The newest & most ambitious project of the First Ulster is the Kipper Pettiauger Project. Our goal has been to recreate an example of an 18th century Hudson River pettiauger. When complete, it will be the only one of its kind and the first on the Hudson River in almost 150 years.

October 2007 saw the launching of the basic boat, a 24 foot long by 7 foot beam rowed pettiauger christened "Mercury". The name is fitting as Mercury was not only the messenger of the gods of Olympus, but also the god of merchants (root of the word 'mercantile') and thieves; and the pettiaugers were merchant vessels and ferries.

Rigging & Sail Plan for Pettiauger Mercury ©gene tozzi

Winter 2008-2009 is seeing the construction of the distinctive Pettiauger rigging -- raked foremast, gaff rigging and lee boards, and a suit of sails is being made and will be ready by md Winter 2009. Summer 2009 will find her cruising the Hudson and Rondout Creek as well as traveling to historic reenactments throughout the Northeast and Canada (we have the homor of being invited to the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the Royal Navy Shipyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia and to helpp lead teh fleet into the harbor ahead of 26 period wooden boats and 60-70 Tall Ships of the Atlantic Challenge who will be in harbor that weekend.)Her at home time will be spent resting at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, with whom we maintain a symbiotic but independent relationship, as a display of an example of a craft once ubiquitous on the River but now almost forgotten. Our purpose here is to see that they are not forgotten.

 

©2008 Gene Tozzi First Ulster County Militia, All Rights Reserved

 

Our first days on the water saw her in action as a British vessel supporting the landing of troops for the attack on Kingston and as a patriot gunboat flying the "Sons of Liberty" flag and portraying the galley "Lady Washington" in her fight with the British fleet.