Quadricentennial Flotilla Part III

After viewing the flotilla from a distance at Clermont (the main channel there is on the West side of the River, Clermont is on the East bank), I was excited to go to Catskill to see some of the boats up close. I was also excited because again, I got to be a part of the festivities, not just a witness-- the Catskill High School band performed before and after the arrival of the boats in the freight master's building, and alumni were invited to perform.

After leaving Clermont, I was filled with excitement as I crossed the Rip Van Winkle Bridge- I could already see a crowd gathered at the riverfront. I parked at the point, and walked with the masses of people over to the freight master's building. The concert was great-- it was so nice to see old friends, and exhilarating to play as part of such a large band. It was also challenging-- I have been playing again (not exactly regularly, but at least playing), but I hadn't seen any of the music in years (or, in some cases, I had never seen the music)! We played a good selection of movie tunes and popular favorites, so the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

After the first set, and some speeches by dignitaries (just like the 1909 celebration!), the boats arrived. Although the Onrust, the Clearwater, and the Governor Cleveland Tug had docked in Athens and Hudson, respectively, the Half Moon, the John J. Harvey Fireboat, the Launch 5, and the Riverkeeper all returned to Catskill.

Once again, the John J. Harvey was a crowd favorite, with its water show:

The Half Moon, seen up close as it docked, was also quite impressive:

The Launch 5 up close, with its lights on: and the Riverkeeper:

Being a great lover of tug boats, I was of course sad to miss the Governor Cleveland, but it was great to see all the others.

After the arrival of the boats, the band played a couple more numbers, and we were then treated to a performance by the cast of the "River of Dreams" musical. They are certainly a very talented group of kids! I was sad to have missed the performances of the musical, but this was the second time I had seen the students perform some of the musical numbers (they also performed at Clermont's Sheep and Wool Festival). The music, and its lyrics about the river, are the perfect accompaniment to the book "River of Dreams," by Hudson Talbott.

Finally, the band played a couple more numbers to close out the night. One of my favorites, a medley of big band tunes, which we had played when I was in high school, was given new life with performances by a number of students doing improv. solos. They too were incredibly talented, and really got the crowd excited!

All in all, it was an awesome day. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to be involved in two special, historic events. If only the cats could have paraded down Main Street to meet the ships...

Quadricentennial Flotilla Part II

A continuation of last week's account of the Quadricentennial Flotilla:

My first viewing of the Quadricentennial Flotilla was at Clermont State Historic Site, where I work as the curator of collections. As the "home of the steamboat," Clermont was a most appropriate place to view the flotilla. In 1807, Robert Fulton and Robert R. Livingston's "North River Steam-Boat" made a stop at Clermont during its maiden voyage up the Hudson. In 1909, New York City and various riverfront towns held the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, in honor of 300 years since Hudson's voyage, and the centennial of the steamboat. The 1909 celebration also featured a flotilla, which included replicas of the North River Steam-Boat and the Half Moon. On its way up the river, the flotilla paused at Clermont.

This year, a number of visitors came to Clermont to view the flotilla (many of whom were playing hookey from work or school!), picnic baskets in hand. The flotilla was scheduled to arrive at noon, so at 11:30, I presented a short lecture on the boats and the relationship of the 2009 Quadricentennial with the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.

After the lecture, we waited for the boats... and waited... and waited... They left Kingston, where they docked overnight at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, about an hour late, and finally arrived at Clermont about two hours late-- good thing everyone had those picnics! We had been worried about the weather, but were lucky to have no rain, and even a little sun-- it was a beautiful day to sit outside and wait for the boats.

The coast guard boat that led the flotilla:


The John J. Harvey fireboat puts on a demonstration at the Saugerties Lighthouse:

The Half Moon on its way upriver:

The Half Moon again, and the Launch 5 just behind it:

Some of the crowd gathered to watch the boats:

Some of Clermont's tour guides and their families spot the Clearwater:

The Clearwater passing by:

The John J. Harvey Fireboat pulls up into "Livingston Chanel," so the crowd could get a closer look...

and it put on a demonstration in front of Clermont too...

the crowd waves, and oohs and ahhs in appreciation.

The Onrust, followed by the Governor Cleveland:

One last look at the boats, on their way to Catskill:

Quadricentennial Flotilla Part I

Since this year's cats are Hudson River themed, in honor of the Quadricentennial celebration, I feel that it is appropriate to post about Quadricentennial events too. This past Thursday, I was fortunate enough to get to view the Quadricentennial Flotilla at two different celebrations, at Clermont State Historic Site, and at the Historic Catskill Point.


In 2009, the flotilla featured a variety of interesting historic boats and replicas:

-The Half Moon- a replica of the boat in which Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson. This version of the Half Moon is actually the second replica of the boat-- the first was built in the Netherlands as a gift to the United States for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.

-The Clearwater- a replica of a sloop, built to offer a unique environmental education experience for students up and down the river. The Clearwater is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, as well as the 90th birthday of its founder, Pete Seeger.

-The Onrust- a replica of the first European boat built in America. The boat, which was built at the Mabee Farm Site in Rotterdam Junction, NY, was just completed in May of 2009.

-The John J. Harvey Fireboat- retired by the FDNY in 1994, the boat was called back into active service on 9/11. In 2009, the boat was registered as a National Historic Landmark.

-The Launch 5 (a.k.a. the Patrollman Walburger)- retired by the NYPD, sold and abandoned at the bottom of a river, and then lovingly restored

-The Riverkeeper- the Riverkeeper organization was founded by a group of concerned fisherman, worried about pollution in the river, and its impact on fish-- this boat is used to patrol the river and report polluters

The idea of a river parade to celebrate important Hudson River anniversaries is not a new one-- as part of the festivities for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton celebration, a flotilla of replica boats and naval ships from around the world made the trip from New York City to Albany, stopping for celebrations in many of the river towns along the way. A replica of the Clermont (the North River Steam-Boat) and the first replica of the Half Moon both made the voyage-- sadly, both boats were lost due to neglect and vandalism in the early 20th century.

Check back soon for photos of the flotilla at Clermont and Catskill!