Financial Strain May Force Hudson River Sloop Clearwater To Close

BEACON, NY — The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is facing the possibility of closing due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the organization recently announced. The pandemic has forced the company to eliminate classroom programs, events and has impacted its upcoming sailing season, which, according to an announcement posted on its website, has “shaken Clearwater’s fragile financial situation beyond our needs.”

The sloop is currently taking several measures to attempt to keep from closing, the company indicated in a release. The pandemic has forced Clearwater to let half of its staff go – including several office staff members and much of the sloop’s crew. Staff members who will remain employed will focus on maintaining the sloop and the organization’s membership and on pursuing all options for financial relief and stabilization in order to create a more sustainable organization.

“While the outlook may seem bleak, this does not have to be the end of Clearwater,” company officials wrote in a message to the public seeking donations on its website. "We can save this organization, but if we are to weather this storm, it will only be with your help.”

Clearwater was founded by singer and songwriter Pete Seeger in 1966 as a way of fighting pollution of the Hudson River. At the time, according to the company’s website, Seeger announced plans to “build a boat to save the river.” The Clearwater, a 106-foot replica vessel, launched in 1969. According to the company, the sloop Clearwater is recognized as America’s Environmental Flagship and is among the first vessels in the United States to conduct science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship, creating the template for environmental education programs around the world.