Thursday, October 18 marks the 50th anniversary of the keel laying ceremony of the sloop Clearwater.
The keel laying ceremony for America’s environmental flagship took place at the Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, where the sloop replica was built and launched seven months later. Toshi Seeger had anointed the keel with Hudson River water. The keel of a ship is the “backbone” around which the hull is built. Laying the keel marks the official start of construction of a vessel. Clearwater will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launching of the sloop throughout the 2019 sailing season, and will be curating an exhibit entitled “Rescuing the River: Over 50 Years of Environmental Activism on the Hudson.” It will be on display at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston for two years starting on Earth Day in April.
