Timeline






2024 Officers

President: Don Hegeman
Vice President: Chris Hoppe
Recording Secretary: Margaret Shirk
Corresponding Secretary: Louise Bliss
Treasurer: Andrea Perez

2024 Board of Directors

Ricky Aldrich
Mike Aguiar
Gary Lecce
Sheila O’Neal
Dennis Pitts
Chanda Plitt
Pete Tenerowicz

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September 26 – 48th Annual Lake George Antique & Classic Boat Show Rendezvous in Lake George




Photos of Eleanor when she sailed the Hudson River

Henry Hopkins Livingston, second owner of Eleanor.

Captain Philip S. Egan, third owner of Eleanor

Louise Bliss going up in the bosun’s chair during an OpSail

1995 – Philip Beals and Louise Bliss at the tiller

If you have photos of Eleanor, please send them to us at eleanorrestorationproject@gmail.com and we will post them  here.

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10/1 – 10/2/2022
Sailing to Kingston Maritime Celebration of Woodworking & Boat Building Contest




Summer 2022
Photos from the summer




May 2022
Monster Machine in Chatham made a new bronze pin to attach the tack of the sail to the gooseneck.

5/8/2022
– Getting ready to step the mast
– New member Lydia Curran ascended the mast to adjust the rigging

5/10/2022
Eleanor moved from Riverview Marine  to the transient dock at the Catskill Marina

5/14/2022
Allison Hoppe up the mast on May 14th, adjusting the rigging and installing the flag halyard.

5/17/2022
Eleanor moved to her summer slip




4/2022
The list of work to be done one weekend!      – Clean the top of the keel and the bottom of the deadwood
– Enlarge the hole in the deadwood so that it fits over the new coupling nut
– Attach the new keel bolt
– Coat the mating surfaces with roof cement
– Lower the boat and tighten the keel bolts
– Clean off the roof cement that oozes out of the joint.

4/15/2022
– Bad news: discovered rear-most keel bolt is broken
– Good news: refinished transom back on the stern




February 2022
Cleaning up the chainplates

2/12/2022
First work day of the season

March 2022
Visit to Nik Santagate’s shop in Paul Smith New York to see two 1898 Clinton Crane designed Idem sailboats in for  repair and a new one under construction.  For information on the Idem  see https: www.sailingworld.com/idems-regis-lake/

3/5/2022
Second  work day of the season




12/4/2021
Our Booth at Winter Walk

Sailing Season 2021
Statistics: 43 Members sailed. Eleanor sailed 35 times! Mark Rountree crewed the most sails – 15 during the season

1/5/2022
Scanning the hull of Eleanor with a 3D laser scanner. Thanks to PGS Millwork of Hudson for making this possible




9/18 – 19/2021
Rigging was a challenge, but we did it!

10/2021
Don Hegeman, Chris Hoppe and Pete Tenerowicz receive their Skipper certificates from Louise Bliss after passing their practical exams




9/2021
Lot’s of work this summer on repairs to the mast and deck, but with a little more help from our friends Eleanor will be out in the Hudson soon.
– Chris O’Reilly, artisan wood worker, inspects the exact scarfing of new Sitka Spruce to the original mast
– New partner to fit in deck forward of the cabin roof
– A jig will insure that the hole drilled for the tenon will be perfectly centered in the mast.  The new tenon with ridges to allow for “glue”
– Ready for varnish
– Eleanor was carefully protected from the elements while she was without her mast and rigging




5/20/2021
First non-Zoom in-person meeting since the pandemic began!

6/18/2021 – 6/20/2021
Hudson Power Boat Association – The Return of Eleanor to the Port of Hudson and a 3-day Meet and Greet

6/30/2021
“A History and the Restoration of the Raceabout Sloop Eleanor,” a Zoom lecture by Chris Hoppe.

7/10/2021 -7/11/2021
Eleanor will be at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston




3/18/2021
Virtual Beacon Sloop Club – The History and Restoration of the Eleanor presented by Louise Bliss

April til Launch
Working on the Eleanor at Riverview Marina in Catskill

April 11
Launch at Catskill Marina

April 28
Stepped the mast




1/21/2021
Our first Zoom Annual Meeting allowing everyone across the country to join us.

