Sail trading returns to the Hudson
Schooner Apollonia delivers goods under sail, bringing zero-emission malt and other ingredients to the brewers of Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley.
Sail trading has returned to the Hudson River in the form of the schooner Apollonia. Skippered by Captain Sam Merrett the 65-foot steel-hulled vessel could have sailed right out of the 1850s.
“We have a proven track record that sail freight works here,” Merrett told Times Union. “Rewind to 1850 and there were 1,200 boats on the Hudson River sailing stuff around.”
The Apollonia is currently being prepared for her first full season of deliveries, starting mid-May, and while she is the only sail trader on the river, she’s part of a growing global movement towards trading under sail.
“I’m not trying to replace Amazon, because obviously that’s not possible, or the goal,” Merrett said. “But it’s important to me that people start realizing the impact of transportation.”
