News Letter
The Beacon Sloop Club (Restoration)
The last living ferry sloop: Is it worth saving?
In the nineteenth century, the average working life of a Hudson River Sloop was about 15 years. Fresh water caused the wood to begin to rot and the boat to deteriorate from the moment it first touched the river. At that time, trees were plentiful and labor cheap. Boat building was a common skill in the Hudson River Valley. When your boat began to deteriorate, it was considered most practical to simply let it sink to the bottom and build a new one.
In 2010, after 32 years of service, rot was discovered in a number of the Woody Guthrie's 60 ribs. We have replaced the 5 worst ribs, at $3,000 per rib, and sistered 3 at $800 each, insuring the boat is safe to sail. In addition, it was time to replace the cockpit wainscoting and seats, the gunwales, one starboard plank, the companionway and the cabin face - all of which were also showing significant deterioration - at an estimated cost of over $40,000. These parts had never before been replaced.
Without these repairs, the Woody could no longer take guests out onto the river. Last sailing season would have been our last. We were fortunate that one of the shipwrights who built the Woody, Jimmy Kricker, is still in business here in the Hudson Valley.
We are now engaged in a two year fundraising effort to replace the remaining original ribs and the sheer strakes (the topmost planks along the outside), to allow the Woody to continue to sail and take guests out onto the river for another 30 years.
At this time, the estimated work will cost in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 at completion.
In the nineteenth century, the average working life of a Hudson River Sloop was about 15 years. Fresh water caused the wood to begin to rot and the boat to deteriorate from the moment it first touched the river. At that time, trees were plentiful and labor cheap. Boat building was a common skill in the Hudson River Valley. When your boat began to deteriorate, it was considered most practical to simply let it sink to the bottom and build a new one.
In 2010, after 32 years of service, rot was discovered in a number of the Woody Guthrie's 60 ribs. We have replaced the 5 worst ribs, at $3,000 per rib, and sistered 3 at $800 each, insuring the boat is safe to sail. In addition, it was time to replace the cockpit wainscoting and seats, the gunwales, one starboard plank, the companionway and the cabin face - all of which were also showing significant deterioration - at an estimated cost of over $40,000. These parts had never before been replaced.
Without these repairs, the Woody could no longer take guests out onto the river. Last sailing season would have been our last. We were fortunate that one of the shipwrights who built the Woody, Jimmy Kricker, is still in business here in the Hudson Valley.
We are now engaged in a two year fundraising effort to replace the remaining original ribs and the sheer strakes (the topmost planks along the outside), to allow the Woody to continue to sail and take guests out onto the river for another 30 years.
At this time, the estimated work will cost in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 at completion.