below shows sloop Clearwater in mid-June arriving at the music festival that shares the same name.

A minute or so earlier . . . Clearwater rounded the bend following Woody Guthrie toward the shallows.

But if anyone has notions of operating a wooden vessel, it’s important to consider the regular maintenance.  Here was a post from about three years ago about work on Clearwater.  Currently way upriver this

is happening again.  All the following fotos now come thanks to Paul Strubeck.  In mid-December, Clearwater was downrigged and hauled out near Albany at Scarano Boat Building and

gently placed onto Black Diamond, with tug Cornell nearby.

Securing the big sloop for travel takes care and time, more time than there is light at the winter solstice end of the year.

But when all’s fast, the trip to where the winter maintenance crew can begin.

Click here for an article about Clearwater‘s winter home in the shadow of the Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Many thanks to Paul for sending these along.  It looks like I need to find time to get up to the Rondout.  The first two fotos in the post are mine.