October 2010 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5. THE PASSING OF JAMES H. RICH, BOATBUILDER James H. Rich, 78, died at his home in


West Tremont on August 10, 2010. He was born June 25, 1932 in Tremont, the son of Jasper and Ethel (Gray) Rich.


During his high school years he would went lobster fishing with his father. He said in an interview in the early 1990s, “After high school I went scalloping fishing with him for one winter, worked on the fish wharf for two years and then went into the Army in December 1952. I never went to Korea; we went to Alaska for year and a half.” Rich got out of the service in 1954 and went to work at the Henry R. Hinckley & Co. in Southwest Harbor for two years. At the time he was there, they were building the 73- foot VENTURE, which is the biggest sailboat Hinckley has built to date. Rich said, “That was a good job and was interesting to work on. During that same time my brother [Merton] and I were building a lobster boat nights and weekends.”


Rich’s first experience building boats did not come from the Henry R. Hinckley & Co. Like many builders, when they were young they were always inquisitive and found their way to any builder’s shop they could. “I probably learned more in two years over at Hinckley then I did anywhere else,” explained Rich. Mostly it’s been trial and error. I have done a lot of repairing boats and you can get quite a lot of knowledge from that. You can learn from other people’s mistakes.”


In January 1957, both Jim and Merton decided to go out on their own. “Of course, he [Merton] had built a couple of boats while I was in the service,” added Rich. “We went into business together and built several boats until 1964. He decided he wanted to get out of the business so I bought him out and I have been going at it ever since.” During the time the two brothers were working together they built both lobster and pleasure boats for a variety of customers. All the boats were of Merton’s design. Rich estimated that they built half a dozen pleasure boats ranging in size from 24 to 43 feet. “We built a 43-footer that went to New Jersey, Merton and I delivered that one,” remembered Rich. “The first lobster boat we built was for Bob Gray, which was a 30-footer. We built a 33-footer for Harry Smith and I believe that boat is still on Swan’s Island. We built a 26-footer for Gene Murphy, a 28-footer for my father, another 28 footer for Ned Lawson, Sr. and another 28- footer for Edward Potter of South Gouldsboro. We then built a 33- footer for a customer on Frenchboro, a 33-footer for Richard Black, a 36-footer for Gordon Robbins and a 36-footer Merton. He actually built that, because that came after I bought him out. Then we built a 33-foot pleasure


boat for Richard Paine, Sr., and a 31-foot pleasure boat for Percy Hicks in Massachusetts, then a 31-foot pleasure boat for a customer in Connecticut, a 24-foot pleasure boat for Mrs. Richard Paine, Jr., a 20- foot bug boat for Sheldon Smith that he used seining, and we built a 43-foot party sportfishing boat for John Paster of New Jersey. I don’t know if that is all of them or not.”


After Merton left the business, Rich did not build any new wooden boats. “I started doing more storage and repair and I had so much of that to do. “It was also getting pretty hard to get good materials to build wooden boats anyhow, as far as oak and cedar, so I kept with storage and repair and that has kept us out straight ever since.


“We have finished six or eight fiberglass boats. I guess the first one was a 36-foot Jock Williams, a lobster boat for Wayne Davis here in town. Then we finished a 32-foot Newman for Pierce Brown from Massachusetts, a 36-foot Newman for Nelson North, and a 32-foot Newman for Curtis Blake. Those are the only ones I remember.”


The buildings on the property originally started with a 28 x 40’ shed on the shore that still stands today this shop was originally built by Merton before they became partners. Now, however, the building has had several additions. Then came the storage building on the left which has had additions on each end of it over the years. In 1978 he built a building to house the machine shop and six years later he added a piece onto the main shop for a varnish room and storage. He built the big storage shed which is 60 x 100 feet.


In 1990, he added onto the machine shop, which allowed him to bring in more equipment to do special work. Some of the equipment included welding, lathes, a Bridgeport, and propeller and engine reconditioning equipment. Most of this came about when Bob Powers came to work


The Boat School in Eastport is accepting resumes for a Marine Mechanics Instructor for the 2010 Fall Semester. Candidates must have a strong background in marine mechanics in diesel and gasoline engines, marine drive trains, marine systems, engine installations and marine hydraulics, transmissions & electrical. Please send resume with references to: Bob Turcotte


16 Deep Cove Rd. Eastport, ME 04631 or email Caryn Vinson at vinsonc@husson.edu


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for Rich the year before. Powers formerly worked with Little Island Marine in Bass Harbor, which had been owned by his father for many years.


Like all good repaired yards along the coast, James Rich had plenty of work to keep them busy. This was mostly due to his fine reputation he had built over the years. He was a former member of the Knights of Pythias and a former member of the Tremont Harbor Committee.


He is survived by his wife of 17 years, Louise (Spurling) Rich of West Tremont. His daughter, Nancy Thurlow and her husband, Richard and one grandson, James Thurlow and fiancée, Tricia Hammond, all of Bass Harbor. One brother, Merton Rich and wife, Lida of West Tremont. Step-children; Debra L. Alley and husband Larry and, Jillian Chipman and husband, Philip all of


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Located on Quahog Bay, one of the most picturesque spots on the Maine Coast, and only an hour drive north of Portland.


Southwest Harbor, Roy Sprague Jr. and companion, Evangeline Dyer of Mariaville and Scott Sprague of Southwest Harbor. Several step-grandchildren and one special step-grandson, Ryan Sprague and two step- great-granddaughters, Ivy and Mariah Hamor.


James was predeceased by his parents, his first wife, Ann and by a sister, Betty Holt and a brother, Buster Gray.


Funeral services were held 1000 hrs Monday, 16 August at Jordan-Fernald, 1139 Main St., Mount Desert with Reverend Wayne Buchanan officiating.


Contributions in James’ memory may be made to the James H. and Ann M. Rich Scholarship Fund, c/o Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, PO Box 698, Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679 or at any branch.


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