The Beacon Sloop Club

The Beacon Sloop Club

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Protecting the Hudson through
environmental advocacy

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The Beacon Sloop Club (Local River History)

The photographs "as seen on the deck of the Hudson River Day Line Steamers." 1910

1785-1787, River Sloop "EXPERIMENT" Sails to Canton China.

1824, Sloop "NEPTUNE" Capsized 35 dead.

1849, Schooner "NOAH BROWN", Struck by Steamer "EMPIRE" and sank at Newburgh with 30 dead.

1862, Ships mandated to carry red & green navigation lights at a cost of $25 each. The bill was introduced by an Assemblyman that happened to own a brass lamp company.

1865, While jibing the Sloop "JAMES COATS" off West Point, the slackened mainsheet caught tillerman Ben Hunt around the neck. His head went into the river, while his body stayed on deck.

1869, Schooner "ORBIT" sinks in a gust, when her load of bricks shifts.

1877, Ferry opens between Newburgh and Fishkill Landing.

1879, Schooner "CATSKILL" sinks at Fishkill Landing (Present day Beacon Harbor) after being rammed by a steamer.

1870, Schooner "CABINET" of Newport, loaded with coal at Newburgh, runs on the flats just below Constitution Island. Three men were lowered into a yawl in order to kedge her off. They took their large anchor and chain in the small boat, and the anchor, chain, boat and men all went to the bottom.

1900...Hudson River Sloops all but disappear....Until

1969, Hudson River Sloop "CLEARWATER" Launched.

1978, Hudson River Ferry Sloop "WOODY GUTHRIE" Launched as our 'club boat'

THE FASTEST HUDSON RIVER SLOOP

The "COMMODORE JONES" was reputed to be the fastest sloop plying the river. She left Brooklyn in 1866 at 9 p.m., traveling 58 miles to Dennings Pt. (Just south of the club) in just 4 1/2 hours. There, she was loaded up and returned to Brooklyn by 8pm the next day. The 23-hour trip included 4 hours of loading at the Point.