March 2013 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 21. Seventies Memories - Maine Boatbuilder's &... By Lee S. Wilbur


Phone call for me at the shop early fall morning. “Mac” McMullen of Wayfarer Marine in Castine. “I’m putting you up for president of MB&R next meeting,” He says, “About time we have some young blood on the Board.” Taken aback, I said, “Christ Mac, I’ve only been a member for a year or so. I hardly know the rest of the members.” “That’s one of the problems, there’s not many members left, and most of those are old(er). Anyhow, your name is going in at the next Board Meeting. Talk to you then.” Trying to argue with Mac was an exer-


cise in futility. Not only was he a great guy, helpful as all get out, sending us work over the years, but he was genuinely interested in the organization which had started to falter. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about living in Maine it is that we are a cussed indepen- dent bunch of people. Trying to get a quorum together to work on an issue which we may all believe in is no mean task. If I recall, even the Lobsterman’s Association was having diffi culties either getting off the ground or maintaining a healthy membership. MB&R was put together by some of the iconic names in Maine boatbuilding and boatyards, Paul Luke, Chet Stevens, Harvey Gamage, Henry Hinckley, Bobby Rich, Francis Pierce, Richard Fortune, Frank Sample to rectify two very serious problems. At the time, Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC as we know it), now owned by Bom-


bardier of Canada, had a policy of dealer saturation. Any remotely related business such as gas stations or lawn mower sales could get a dealership of one or more of OMC’s Outboards. Marinas and boatyards couldn’t compete. Second problem, and one that fi nally took over 20 years to resolve, was the property tax on boats. Most other states had adopted an excise tax. This was also a major problem for boatbuilders when the State would try to tax new construction. Who would want to build a boat in Maine when they could go to the Carolinas or New Jersey where this tax was nonexistent. Both of these problems were legisla- tively solved with the only kicker still in place that a new boat being built for someone out of State has to leave the state within so many days or be faced with a Maine State Sales Tax.


So, I was “elected” president, and then given the mandate as Mac had stated to “breath some new life into the organization”. Heidi and I had been to enough boat and trade shows that we fi gured a bit of pizzaz might work as opposed to the standard come to a meeting at a restaurant, listen to the last meeting’s minutes and try to resolve any problems in a short space of time. We decided to make it a weekend affair. Took a block of rooms at the Ellsworth Holiday Inn, picked what we hoped would be a good winter weekend, cajoled several of the en- gine dealers and Marine supply people to attend with a sample of their wares and sent


out notices to the membership. Had to have some entertainment to cap


the evening’s banquet. Now there’s nothing quite so entertaining for “Mainers” as hav- ing fun poked at us for our speech and our proprietary way of life. So we tried to fi nd a Maine Humahist. T’warnt easy. Guess we talked to two or three before someone suggested a “young fellah” from Boothbay Harbor who was just getting started in the comedian business named Tim Sample. Tim readily agreed. We settled on a price which I’m sure was only a fraction of what he gets today.


The weekend affair was moderately successful. Out of the large number of boatbuilders and boatyards along the coast, I think we might have had around 14 rep- resented which sort of discouraged me, but was told that for an organization it was par for the course. Fact it cost something could


have been another deterrent. But, it was a fun time. Tim was terrifi c. We laughed till we had no tears left. He had taken Maine “Humah” to a whole new level. Next year we did a repeat and if there were possibly the same number I think there were less. We have or did have a reputation in Maine of working hard and I’ve got to believe at that time the yards were busy.


If memory serves, some few years later,


then president Wally Baker, fi nding the same diffi culties in keeping the organization alive, proposed we merge with another group as Maine Marine Industries Association. This association, under the guidance of director Susan Swanton, has survived and become an important part of Maine marine business, helping guide us through the myriad of new laws, confusing regulations, and such from Augusta and Washington.


www.mainebuiltboats.org


58 Fore Street, Portland 04101, Located on the waterfront off Commercial Street. 1000 to 1800 Friday and Saturday and 1000 to 1600 on Sunday


MAINE BOATBUILDER’S SHOW 15, 16 and 17 March 2013


Come see the fi nest wood and fi berglass boats in the Northeast! Come and meet the builders. Sail, power, canoes, kayaks and skiffs will all be on display.


