June 2023

voyage overview

New Ports and partners

Apollonia’s June 2023 Voyage has been one of our most rewarding (and challenging) voyage yet.

Over the course of two weeks, we successfully docked in three new port locations, delivered our largest-ever haul of sustainably sourced beer, connected with a partner schooner for extended delivery to the Rockaways, and reached new milestones in our maritime skills training program. We slipped safely over the the shallow edges of Haverstraw Bay, dodged ferry traffic in busy New York Harbor, and set the 21st century record for most tacks by a sailing cargo vessel in the East River.

For these and our many continued efforts to revitalize sail freight in the Hudson River Valley, we were recognized on June 17th with an award by Scenic Hudson during their Annual Gala in Beacon.

Mike of Greenpoint Beer and Ale Co. unloading Windshipped Hudson Valley Malt.

 

Education is a key part of Apollonia’s mission, and our June voyage has been an incredible learning experience for crew as well as our shoreside partners. Tides, weather, heat, cold, ferries, tugs, pleasure boats, and pierheads are all potential hazards, but each presents a unique opportunity to learn about our ship, the environment, and our fellow sailors.

James and Molly discussing the finer points of maritime knotwork

James, Miller, Sam, Emma, and Molly back home in Hudson after our second voyage of the season

Be a part of our next voyage!

Subscribe to receive Boat Boxes of sail freight goods from along our voyage route this fall.

Sign up for Cider Club to receive bottles of cider from Greenpoint Cidery by sail.

Ship cargo wholesale or break bulk with Apollonia - email: promo@schoonerapollonia.com

May 2023

voyage overview

scenes from our May 2023 Voyage

Our new crew hauling up Apollonia’s mainsail

Apollonia crew make this look easy!

FIRST MILE LOGISTICS, APOLLONIA-STYLE

We’ve loaded 6,700 pounds of Hudson Valley Malt onto electric vehicles (and one very reliable vegetable-oil powered Ford) for the short journey from Germantown, NY to Hudson where Apollonia awaits with a freshening breeze.

Apollonia’s crew transfers the malt from truck to vessel using our electric cargo bike, which sails with us on each voyage and recharges with onboard solar panels.

Work Smarter! Apollonia’s crew uses the power of gravity (and muscle) to load the many bags of malt into our cargo hold. We’ll soon be sailing downriver, and powered by the wind. Huge thanks to Attentive Energy One for their sponsorship of this May 2023 voyage.

OCTOBER 2021

10.16.21

We loaded up in Hudson with 3,100lbs of Hudson Valley Malt and individual orders from Poor Devil Pepper Company, Viking Maple, Greenpoint Cidery, Moisturize Me, Liberty Farms, and Atina Foods.

10.18.21

A couple days later we arrive in Poughkeepsie to load 1,500lbs of flour from Wild Hive Farm and offload 1,200lbs of malt.

We push off after a short time and sail across the river to Milton, New York. Here we load 250 pie pumpkins from Hepworth Farms, 97 pumpkins and assorted squashes from Sycamore Farms, and apples, cider, and grapes from Elizabeth Ryan.

10.21.21

Arrive in Long Island City.

10.22.21

The crew wakes up at the RETI Center barge in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The bike and trailer are launched to collect coffee beans from Gotham Coffee Roasters and Ninth Street Espresso. We also grab a case of whiskey and barrel from Van Brunt.

That evening is Sail Freight Friday, a public event at the RETI center barge.

10.23.21

Pumpkin offloading event at South Street Seaport Museum in Manhattan. In two hours, almost 300 pumpkin’s leave Apollonia’s cargo hold. Two of Apollonia’s crew stay behind to run our stand at the Fulton Stall Market.

Apollonia starts going North.

10.24.21

Malt and coffee are unloaded in Ossining to Sing Sing Kill Brewery and First Village Coffee.

10.28.21

We end our trip a stop early in Kingston, New York to downrig the boat and get her ready to haul out in the Rondout Creek.

Jared from Poor Devil Pepper Co. makes a delicious Eggplant Parmesan.

Total Cargo October 2021

  • 3100 lbs malt

  • 347 pumpkins

  • 4 cases maple syrup

  • 8 cases cider

  • 4 baskets blue squash and guards

  • 4 bins concord grapes

  • 2 coolers hot sauce

  • yarn

  • condiments

  • beauty products

  • coffee

  • whiskey

SEPTEMBER 2021

9.18.21

The crew, consisting this run of Tanya van Renesse, Matt Soltesz, James Ferrell, and Capt. Sam Merritt, loads in Hudson with help from Dennis Nesel from Hudson Valley Malt.

