November 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5.
REMEMBERING BOATBUILDER NORMAN HODGDON
SOUTHPORT – When the name Hodgdon is Boothbay, who built minesweepers and papers and he was his best man
mentioned, most people today think of rescue tugs during the war years. Hodgdon at his wedding. Geerd wound
Hodgdon Yachts in East Boothbay. There is worked in the electrical department. up with Starling Burgess at
no question they are well known for what When the war was coming to a close all Bath and my father told me that
they have done recently and in the past. the boatbuilders returned to their shops. Starling had designed a one-
However if you are looking at a wooden boat Hodgdon returned to his shop and design and one day handed it to
do not always think that it was built by the continued storage and repair and building a Geerd and asked if he wanted to
Hodgdons of East Boothbay, it might just boat when the chance came along. do something with it. I guess
have been built by Norman Hodgdon of When he started out he began with one Geerd modified it and that
Boothbay Harbor. His daughter, Alice worker, but soon had to add others. became the Boothbay Harbor
Thompson of Southport Island, remembers Thompson said, “My father stored seventy One-Design.”
her father and the accomplishments he made to ninety boats, but they were all under 42- It is thought by the one-
over his short career. feet. He needed to hire people to paint them design association that most of
Norman Hodgdon was born on 7 June up so he hired the fishermen, since some of the early Boothbay Harbor
1912 and grew up at 102 Atlantic Avenue, them had their boats there. Sometimes we got One-Designs had been built by
just above Brown Brothers on the eastern paid in lobsters and we ate a lot of lobster Benny Rand. However,
side of Boothbay Harbor. He graduated from meat.” Thompson added, “Well, they
Tabor Academy in 1931 and returned to Some of the people Thompson either were built together or my
Boothbay and learned how to build boats. remembers working at the yard included dad built them. I have a letter
Thompson added, “He and Benny Rand Cappy Chellis, Freeman Hodgdon, Jim that he wrote saying he had just
worked together and that is where he learned Holmes, Albert Lewis, Harold Oxten and completed the 16
th
one-
his trade.” Henry Pinkham. She said, “Jim Holmes was design.”
Thompson said that she did not know a local character. He didn’t drive I used to It is unknown just how
much about Benny Rand. She did know that have to go and pick him up once I got my many boats Norman built or
his wife Mabelle and he lived on Oak Street drivers license. He was a great mechanic.” when he built his first one. The
and when she was young he was pretty old. “They used to play practical jokes all the first one I have listed was the
“My father’s family let him build a little time,” added Thompson, “Like nailing shoes 34-foot cutter OUTLAW, built
shop on the shore, which would have been down or some would get on a cradle when in 1939. Besides building to
An advertisement for Sample's Shipyard.
right beside Roy Blaney’s,” said Thompson. they were hauling a boat and someone would Hendel designs,
“I don’t know if his folks helped him or what, let the cradle just keep right on going until Hodgdon built boats
Specializing in Marine Electrical Systems
but he bought the property, which is now the those on it got wet.” to designs of L.
· New installations · Rewiring · Upgrades
Bob Fish property for $4,500 and in 1933 he One of the most noted boats from Francis Herreshoff,
· Custom Electrical Panels · Electronics
floated that boat shop down there.” Boothbay is the Boothbay Harbor One- Murray G. Peterson,
The yard started out small, but over the Design and Norman Hodgdon had a lot to do William Atkins,
years additions were added as the demand with it. The designer of this One-Design was Sparkman &
Full Service Boat Yard
increased. When World War II began most Geerd Hendel. Thompson said, “This was
offering complete boat repairs
Stephens and himself.
of the boat builders, including Norman because of his connection with Geerd One designer that he
· Engines · Mechanical · Storage · Carpentry · Painting
Hodgdon, closed their shops and went to Hendle. He was from Hamburg, German and
www.oceanpursuits.com
Continued on
work at Frank Sample’s Shipyard in my father signed Geerd’s naturalization 75 Front St. Rockland 207-596-7357 Fax 207-596-9944
Page 15.
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