Riverkeeper recently christened its new boat in honor of the late Bob Boyle, who founded the Ossining-based Hudson River environmental watchdog in 1966.
The new addition to the organization’s fleet will increase Riverkeeper’s capacity to monitor water quality and serve as the eyes and ears of the river.
Riverkeeper monitors water quality at hundreds of sites on the Hudson River and its tributaries, from New York City to the Adirondacks. Samples are tested at Riverkeeper’s Kingston, New York lab and onboard the Bob Boyle, which Riverkeeper has outfitted with water quality monitoring equipment.
The Bob Boyle is a refurbished 25-foot Parker with a new Yamaha engine. Her namesake, Robert H. Boyle (1928-2017), was an investigative journalist, avid outdoorsman, environmental activist and the author of several books including the landmark “The Hudson River: A Natural and Unnatural History.”
Over the course of his career fighting for a healthy Hudson River, Boyle discovered the PCB contamination of the striped bass population, negotiated the settlement in the Storm King case, led the fight to stop the Westway highway project and brought dozens of polluters to justice.
At the June 2 christening, Boyle’s widow, Kathryn Belous-Boyle, ceremonially doused the boat with champagne. Boyle’s children as well as
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, Ossining Town Supervisor Liz Feldman, and a number of Riverkeeper board members were in attendance.
“By increasing Riverkeeper’s on-the-water presence, the Bob Boyle allows us to assess and meet the next generation of challenges facing the Hudson,” said Riverkeeper President and Hudson Riverkeeper Tracy Brown. “We’re proud to name this worthy vessel after Riverkeeper’s founder, who was steadfastly and selflessly dedicated to science for the public good. Riverkeeper is deeply grateful to Senator Pete Harckham for securing the New York State funding for the purchase of the Bob Boyle, and our board member Emmanuel Morlet for providing the scientific equipment.”
Riverkeeper Boat Captain and Vice President of Advocacy John Lipscomb recalled joining the organization 24 years ago, when Boyle’s mandate was “Do science.”
“This vessel makes it possible for us to do even more science, and I’m proud to be honoring Bob’s wishes and his legacy,” Lipscomb said. “The Riverkeeper water quality monitoring program came out of a demand from the public to know, how’s the water? Since 2008, we’ve been answering that question with rigorous testing. The Bob Boyle allows us to dig even further into that work and to dedicate more resources to our ongoing patrols of the river.”
Harckham celebrated the christening of Riverkeeper’s newest watercraft.
“I am committed to supporting local organizations and initiatives that protect the health of our beautiful river, like the Bob Boyle, which will help carry on the Riverkeeper legacy for years to come,” Harckham stated.
After a toast at the christening, the Bob Boyle set off on the Hudson with the family of its namesake on board.
Captions:
Boyle1: Bob Boyle’s widow, Kathryn Belous-Boyle, ceremonially doused the boat named in his honor with champagne during the June 2 christening. Photo: Riverkeeper
Boyle2: Riverkeeper’s new boat, the Bob Boyle, took to the Hudson River on June 2. Photo: Riverkeeper