9.20.21

The boat stops at Riverfront Marina in Newburgh. There, we offload a barrel of Spirits Lab whiskey that has been aging on the boat for months. Some community members, including a member of the Beacon Sloop Club and Gail Hepworth from Hepworth Farms, join for a tasting.

We load a case of barrel aged maple syrup from Spirits Lab and head across the river to Long Dock Park in Beacon, where we unload 900 lbs of malt and grain to Two Way Brewing and Hudson Valley Brewery.

9.21.21

The boat lands in Garrison, where we unload 12 bags of Sparrowbush Flour to Signal Fire Bakery.

9.23.21

We make it to Yonkers for the first time! We dock at the Science Barge, where the crew gets a tour and a taste of some of the delicious fruits and vegetables grown in the barge’s aquaponics system.

Here, we unload 1950 lbs of malt to Yonkers Brewing Co and 1000 lbs of malt to Wolf and Warrior Brewery.

9.24.21

The boat lands in Sunset Park in Brooklyn to unload 1600 lbs of Hudson Valley Malt for Five Boroughs Brewery, then heads to the Reti Center Barge in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

There, we load coffee from Gotham Roasters, Ninth Street Espresso, and Burly Coffee, tea from Mirror House Tea, and a collection of books.

In the evening, we host Sail Freight Friday in conjunction with Reti Center and offload a variety of individual orders.

9.25.21

The crew wakes up early and heads to South Street Seaport Museum in Manhattan. We unload Viking Maple Syrup, Atina Foods, and Greenpoint Cider to Fulton Stall Market.

9.26.21

We arrive in Ossining early in the morning and unload 2000 lbs of Hudson Valley Malt to Sing Sing Kill Brewery and bulk coffee from Ninth Street Espresso to First Village Coffee.

9.27.21

The boat stops for the first time in Milton, New York on the west shore of the river. The town of Milton has just completed this year a beautiful new public dock, where we fit perfectly and confortably..

We load our first cargo of peppers from Hepworth Farms in Milton, New York. The peppers are bound for Poor Devil Pepper Company in Hudson, New York, where they will be turned into delicious probiotic hot sauce that will eventually travel back with us down the river.

Laura Webster and Jared Schwartz from Poor Devil came to help out as well as Gail Hepworth from Hepworth Farms.

Pictured (from left to right): James Ferrell, Schooner Apollonia, Matt Soltesz, Schooner Apollonia, Jared Schwartz Poor Devil Pepper Co, Sam Merritt, Schooner Apollonia, Gail Hepworth, Hepworth Farms, Tanya van Renesse, Schooner Apollonia, Laura Webster, Poor Devil Pepper Co

9.29.21

We arrive home in Hudson, where we unload all of the peppers for Poor Devil and clean up the boat for the end of the run!

AUGUST 2021

8.20.21

On August 20th, we began loading almost 10,000 lbs of Hudson Valley Malt into Apollonia’s cargo hold in Hudson, bound for Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Peekskill, Ossining, and Long Island City. We also loaded ten boxes of Greenpoint Cider, a cooler of Poor Devil Pepper Co. hot sauce, yarn from Liberty Farms, CBD products from Hudson Hemp, and 8 boxes of condiments from Atina Foods.

Long Dock Park in Beacon.

8.22.21

Unload malt to Zeus Brewing in Poughkeepsie.

8.23.21

Unload malt to Hudson Valley Brewing in Beacon.

8.24.21

After spending the night on anchor when the Hudson River Reserve Fleet once sat, the boat heads up the channel into Peekskill and docks with our friends at Trinity Cruises to unload malt to Hudson River Brewing.

Sunset on the GW Bridge on our way into the city

8.27.21

On the way around Manhattan Island, the boat is followed by the family of crew member James, with Documentary Filmmaker Jon Bowermaster and camera crew onboard.

8.26.21

The crew heads around Manhattan and up the East River to Long Island City to deliver malt to Big Alice, Fifth Hammer, and Rockaway Brewing Companies. The turnout is amazing! Brewers from each brewery help unload all the malt in record time.

Unloading in Long Island City.

After unloading and a nice lunch with the brewers, the crew hustles back down the East River to prepare for Sail Freight Friday at the RETI Center barge in Red Hook, Brooklyn. As the schooner passed Governor’s Island, the lashing that attached the throat block on the main broke, and the main sail came down partially without any warning. The crew worked to put the sail away quickly so that the boat could motor safely into port.

