Environmental Sail Program
The Environmental Sail Program (ESP) is a set of Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater environmental educational initiatives that revolves around the original Clearwater goal--to build awareness of our environment, the effects of pollution on it, and humans' ability to cause it and to cure it. Like its Sloop Clearwater inspiration, our sailing vessel Adam Hyler inspires both MCFC volunteers and guests to work as a team to achieve its goals.
Our sailing vessel, Adam Hyler, is a 26' Tuckerton Sailing Garvey. It is a replica of a design used in the 17th century for work in the shallow waters of the Tuckerton Bay. It is made almost entirely of wood and has no motor. It has been described as the pickup truck of the 1600's while the Sloop Clearwater was the 18-wheeler of the Hudson River. The Boat Committee sails and maintains the boat and runs the Environmental Sail Program.
ESP initiatives include:
1. Sailing, Lots of Sailing. Both MCFC volunteers and guests get to sail on the beautiful Navesink River from June through October. To qualify to sail on the Hyler requires one thing; show up on scheduled weekly sail days. Guest seating is limited so get there early. The crew will teach the beginners the basics of sailing, allow more experienced sailors to explore the reaches of the Navesink, and seasoned sailors the joy of teaching sailing, splicing, and the local ecosystem to awed newcomers. Learning sailing can take volunteers all the way to skipper status if you want to go that far. With ample notice, arrangements can be made with the captains to sail for pleasure or purpose on days other than those scheduled. Call 732-842-9644. The off-season perks include scraping, painting, reconstruction, varnishing, and oar shaping and more to prepare for another season of sailing, lots of sailing. We dock at the Oyster Point Hotel Marina in Red Bank, NJ. Sails are free to the general public. Currently, weekly sails leave the dock at 6pm, every Wednesday night.
2. Oyster Bed Creation And Maintenance. Over the past five years MCFC ESP has teamed with the NY/NJ Baykeeper Program to re-establish, after many decades, oyster beds in the Navesink River. With strong-willed and strong-backed volunteers from both programs, we put down mountains of oyster shells on the bed of the Navesink at the aptly named Oyster Point shoals. Later the team gingerly laid down thousand of immature oysters with the hope of success. This was done over the course of several years with the aid of our garvey Adam Hyler, uniquely suited for the job. We expect that we will be continuing the effort in 2007.
3. River Rangers and Boat Building. The ESP has teamed with Navesink Maritime Historical Association (NMHA) to teach young people-Boy and Girl Scouts, students at Middle Schools' of the Navesink Watershed area, local recreation commissions, church groups, and others-to build and navigate their own self-built canoes on the Navesink. The River Rangers program builds on the previous boat-building endeavors to learn and execute lessons in nature, the ecosystem, and conservation. 
Clearwater ESP contributes the environmental lessons and acts as mother ship to the flotilla of young people who paddle their canoes seeking unique wildlife upstream or the beauty of the wide Navesink downstream.
4. ESP has conducted water testing on the Navesink, Shrewsbury, and other water bodies in the area. We would be happy to discuss a joint program with any organization. Our sailboat has two major advantages for this task: it is extremely shallow drafted and is small enough to be trailered to remote locations if the need arises and conditions permit.
The MCFC Environmental Sail Program welcomes proposals of other joint ventures, like the above, from youth groups or other organizations. Please call us at 732-842-9644 or email us at edlugosz@comcast.net.