Summer 2020
Great sailing on the “new” Eleanor.




Summer 2020
Isabell Livingston and her sons Sandy, Sky and Eliiot and Captain Egan’s grandson Joseph Veronezi (not shown) aboard Eleanor. A great reunion.

Joe Kenneally, Bill Burrows, Dennis, Don Hegeman watching adjustments of the rigging.




7/20/2020
Bent the sail with lots of sweat equity, hoisted her to make sure the halyards were aligned correctly, and hoisted the jib two/three times.

Great sailing on the “new” Eleanor

Bob and Christine Adriance are our first boatswains, doing a good job and being very responsible.  Julie Kinney and Don Hegeman will split August.

7/29/2020
Shake Down sail on the Catskill Creek. Eleanor’s last sail on the Creek was in 2001. Captain Louise, first mate Don Hegeman, second mate Dennis Pitts, crew Julie Kinne and Pete Tenoerowicz. Don and Pete returned her to dock under motor.




6/21/2020 – 6/23/2020
Eleanor had to be pulled from the water for some tinkering but now she is back in and, as all wooden boats do until all the seams swell up, she is taking on a little water. We stepped the mast and connected everything on 6/23.

6/30/2020
Storm Wanring!
Eleanor moved out to the River and then to storm dockage at Hudson Power Boat. So happy the storm passed but a big thank you to Scott Davis, Joe Kenneally, Dennis PItts, Chris Hoppe and Bill Palmer for helping to keep her safe.




6/18/2020
Virtual Beacon Sloop Club – The History and Restoration of the Eleanor presented by Louise Bliss.




6/15/2020
Eleanor, after 19 long years is back in her element: the water where she trhives and feels new life and freedom. Eleanor arrived at Mike’s Riverview Marine in Catskill. MIke Aguilar wasted no time putting her in the straps. She will soak up for a couple of days. Thank you Chris Hoppe for four beautiful push poles engraved with Eleanor’s name. Thank you to Mike, Don Hegman, Joe Kenneally, Richard Aldrich, and Allen Hamilton for being the crew today and to everyone who made this day possible.




6/11/2020
Eleanor was moved out of her space at the Antique Warehouse at 99 S. Third Street where she is waiting area to be hauled  to the Hudson River!  What a good girl! No crying or sighing.  Very solid!




1/30/2020
Our Annual Meeting at the Hudson Power Boat Club.  Good meeting with lots of praise for our volunteers, great food, and invited guests including skippers, boat restorers, ice boaters, and sailors in the area who came to find out about Eleanor.

2/20/2020
Our first of many meetings as we prepare for launching Eleanor this spring at ice out.  We thank our new and old members who attended and for all their contributions.




11/16/2019
We’re bringing the spars back to the restoration site so that Becca Buckler can measure them for our rigging requirements.  Here we are holding the gaff after a monthly meeting.  Left to right are members: Dennis Pitts, Richard Aldrich, Nicolas Tipple, Don Hegeman, Erica Tipple, Jo August Hills, Audrey Wyman, Kathy Torchia, Julie Veronezi, and Phyllis Beals.  Photo by member Doug Cropper

12/7/2019
Louise Bliss and Matthew Adinolfi at Winter Walk — cider, popcorn, and more.




5/25/2019
Our annual Treasure Sale

6/22/2019
HRHB manned a booth at the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Festival featuring the National Boatbuilding Contest.




5/4/2019
Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal generously entertained us at our benefit gala at Club Helsinki Hudson. It was a night to be remembered by all who attended. We thank everyone who joined us, supported us, donated to us, and to all the volunteers who worked hard to make this happen. See more on our Press page and here




12/1/2018
Dennis Pitts, Patricia Rhodes and Henry “Ciderman” manned a busy booth at Hudson’s Winter Walk.




October 2018
-We are very pleased that Anderson Boat Haulers has agreed to move Eleanor from Hudson to Mike’s Riverview Marine in Catskill for her launch and soak-up next spring. It is an historic event as Eleanor is returning to the marina with Mike who did the launching and hauling for – this is a guess – 30 plus or minus years. Also thanks to Skip Speed who may be able to move us out of our space and into position for over the road move by Anderson.
– Dennis Pitts and Patricia Lee Rode manned our booth at Hope on the Hudson at the Basilica.