8.27.21

In Brooklyn, Alexis and Tanya spend the day on a bicycle around the city to load coffee from First Village and Gotham Roasters and drinks and sandwiches for the evening’s party.

However, as the evening approached, the sky got darker and it started to rain. Thus, Captain Sam and the RETI Center staff agree to cancel the party, which was to be held outside.

8.28.21

After an eventful couple days, the crew wakes up early to sail across the East River to South Street Seaport Museum. There, we unload a couple individual orders and a box of Greenpoint Cider.

8.29.21

The boat arrives in Ossining! The crew unloads 2,100 lbs of Hudson Valley Malt to Sing Sing Kill Brewery, the only brewery that makes 100% of its beer from sail freight malt!

We also unload bulk coffee to First Village Coffee. The owner Luis Corena brings down delicious coffee and pastries for the crew, including a croissant the crew has agreed is the best they’ve had in the US.

9.1.21

Our last stop before reaching home port is Kingston, where we dock at the wonderful Hudson River Maritime Museum and deliver Gotham Roasters coffee to Half Moon Cafe and Van Brunt Whiskey and Greenpoint Cider to Ester Wine.

JULY 2021

7.22.21

We kicked off our July run on 7/22 in Hudson, New York, where we loaded up with Greenpoint Cidery cider, Poor Devil Pepper Co. hot sauce, Viking Maple syrup, Sparrowbush flour, CBD products from Hudson Hemp, and yarn from Liberty Farms.

7.23.21

The next day, we made a quick stop at the Saugerties Lighthouse to pick up condiments from Atina Foods and a Sail Mail Letter from lighthouse keeper Patrick for a friend downriver.

7.24.21

Our bulk cargo in July was Shitake mushroom logs as part of a collaboration with Cornell Small Farms Program, Woodsman Forest Products, Hudson River Maritime Museum, RETI Center, and Red Hook Community Farms. The boat loaded up in Kingston, New York with 300 mushroom logs with the help of the attendees of a Cornell log inoculation workshop.

First Mate Matt inoculates a log in Kingston

7.25.21

It’s crew member Alexis’ Birthday! The crew arrives at the Riverfront Marina in Newburgh. Bosun Tanya, who’s had to skip the cargo run to teach sailing classes at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, comes down from Kingston and the whole crew goes out for a nice dinner.

Apollonia in Long Dock Park in Beacon

Tanya drops by in Newburgh with a birthday plum cake for Alexis!

7.26.21

The boat heads across the river to Beacon to drop off a couple of logs and some individual orders of Poor Devil hot sauce and Hudson Valley Bee honey.

James rows down through the Hudson Highlands

7.27.21

The boat arrives in Peekskill, where it ties up to the dock at New York Boat Co. and unloads some Sparrowbush Flour and spicy Viking Maple Syrup as a gift for Captain Austin.

7.28.21

We continue on to Ossining to deliver Greenpoint Cider, Atina condiments, four mushroom kits, and Sparrowbush flour.

The crew naps while tied up in Red Hook

RETI Center fellows pour wine at Sail Freight Friday in Red Hook

Tanya and Alexis pick up a barrel from Van Brunt Stillhouse, salt, and coffee from Gotham Roasters and Ninth Street Espresso in Brooklyn

MAY 2021

5.15.21

First run of the season! The boat had spent the winter in Port Ewen, New York across the Creek from Kingston. Thus, after loading some PPE masks and honey, Apollonia begins her trip going Northbound to Hudson. Apollonia’s crew consists of Captain Sam, Lu Yoder, Matt Soltesz, and Tanya van Renesse.

5.16.21

They arrive at the dock in Hudson early in the morning after all spending the night camped out on Sam’s farm. Lu had arrive the night previous by bike from coastal Massachusetts.

Ship dog Hoku at the helm.

The crew loads 8,750 lbs of Hudson Valley Malt, a coller of Poor Devil Hot Sauce, Greenpoint Cider, and some individual orders of Atina foods.

5.18.21

The crew unloads malt and PPE masks in Poughkeepsie.

5.19.21

The crew unloads malt in Beacon.

5.21.21

We reach Red Hook, Brooklyn! The crew unloads 5,050 lbs malt, 50 lbs rye, Greenpoint Cider, and individual orders of Atina Foods.

We also pick up and load bulk coffee, Van Brunt Whiskey, and Honey’s Select beverages.

5.23.21

The crew unload at South Street Seaport Museum between 1 and 4. There, we unload some Poor Devil Hot Sauce and Van Brunt Whiskey Afterwards, the boat makes its way across the East River to One15 Marina.

