Page 24. MAINE BOATBUILDERS SHOW Boatbuilders Who Have Passed over the Bar Continued from Page 20.
In 1987 the SOPWITH CAMEL II was retired undefeated. Since that time they came and raced in their lobster boats and still made a great showing. In 2007 the Young Brothers closed their shop and continued lobstering. The following year, Vin passed away. Their 32 year run building boats and the reputation they built is an incredible part of the history of boatbuilding in the State of Maine. Fortunately their legacy is being continued by S. W. Boat Works of Lamoine, who offers the Young Brothers line of boats.
Corliss Holland
BELFAST – The coast of Maine has lost another one of its truly great people, Corliss Holland of Belfast on 16 November. Corliss was born 23 October 1923 to James and Daisy (Stockbridge) Holland of Stonington where he spent much of his life. His father followed the sea being a skipper of lobster smacks running from Canada to the market in Boston. Corliss followed the same path and did a little lobstering and also running lobster smacks from Maine to New York.
During World War II Corliss enlisted in the Navy and headed to the Pacific theater. One of the vessels he was on was the USS CANBERRA, which was a heavy cruiser. Following the war he returned home and went back lobstering and running smacks. Corliss worked on board the tugs out of Belfast. One was SECURITY, which was
originally built as a minesweeper in Damariscotta in 1942. Her dimensions were 92.5 feet length, beam 23.5 feet, depth 11.4 feet and displaced 196 gross tons. She was powered by a 450-hp Fairbanks Morse direct drive diesel and would move along at about 10 knots. Following World War II she was converted to a tug by Sample’s Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor. She was purchased by Eastern Maine Towage Company in 1948 and was the only ocean going tug between Boston and New Brunswick, Canada. Holland joined her in the late 1950s when he moved to Belfast. Captain George Jennings was her skipper and they were running gypsum from Waltham, Nova Scotia to Rockland. Holland went as deck hand. Holland said, “I decked on her for a while and then worked in the engine room for a while, went as cook for a while and then went as mate and I finally took over as captain.”
The best story was when he took her south with a barge to Block Island, Rhode Island. He said, “We was towing a barge out of Boston for Block Island with a crane on it. Whoever was on watch that night wasn’t looking behind them too good because those fellows were sinking back there. They were lighting oil cloths or something and waving them trying to get their attention. Well, they never did get their attention. I came on watch in the morning and I looked back at them and there they were waving their oil jackets around. So, we shortened the hawser and went back. She had torn a plank off her bow so what I did I
went down along the side of her took the hawser off the bow and put it on the stern and towed her backwards. This also towed the water out of her.”
Corliss and his son Glenn began building boats in the mid 1970s. First they finished off hulls from other builders and then they introduced the Holland 30, which later became the 32. A lot of people got to know Corliss when he began lobster boat racing around 1980. He and Glenn started in the MARGUERITE G., which had already made a name for herself winning a number of races for Jimmy Preston of Rogues Bluff. When they launched the RED BARON in 1981 more people began knowing who the Hollands were, but especially Corliss and his Downeast humour. People still talk about the races where they competed with the Young Brothers of Corea and Richard Duffy of Brooklin. They won their share of races, they made lots of friends, probably an enemy or two, and the sold lots of boats. In 1995 Corliss and his wife Lillian took RED BARON to the America’s Cup in San Diego. He became their weather man, taking the RED BARON out on to the course to check the weather and sea conditions. He also sparred with the Bayliners, who ran security on the course, but they were no match for a Maine lobster fisherman and a fast boat. He then got into a drinking contest with a sailmaker. He wanted to mix it the rum, but Corliss said no, straight. When the booze ran down the luge his competitor spit and coughed with his first mouthful. Corliss just kept going for three or four gulps. Who
gets into a drinking contest with a Maine lobster fisherman?
He also got to sail on board one of the trial horses, which he really enjoyed. When the Cup was won by New Zealand, Corliss was already to go, but Lillian did not warm up to a trip across the Pacific. When Corliss returned to Belfast he competed in a couple of the Maine Retired Skipper’s Races and had a good time. But still his true love was lobster boat racing.
Lobster boat racing had gotten pretty expensive and when I met up with the Hollands they were racing in the diesel class. In the early ‘90s they went back to the gasoline classes and began winning again. Some of the best races were between Corliss and Benny Beal of Jonesport; Sid Eaton of Stonington; and Andy Gove of Stonington. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but it was always a great show for the spectators. Corliss was pleased when his grandson caught the racing disease. Unfortunately he will not be here to see the famed RED BARON out on the course winning again, but he will be there in spirit.
2012 MAINE LOBSTER BOAT RACING
16 JUNE
Boothbay Harbor Marshall Farnham(207) 380-5892
17 JUNE Rockland Steve Brooks
24 JUNE Bass Harbor Colyn Rich
(207) 354-8763 (207) 244-9623
30 JUNE
Moosebec Reach, Beals Island/ Jonesport Eric Blackwood
14 JULY Searsport
Keith & Travis Otis (207) 548-6362
15 JULY Stonington Nick Wiberg
11AUGUST Winter Harbor Chris Byers
(207) 348-2375 9 SEPTEMBER (207) 963-7139
Pirate Festival, Eastport Michael Morse (207) 853-4773
(207) 598-6681
29 JULY Harpswell Henry Barnes
19 AUGUST (207) 725-2567
MS Lobster Boat Race, Portland Maine Coastal News (207) 223-8846
All Races: Sign-up
Races Start
8 to 9 AM 10 AM
Listen on VHFChannel 10
28 JULY Friendship Wes Lash
SCHEDULE (207) 832-7807
12 AUGUST
Merritt Bracket, Pemaquid Don Drisko
(207) 677-2432
27 OCTOBER Awards Banquet & Halloween Party, Rockland Trade Winds Inn (207) 596-6661
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