5/10/2018 – Started our Instagram Account!

7/28/2018 – Hudson Farmers Market
Little Eleanor meets sailboat Eleanor. So many Eleanors stopped by to say hello.

8/20/2018 – Common Energy’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
State Senator Jim Tedisco from the 49th District cut the ribbon to the Oppenheim, NY wind solar farm.   Malcolm David Bliss, Vice President of Partnerships at the company, and also in the photo, is and one of our members.  The solar array has over 4,000 solar panels.  Common Energy  provides solar energy to your home thru National Grid.  Read about it here.




2/1/2018 – Annual Meeting for Members & Friends
Thirty-three members and guests attended the 8th Annual Meeting at the Hudson Power Boat Club. They including Honorable Mayor of the City of Hudson Rick Richter; Lisa Cline, Director of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Kingston; Jack Weeks, President of the HRMM Board; Jim Kricker, Lead Shipwright from the River Wooden Boat School, Kingston; and Reed Bielenburg from the Hudson Valley Ice Boat Organization. Volunteers were recognized for their total of 612 hours of work. It was a wonderful evening with a mingling of new and old members and volunteers.




10/27/2017
HRHB hosted an “Eleanor — Soon to be Powered by the Wind Again” table at Hope on the Hudson: An Evening of Celebration and Success at the Basilica.

12/21/2017
Volunteers take a break from their work to enjoy an end of year thank you from HRHB.




May 20, 2017
Annual Treasure Sale held at 538 Warren Street to raise money for the sails.

June 20, 2017
President Louise Bliss speaks on Eleanor at the Livingston Free Library

June 22, 2017
June meeting at Hudson River Front Park. Nick Tipple presents the new rudder, built by Ghent Wood Products and fitted with original hardware.

June 24, 2017
HRHB mans an information booth at the Hudson Farmers Market




2/2/2017
Joe Kenneally officially hung our memorial flag in our new location. This marked the end of the move and the beginning of back to work on Eleanor.

3/17/2017
First Open Site. Two new volunteers!

3/21/2017
Annual Meeting of HHRB.  The winners of the Saugerties Lighthouse Raffle are Peggy Lampman of Claverack and Ginger Gellman Bliss of Rutland Vermont.

3/27/2017
The volunteer crew suprised President Louise Bliss on her birthday. It’s not all work and no play!

3/28/2017
New York State Safe Boating class sponsored in part by the Hudson River Historic Boat was held on March 28, 2017.  Taught by members of the Hudson River Historic Boat, seven participants received their Safe Boating Certificates.




12/28/2016
Planning & beginning the move of our restoration site one bay south. Our volunteers prepared the keel and Eleanor for the move.

12/30/2016
The major moving day. Our lights will be moved soon. We will find a good spot to hang Eleanor’s flag.




4/21/2016
Eleanor Exhibit at the Germantown Library. See website for hours and directions.

8/2016
Eleanor Exhibit at Hudson Area Library

9/2016 – 10/2016
Eleanor Exhibit at Columbia Greene Community College

10/8/2016
Spars arrive in Hudson!




11/12/2015
Helena Andreyki and John Mylod from the Hudson River Foundation made a site visitation.

1/17/2016
Honorable Mayor Tiffany Hamilton and her aide Lisa Walsh visited Eleanor at the restoration site. They were enthusiastic about her shape, style, and the amount of work completed by the volunteers. Mayor Hamilton stated that she felt sure there would be a place for Eleanor at the Hudson Waterfront.

1/28/2016
Sixth Annual Meeting




5/31/2015
Great Lawn & Porch Party to Benefit the Sloop Eleanor Restoration, Rokeby Estate, Barrytown. Guest speaker Halsey Herreshoff. More photos of the day.

Summer 2015
– Education Tent at Hudson Farmers Markets in July and August.
– So far in 2015 restoration volunteers have contributed 341.5 hours, or $25,000 of in-kind labor at the site. Praise to our on and off-site volunteers!
– In July HRHB reached its goal of raising $18,000 to pay for the research, design, materials and build of the mast, gaff, and boom. Members will visit Beetle Boat Company to see the beginning of the build.
– Four very large pieces of white oak were brought to Ghent Wood Products to be planed and ripped for building the deadwood.
– HRHB contacted Wally the Welder of Ghent to design a cart to move the 2,000 lb. keel back into place when ready.
– Grant money received from the Hudson River Front Improvement Fund Grant awarded in February 2015 bought supplies and materials to rebuild the hull.
– Motion to make the next capital fund Raising The Sails made, seconded, and passed at the August 27 meeting.