When we arrived at One15 Marina in Brooklyn, we met up with the French sail freight vessel Grain de Sail and loaded some wine and chocolate from vessel to vessel as upriver cargo. Grain de Sail had recently arrived from France on the maiden voyage.

A view from the bow sprit as we approach Brooklyn.

5.24.21

The crew spent most of the day on various maintenance projects. Tanya and Lu sat all day by the sewing machine finishing up Apollonia’s sail covers that Lu, Matt, and Tanya started over the winter. Matt worked on the main mast attempting to secure the electrical conduit that had come loose in the journey downriver.

In the evening, the crew joined Grain de Sail at a fundraising party, where the captains of both vessels gave short talks on their shared mission.

CARGO N°05

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The 2020 October Cargo run was focused on Malt, expanding our collaboration with Hudson Valley Malt. We loaded 110 50 lb sacks in Hudson using pedal powered technology including an Upcycles Trike, a Carla Cargo Trailer and a Tern E-bike to get malt to the fixed dock in Hudson. Then we used an old Jib Sail as a "malt slide" to load the bags onto the vessel, the loading was quite efficient. In addition to the malt we also loaded 2 cases of Hot Sauce from our new shipping partner Poor Devil Peppers here in Hudson.

We delivered malt to breweries along the way. First Millhouse in Poughkeepsie, then Newburgh Brewing and finally Sing Sing Kill in Ossining. In Newburgh we took on additional cargo as well, loading 3 barrels from new shipping partner Spirits Lab Distilling. 2 barrels are full of Rye Whiskey that will be double barrel aged in handmade barrels from Quercus Cooperage aboard Apollonia for the next 12 months. The final barrel was empty and delivered to Poor Devil Peppers in Hudson to have hot sauce finished inside to create a unique flavor. We are very excited to have Apollonia connecting different makers and producers in this fashion.

We ended the run in Kingston at the Hudson River Maritime Museum where we delivered the final cargo, 2 cases of hot sauce to Village Coffee and Goods in Kingston. After this was done the crew down-rigged the vessel, marking an end to a successful first season on the Hudson River.

CARGO N°04

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“For our Cool Streets program, we were flooded with applications to help design carbon-free alternatives to fight summer heat. One team of urban designers were inspired by the oysters that defined New York's past (and future) to provide public seating with a bench in the form of a gabion - the wire cages filled with oyster shells our partners the Billion Oyster Project is using to build new living reefs in New York Harbor. What a nightmare to get the oyster shells they offered us from Governor's Island to Red Hook, which is literally a stone's throw away across Buttermilk Channel. We'd have to have rented a UHaul, bought a dozen buckets, taken two ferries and driven 30 miles, all of which would have taken four of us most of a day. The carbon footprint of that expedition alone almost killed the idea.

Amazingly, Apollonia came to the rescue, and with a few coordinating phone calls and some hard work on the part of Sam and his crew, a giant load of oyster shells (enough for several benches) docked right at our floating climate lab in the making at GBX, Gowanus Bay Terminal, on the edge of industry in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The benches will be equipped with solar panels for shade and free phone charging, and serve as our new entrance straight off Columbia Street. Local schools will soon be coming for open-air classes on climate adaptation, circular economies, and learn how reimagining industry can serve up social justice and environmental benefits. We look forward to Apollonia docking again soon and helping us make our dream of a carbon positive port in South Brooklyn a reality. “
Tim, Reti Center

Sail freight is generally slower than the alternatives, but not always. While in Brooklyn August 21st the Schooner Apollonia moved some oyster shells from Governors Island to Red Hook. The shells came from Billion Oyster Project, a project dedicated to restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives and were bound for a community project with RETI Center.

CARGO N°03

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Between Aug 13 and 21, Schooner Apollonia completed the Riverwise trip in partnership with the Hudson River Maritime Museum and their 100% solar powered vessel Solaris. This voyage created live virtual educational content about the Hudson River, with an emphasis on history, as the fleet made their way down the River. A primary theme was the history of transportation and sail freight Hudson River. In addition to sharing historical stories we also made history, the first time a schooner delivered cargo from upstate to NYC in over 100 years!

All cargo was loaded in Hudson:

Cargo was then delivered in GBX terminal in Red Hook Brooklyn.

The Corn and Malt and Barrels are all being transformed into a Bourbon by Van Brunt Stillhouse, becoming the first full Sail Freight Bourbon produced in NY this century.