The Hudson River is one of America’s most storied waterways. From Henry Hudson’s first exploration of the River in 1609, to the launching of the world’s first steamship in 1807, to the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, what was first known as the North River has evolved into an iconic waterway. Many chapters in the story of the River’s revival played out in the beginning in the 1960s, from the fight to save Storm King Mountain from the planned construction of a nuclear plant to the creation of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, now an icon of the river itself. For as much as the history of this country was shaped by the commerce carried on the Hudson, the physical infrastructure that made New York the center of world trade has dramatically deteriorated over time. To help break this wave of decay, a group of New York-based organizations staged an eight-day tour of the River to identify places where infrastructure improvements ought to be made in order to accommodate berthing vessels.

The Blue Links trip was made aboard the fireboat John J. Harvey, a retired New York fireboat, and sponsored by the North River Historic Ship Society and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. The goals of the trip were to celebrate the maritime and riverfront heritage and history of the Hudson and, more importantly, to explore places where vessels cannot currently land, and where new access can be created. Looking ahead, waterfront communities are organizing now to build support for waterfront infrastructure improvements that might be funded by the “TEA-3” federal transportation appropriation that will come in 2003.

The Blue Links on the Hudson River tour revealed dramatically how the future of the Hudson River will shine even brighter than the past. In so many towns along this National Heritage River, cities and towns are cleaning up polluted lands and replacing parking lots with public spaces. Over the course of the eight-day trip, the John J. Harvey called at ten ports and landings, and welcomed more than 2,000 valley residents and visitors aboard.

The reception was universally positive, and the welcome offered by each community ranged from a color guard in Catskill to traditional Irish dancers in Kingston. The trip successfully demonstrated the historic Day Liner connection between Manhattan and Bear Mountain, and stirred interest in creating new waterborne connections between Hudson and Athens, and even a four-tow connection between Kingston, Saugerties, Tivole, and Rhinebeck. As Mayor James Sottile said in his welcoming address to Kingston, “We’ve realized that waterfront revitalization isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about economic development.”