The Flying Cloud Log Canoe Preservation Trust has recently announced the Paul B. Prager family of St. Michaels, Md. has generously pledged to donate $75,000 towards Flying Cloud’s renovation, once the Trust has raised $75,000 from others.
Trust President Ned Hennighausen says the non-profit has raised $45,000 to date, and is now seeking to raise the remaining $30,000 to fully fund the project. Work on Flying Cloud is currently underway at Campbell’s Boatyards in Oxford, Md.
The Prager family’s philanthropy also includes generous support for the Paul B. Prager Family Pool at the Perkins Family YMCA in St. Michaels, Md., and the Prager Family Auditorium of the Talbot Historical Society in Easton, Md. A USNA graduate, Paul Prager is CEO and Chairman of Beowulf Energy and principal of Bluepoint Hospitality Group.
The new non-profit is organizing and financing the critical work required to return the historic log canoe to competitive sailing form for the 2020 racing circuit. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, Flying Cloud is the second largest racing log canoe in existence today, requiring as many as 18 crew to campaign her.
“Funding to date has allowed us to complete most of the work to replace Cloud’s center log,” commented Hennighausen. “With more funding, work can continue so that she’s ready in time for next year’s races.”
The restoration work is taking place at Campbell’s Boatyards in Oxford, Md., and is being completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines for the Restoration of Historic Vessels.
Flying Cloud was built on Tilghman Island, Md. in 1932 by the legendary John B. Harrison, who also built Flying Cloud’s sister ship, Jay Dee, a year earlier. The last time Flying Cloud raced was in 2016. During that racing season, she experienced multiple failures of key components. Additionally—and as with all log canoes—time and the stresses of competition have deteriorated the logs of the hull, despite ongoing maintenance.
The Trust is actively seeking donors, former crew members, and other interested parties to help bring Flying Cloud back to her place on the water. Donations to the Flying Cloud Log Canoe Preservation Trust can be mailed to PO Box 130, Oxford, Md. 21654. For more information, please follow the Flying Cloud Log Canoe on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Allan Noble at [email protected] or Ned Hennighausen at [email protected]. The Flying Cloud Log Canoe Preservation Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with charitable donations tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
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