NEW ERA FOR THE BANNERMAN CASTLE TRUST

Hudson River Adventures Retires the Pollepel for Bannerman Island Tours

The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. would like to acknowledge Hudson River Adventures for 18 years of service, providing Bannerman Island Lecture Tours on the Pride of the Hudson and Bannerman Island Walking Tours on the
Pollepel. Hudson River Adventures has decided to retire the Pollepel this year and concentrate their efforts on cruises on the Pride of the Hudson which runs out of the Newburgh waterfront. Hudson River Adventures has been a wonderful partner for Bannerman Castle Trust, and deserves much credit for believing in our dream of opening and preserving Bannerman Island. We would never have been able to open the island without their help. On behalf of the BCT Board of Directors and our Advisory council, we thank Lynne, Billynda, and Kevin for their service. We wish you much success with the Pride of the Hudson.

Neil Caplan
BCT  Executive Director

Bannerman Castle Trust to Operate the Estuary Steward for 2013 Bannerman Island Tours

This past summer the Bannerman Castle was the beneficiary of a different, but very valuable, type of donation.
In late August, the BCT assumed ownership of the RV Estuary Steward, a 40′ by 12.5′ boat donated by the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.

The Estuary Steward was commissioned in 2001 by Dutchess County BOCES as a floating classroom, a project funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Later, when its educational program was discontinued, the vessel was transferred to Esopus Meadows Lighthouse which used it to carry visitors out to the lighthouse once every two weeks. Hudson River Cruises is now transporting
visitors to the lighthouse with departures from the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston.

The RV Estuary Steward has an open deck that can be closed with rain curtains in inclement weather.
The BCT will use its new acquisition to expand its visitor operations to Bannerman’s Island by adding tours from new ports.

The Estuary Steward will go into operation this spring.  The Bannerman Castle Trust has hired Steve Nachbar, a
licensed captain with years of experience working on the Hudson River, will take over the responsibility of operating the Estuary Steward. The Estuary Steward will take over the Pollepel’s routes from Beacon and Newburgh and will
add The Village of Cold Spring in June.

It will make its winter home at White’s Hudson River Marina in New Hamburg.  Over the winter, the Steward was
equipped with a new 135 horsepower engine; a donation from White’s valued at $6,800.

The BCT is especially grateful to Barbara Ralston of Esopus Meadows Lighthouse and Jill Shaw from DEC for helping to effectuate the donation and transfer.  We look forward to utilizing the new opportunities and increased capacity this new acquisition will afford our organization.

Robert McKenna
BCT
Vice President