Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS May 2012


Maritime History By Amos Boyd


The schooner JEFFERSON left the Canadian Deer Island March 3, 1821 with Captain Howard, his wife, and children and a crew of four. They had a cargo of flour and pork for nearby Eastport, but were going first to Campobello where the Captain and his wife, and some of the crew planned to visit old friends at Wilson’s Beach.


They would anchor at Head Harbor, which was long and narrow, a well known safe anchorage. Many small vessels were kept there during the long winters. The Howard’s had sent word by a local boatman that they were coming. Visitors were cherished in these remote islands, and many would be watching for them from their small homes perched high above the bay. There had been little visiting among the island people because the winter had brought many fierce storm and bitter cold. The Howards were doubly welcome because their arrival would bring news of a far-flung network of family and friends.


On board the schooner were two new hands whom Passamaquoddy Bay was a new and exciting place because of its great range of tide deep clear water and fierce, ever changing currants. They marveled to see the lighthouse at East Quoddy where they could walk to it at low tide, but when the slowly creeping tide come in the lighthouse was cut off by deep surging waves.


The Howards and two of their crew took the JEFFERSON sailboat to the far end of Head Harbor where they climbed the steep rocky path past small fishing shacks of old friends and acquaintances, always stopping to exchange greetings or a word or two. They


SCHOONER JEFFERSON ADRIFT


had a long walk ahead – there were no roads, since all fishermen used boats.


The walk to Mrs. Howard’s old home would have been too much for the children in the cold March weather, so they stayed in the schooner with the two new hands. When the smell of wood smoke, brought by the wind, reached the walkers, they knew they were getting near Mrs. Howard’s old home and soon through the clear air, they heard a hubbub of activity and the voices of many women neighbors. Women were bringing food while the men were more quietly supplying liquid refreshments. There was a great buzz of conversation and hearty greetings inside and outside the small cottage as the Howard’s arrived. The occasion called for plenty of good food as the women bustled around the steaming stovetop and the hot oven, warming up favorite foods, while others came through the door with increasing noise.


As the evening wore on, Captain Howard was not aware that the silent snow was coming down more and more heavily and the wind was rising. When two men entered with a strong gust of cold wind and snow covered clothing, Mrs. Howard became worried about the children on the schooner with inexperienced seamen. Mrs. Howard quickly wrapped her heavy shawl around her and the couple quickly said their goodbyes.


Once out in the dark and cold blowing snow they could hardly get their breath, and Mrs. Howard in her long heavy shirt could not keep up with her husband, so one of the men stayed to help her, while her husband went on ahead.


A C A D E M Y N E W S Continued from Page 7.


College program personnel and representatives from Maine’s Congressional delegation will be on hand to answer questions.


For further information or to make a reservation, call 1-800-464-6565 (Out-of- State), or 1-800-227-8465 (Maine) or contact admissions@mma.edu. Walk-ins are welcome.


Commencement Set for 5 May The Honorable David T. Matsuda, Maritime Administrator, will address the graduating class at the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) 69th Commencement on Saturday, May 5, at 11 a.m., in the Alexander Fieldhouse. As Maritime Administrator, Matsuda is the highest ranking official of the Maritime Administration of the United States. In this role he advises and assists the U.S. Secretary of Transportation on commercial maritime matters, the U.S. maritime industry, and strategic sealift. “The Maritime Administration is critical to the furtherance of U.S. maritime trade, workforce development, and maritime education,” said MMA President, Dr. William J. Brennan. “The partnership that Maine Maritime Academy and our fellow state maritime academies have with the Maritime Administration is vital to our success. We’re honored that Maritime Administrator Matsuda will travel to Maine to welcome the newest contingent of professional mariners to the industry.” Commencement activities will begin at 9 a.m. with the annual awards program in Delano Auditorium, Leavitt Hall. The college’s class of 2012 includes 1 associate in science, 176 bachelor of science, and 12 master of science degree candidates. An additional 29 associate in science degree


candidates from the college’s educational program with Bath Iron Works, Bath, will participate in commencement exercises. The graduating class represents more than 100 Maine communities and 21 other states, as well as Canada, China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine.


Seating at this year’s ceremony will be limited and admission to the Alexander Fieldhouse will be by guest ticket only for all spectators. Overflow seating will be available for non-ticketholders in Smith Gymnasium. Guests seated in this area will be able to watch a remote broadcast of the ceremony. The college will also sponsor a live webstream broadcast of the ceremony, enabling family and friends to watch the event online. Live webstreaming will begin at 11 a.m. and can be accessed at the following internet address: http:// client.stretchinternet.com/client/ mmaadmin.portal#


MMA President, Dr. William J. Brennan, and Capt. Robert J. Peacock, III, Eastport, Maine, chair of the board of trustees, will present diplomas. Dr. John Barlow, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, will preside at the exercises. Capt. P. J. Loustaunau, commandant of midshipmen, will conduct the regimental change of command ceremony. The oath of office will be administered to new U.S. Merchant Marine officers by Capt. Wayne Muilenburg, USCG. Capt. Thomas A. Buterbaugh, USN, commanding officer of MMA’s NROTC unit, will administer the oath of office for Navy officers. A formal commissioning ceremony for Navy officers will take place one hour following the conclusion of Commencement, at approximately 1:30 p.m., on the lawn in front of Leavitt Hall. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in Delano Auditorium in Leavitt Hall.


