North House Folk School

Schooner Apollonia: June 9

Schooner Apollonia is working to build carbon-neutral sail-freight cargo routes along the Hudson connecting the Hudson Valley and New York City. Our robust 21st century model for delivering goods, weaves together our diverse communities and enlivens waterfronts along the way. In a time of petroleum-driven instantaneous last-mile delivery, we are showing New Yorkers there’s a green alternative. For over five years, we’ve pooled resources, hosted fundraisers and invested countless hours to create our region’s largest carbon-neutral freight vessel, the Schooner Apollonia, a repurposed 64-foot sailboat that can carry 10 tons of cargo. In 2020, we completed several proof of concept trips by delivering thousands of pounds of goods, powered only by the wind. As I write this our crew is preparing for our first cargo run in 2021, hauling 12,000 lbs of Hudson Valley grown grains to producers downstate and other assorted regional goods. We are planning regular cargo runs every 4-6 weeks throughout the 2021 season.