1/22/2015
The Hudson River Historic Boat Inc. reaches its $10,000 milestone toward the $15,000 goal needed for building the mast, boom, and gaff for sailboat Eleanor at the 5th Annual Reunion and Meeting.

4/13/2015
Louise tells the story of the Eleanor at the Newport Yacht Club.

5/1/2015
Michelle Buoniconto, Beetle, Inc. Wareham, MA. takes measurements for the spar build.

5/16/2015
HRHB participated in the New York Rivers Boating Festival at Henry Hudson Waterfront Park. Featured at our Education Tent were demonstrations of our member-built steam chamber, a slide show of restoration progress, and educational information on navigation for children.




6/2014
Building a Mast
Members visit the Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar Company to learn how a mast is made using the bird’s mouth construction technique. Louise Bliss and Suzanne Leahy shake hands on an agreement for building Eleanor’s mast, boom, and gaff by Pleasant Bay.

9/6/2014
Ten ducks and ten flamingos competed in The Great Water Race and Barbecue at Roe-Jan Creek Boat Club to raise funds for Eleanor’s spars.

12/11/2014
President Louise Bliss shakes hands with Commodore Allen White after her presentation on Eleanor at the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club

1/2015
Suzanne Leahy (see 6/2014) joins Beetle Cat Boat Shop in Wareham, Mass. Michelle Buoniconto, owner of Beetle Cat, and Suzanne Leahy together will honor the June 2014 agreement and build the spars as previously agreed to by Leahy.




1/23/2014
Fourth Annual Meeting held at Wunderbar, 744 Warren Street, Hudson, NY. Isabel Livingston presented President Louise Bliss with a photo of Henry Hopkins Livingston, second owner of Eleanor.

3/2014
Members check in with the hard water sailors at the Ice Boating Regatta in Barrytown, NY. Ice boats are four sided gaff riggs as is Eleanor and some have just about the same main sail size.

4/24/2014
Vote to contract with Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar Company, PO Box 1174, Orleans, MA 02653 to design and build the spars for Eleanor.

Spring 2014
Visited Rokeby Farm to see about getting some white oak




Fall 2013
– An appeal is made to cover the cost of mahogany for a new transom and deck trim. The appeal is successful and the mahogany is purchased from Will Poliquin, Smithtown, RI.
– Clear Atlantic Cedar is purchased from Wil Poliquin. The cedar will be used for the decking and the above water line planking where needed.

8/2013
Bank of Greene County Foundation awards $250.00 for power tools

10/2013
Columbia Greene Educational Center students deliver cabinets to restoration site




2/2012
Andersen Boat Transport of Burnt Hills NY moves Eleanor into her reconstruction site

4/24/2012
“Let’s Go Sailing” program established to create more sailing opportunities by matching members who can act as crew with members who are looking for crew

12/8/2012
HRHB holds a hoop making workshop at the reconstruction site. It was a learning experience for all!

Spring 2013
HRHB received a $600 Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation grant for lumber for storage cabinets to be built by the Senior Construction Technology students at Questar 111, Hudson, NY

6/8/2013 & 8/10/2013
HRHB volunteers manned the information tent and greeted the public at the Hudson Farmers’ Market




5/25/2011
Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society organizational meeting held at Greenport Town Hall to elect officers and approve bylaws

9/30/2011
US IRS grants tax exempt status under section 501(c)3 to HRHB retroactive to March 2011

12/15/2011
HRHB becomes a member of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce




12/27/1982
Eleanor is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

7/4/1986
Eleanor sails as part of Operation Sail 1986

12/15/2010 – 12/16/2010
Eleanor travels from the International School of Yacht Restoration in Newport RI to her new home in Hudson, NY

1/6/2011
HRHB presentation at Wunderbar, Hudson NY

5/6/2011
Captain Peter Fenn, a member of Accredited Marine Surveyors, completes a marine survey of Eleanor