Captain Howard struggled along and when he reached the lower end of Head Harbor could see a faint light from one of the fishing shacks. He was greeted with concern, and bad news. The JEFFERSON had broken her anchor chains, lost both anchors and the wind and tide had driven her out of the harbor. When last faintly seen, she was pitching in the wind, and being driven into the passageway between the islands. When Mrs. Howard arrived nothing could be seen of the schooner through the darkness and the storm. She begged the men to get help and follow, but the men said that would be hopeless until dawn.


The storm continued throughout the night and in the first light of dawn to begin searching. News of the tragedy spread and they were told the schooner had been seen near Lubec. Then the ebb tide from Cobscook Bay pulled the schooner into the dangerous passage between Sail Rock and


the end of Campobello. Park of the foresail had been hoisted, the men on board had been trying to get the schooner under control. By some miracle the JEFFERSON had been pulled by wind and tide through the narrow passage out into the rough waters of the Bay of Fundy and into the Atlantic Ocean between the waters of the U. S. and Nova Scotia.


The Howards had been given help from sympathetic relatives and friends all along the way but they never caught up with the fast moving schooner. There was little hope of finding the children.


The gale continued, and the schooner, with two frightened little girls and two crewmen was finally driven into the coast of Nova Scotia and was wrecked near Digby. One of the little girls died in the wreck and one was saved. The cargo of flour and pork meant for Eastport was a complete loss. The JEFFERSON was only partly insured.


SEVENTIES MEMORIES - THE CREWS


In any business, success depends on the people hired to do the work. And, I’ve come to realize, as in just about everything in life, that a great deal depends on “luck of the draw,” circumstances way beyond anyone’s control. Sometime, later in my career, I read Jack Welch of General Electric fame’s autobiography. In his book he tells of his great success in hiring people and allowing them to achieve their best possible performance. Those who failed to “measure up”, he fired. He was undeniably successful as he pushed GE to become one of the foremost corporations in the world. Of course, Jack Welch’s hiring grounds were the United States of America, if not “The World”, and included thousands of potential employees, trained or otherwise, workers or management. Located on the Coast of Maine, in a town with population 1900 and a comfortable driving range which encompassed perhaps another 15,000, distilled to those who enjoyed working with wood and the ever present fumes of fiberglass, the labor pool was to say the least restricted. However, and I say this with all sincerity, many of the people we hired over the years were terrific. Real individuals who were willing to be counted for their skills and proud of the work they accomplished in the run of a day. The highest number of employees we ever had numbered somewhere around sixty. And to be honest, I’ve often made the statement, “I didn’t realize how fast I could lose money in such a short time.” We had three production buildings, all housing two to four boats and our total boats launched for the year, taking into account the larger crews, larger boats, and the complexities of larger boats, never achieved the twelve launched with a fifteen member crew as we did the first year (1975-76) in our new building. From up to three of us working together on a single boat in a one stall 50' x 28' low ceilinged shop to two years later moving into an 80' x 40' block building I can only account a lineup of the stars for great fortune in the people we were able to hire.


I’d be remiss were I not to begin my story today with a guy who not only made one of the best suggestions in the history of LSW & Co., but who was and still is (now working for another company) one of the most loyal, hardworking, competent, likable individuals I’ve come to know in my lifetime. We were in the spring of 1976. Our work schedule went


something like this. Start work at 7:30 AM. 15 minute break at 9:30. Half hour for lunch at noon. Knock off at 4. Go home for dinner, then several of us would come back at 7pm and we’d work until 9:30. Saturdays we’d get done at noon unless there was a problem or we had a particular launch date that had to be met. Some cases we’d take just Sunday afternoons off.


It was late afternoon, most of the crew had left. John Fernandez said to me, “Lee, there’s something I’d like to talk with you about.” Now, when someone starts a conversation with words like that, your mind immediately fears the worst. Wonder if you’re doing something wrong, not paying enough, they’re planning on getting done, all fly through in matter of nano-seconds. Especially the more so, if they’re one of your top people.


“What’s up?” I asked with trepidation John replied, “We’re just not getting enough done in the course of a day.” “What do you mean?”


“Well,” He says, “I think we should go to a ten hour day and change our schedule.” Could have knocked me over with the proverbial “feather”, and I’ve wondered how much it showed. We talked about it, discussed the pro’s and con’s, figured out the best hours, 7 AM- startup, half hour lunch break and two coffee breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon knock off at 5:30. Four day work week. Friday mornings, anyone could work until noon. They’d receive one and a half hours for each hour worked to be taken as compensatory time off instead of paid overtime. Compensatory time wasn’t quite legal, but the crew loved it. And, four “ten’s was like having a three day vacation every week. Must admit that early on I had some concerns as to how much energy we’d have by day’s end, but surprisingly enough, guys would start a new project late in the afternoon, then work like hell to finish it before cleanup.


John had come to us just after we’d started in the new building. We were all pretty much at the bottom of the learning curve. We’d, thank goodness, had Industrial Arts courses in High School, learned to work with our hands along the way, weren’t afraid of getting our hands dirty, and had a pretty fair work ethic. John


Continued on Page 22.


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