A.L. Brown


Accutech Marine Propeller Adirondack Guideboat Airhead Products Allied Boat Works American Schooner Assoc. Antique Tools and More Areys Pond Boat Yard Artisan Boatworks Atlas Metal Sales Back Cove Yachts Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Bath Industrial Sales Bay of Maine Boats Bee Valve, Inc. Beta Marine US Ltd Bete Fleming, Inc. Bluenose Yacht Sales Bluewater Sailing Club Boats & Harbors Boatwise Marine Training Bohndell Sails Bomon Inc. Bristol Bronze Brooklin Boat Yard Bruce Schwab Systems Brunswick Cushion Company Butler Macmaster C. W. Hood Yachts Canvas Tek


Cape Cod Shipbuilding Casco Bay Flotilla 21 1NR Chart Metal Works Inc. Chase Leavitt Co. Classic Boat Shop Coastal Climate Control Compass Project


Covey Island Boatworks Cranberry Island Boatyard Crosby Yacht Yard Cumberland Ironworks Cummins NE LLC Custom Float Services D. N. Hylan & Assoc. East Coast Yacht Sales Eastern Boats Inc. Edgewater Boats Edson Corporation Epifanes North America Inc. Euro Marine Trading Fatty Knees Boat Co. Fogg's Boatworks Front Street Shipyard General Marine Graylock Engineering Great Island Boat Yard Grey Barn Boatworks Gulf of Maine Yacht Sales Hallett Canvas and Sails Hansen Marine


2013 Exhibitors As of February 7, 2013


Harbor Sales Co. Harbour Lights


Heritage Panelgraphics Hewes & Company Hodgdon Shipbuilding Hunt Yachts Interlux Paints


International Chromium Co. International Yacht Restoration Island Cow Ice Cream J/Boats


Johanson Boatworks John Deere Marine John Williams Boat Co. Kittery Point Yacht Yard Kraft Power Corp. Lyman Morse Boatbuilding Mack Boring & Parts


Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Maine Built Boats Maine Coastal News Maine Island Trail Association Maine Maritime Academy Maine Sailing Adventures Maine Yacht Center Maritime Funding Assoc. Maritime Marine Martin Walter Company Inc.


MMES Custom Panels Mudd Knives


National MS Society Nautilus Marine Fabrication New England Bow Thruster Nord Star USA


Noreast Marine Systems Norseboat Sailing & Rowing Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Assoc. Ocean Link


Ocean Navigator Ocean Options Inc. Ocean Pursuits, LLC Padebco Custom Yachts Paul E. Luke, Inc. Pemaquid Marine Pettit Paint Points East Pompanette


Portland Head Sail & Power PYI Inc.


Quick Line USA R & W Traditional Rigging R. E. Thomas Hardware R. S. Pulsifer Ranger Tugs


RBG Cannons, LLC Redd's Pond Boatworks Robinhood Marine Center Rosborough Boats Ltd.


Rumery’s Boatyard SailMaine Sawyer & Whitten Marine Sea Hawk Paints Seal Cove Boatyard Seas of Peace Seaway Boats


Smithwick & Mariners Insurance Soundings Magazine Stroudwater Boatworks Swanson Boat Company T & L Tools Teakdecking Systems, Inc. The Landing School Thomson Industries Tow Boat USA Traditional Boat, LLC Travelers Insurance Van De Stadt Timber Inc. Variprop USA Victron Energy N. A. Waterman Marine Corp. Waterway Power Center Wenaumet Bluffs Boatworks West System Inc. Wilbur Yachts Windward Passage Women Under Sail WoodenBoat Publications Yankee Marina


Presented by Portland Yacht Services - (207) 774-1067


www.portlandcompany.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36