Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Apollonia in Kingston in May

It's been almost three years since Gossips told the story of Apollonia and followed its journey from Buzzards Bay to the Hudson River. Now, to quote one member of the Apollonia crew, "with a little luck and a little community support," the schooner powered by the wind and recycled vegetable oil will be making deliveries this season. 

In the meantime, in the month of May, Apollonia is partnering with the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston to offer classes in creating and restoring parts of a working sailing vessel. The museum will be offering three classes as part of the series: Wooden Block and Mast Hoop Build; Wood Finishes: Varnish and Oil; Ropework: Splicing, Whipping, and Making Grommets.

Apollonia will be at the Hudson River Maritime Museum docks for several weeks in May as crew members and volunteers work to finish rebuilding her traditional sailing rig. “We are so excited to team up with the Hudson River Maritime Museum this spring to build many critical parts of the rig, including blocks, mast hoops, and running rigging,” says Sam Merrett, of the Apollonia. Visitors are welcome to watch the work and learn more about the boat. Those interested in learning about traditional vessel rigging and how to repair and maintain their own vessels are invited to register for any of the three courses offered this spring.

In Wooden Block and Mast Hoop Build, students will work with two lead instructors and three assistant instructors to shape and construct rope-stropped blocks and wooden mast hoops for Apollonia. In Wood Finishes: Varnish and Oil, led by Riverport Wooden Boat School instructor Brian Donahue, students will explore various techniques of wood finishing and will get hands-on experience varnishing spars for Apollonia, using traditional schooner varnish. In Ropework: Splicing, Whipping, and Making Grommets, students will work with experienced sailor and knot enthusiast Christin Ripley to learn how to make eye splices, lay a grommet for rope strop blocks, and make proper whippings and seizings. All student-made products will be used on board Apollonia.

The Wooden Block and Mast Hoop Build class meets Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13. Wood Finishes and Ropework classes run concurrently on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20. Click here for more information and to register.
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK

11 comments:

  1. The day can't come soon enough when Apollonia is a regular sight at Hudson's waterfront park in the same dock space used illegally for the last 15 years by Hudson Cruises, Inc. (the Spirit of Hudson and Marika).

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    1. Hudson has room for both but doesn't know how to use it.

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    2. There's no vertical room, so are you planning a government take-over of the Hudson Power Boat Association properties?

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    3. Power boat doesn't "own" any part of the submersible shore nor do they own the bulkhead in front of the state launch.

      Not a takover if "the land beneath navigable water remains vested in the state."

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    4. Of course the land beneath the water and the water's surface are different things, so what's the plan for making the HPBA vacate the water surface? That would solve the question "how to use it [the deeper water]."

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    5. You tip toe around ownership of the bulkhead at the state launch but humor me and riddle me this; if a riparian can only "own" the upland above the high water line, to whom does the "muddy" on the ebb tide belong?

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    6. The State owns the mud, of course, and off that bulkhead which is too deep for exposed mud is where the steamboats docked in the 19th century. But the State owns the parking lot, too, so it's not really a City issue, not directly anyway.

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    7. If so, than the people own the muddy in front of the City slip.

      You know, where Power Boat has fencing on the south side of the bulkhead.

      Extend Water street into the state parking lot and people crossing the bridge would have to left toward Prick's point or right toward the state's launch.

      Restore the city slip and have floats between, more users, better use of our "contributions" to good King Andrew.

      Promote public shore use to the fullest extent possible, as prescribed over 250 years ago.

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  2. So the state allows for free and easy use over on th sunny side?

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  3. With respect to your "vertical" comment, placing barges in front of the state bulkhead would reclaim hundreds of yards of docking and the people's shore at al levels of tide, 27 X 7, a huge increase.

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