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Page 10. MAINE COASTAL NEWS February 2016


Waterfront News Remains of Lost Whaling Fleet Discovered off Alaska's Arctic Coast


NOAA archaeologists have discovered the battered hulls of two 1800s whaling ships nearly 144 years after they and 31 others sank off the Arctic coast of Alaska in one of the planet’s most unexplored ocean regions. The shipwrecks, and parts of other ships, that were found are most likely the remains of 33 ships trapped by pack ice close to the Alaskan Arctic shore in September 1871. The whaling captains had counted on a wind shift from the east to drive the ice out to sea as it had always done in years past. The ships were destroyed in a matter of weeks, leaving more than 1,200 whalers stranded at the top of the world until they could be rescued by seven ships of the fl eet standing by about 80 miles to the south in open water off Icy Cape. No one died in the incident but it is cited as one of the major causes of the demise of commercial whaling in the United States. With less ice in the Arctic as a result of climate change, archaeologists now have more access to potential shipwreck sites than ever before. In September, a team of archaeologists from the Maritime Heritage Program in NOAA’s Offi ce of National Ma- rine Sanctuaries scoured a 30-mile stretch of coastline in the nearshore waters of the Chukchi Sea, near Wainwright, Alaska. Pre- vious searches for the ships had found traces of gear salvaged from the wrecks by the local Inupiat people, as well as scattered timbers stranded high on the isolated beaches that stretch from Wainwright to Point Franklin. Using state-of-the-art sonar and sensing


technology, the NOAA team was able to plot the “magnetic signature” of the two wrecks, including the outline of their fl attened hulls. The wreck site also revealed anchors, fas- teners, ballast and brick-lined pots used to


PORTSMOUTH, NH—The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke, a partnership between Piper Boatworks and Strawbery Banke Mu- seum, broke ground this week. At the same time, the partners announced a fundraising challenge match. An anonymous donor has recently pledged $5,000 in matching funds as a challenge to other contributors who are inspired to support this new effort. Monitored by Alix Martin, the muse-


um’s staff archaeologist, The Boatshop’s di- rector, Nate Piper, worked with volunteers to prepare the ground for the future boatshop. Green Velvet Landscaping donated the site excavation work and Ricci Lumber donated the materials and equipment for the footings. “We are encouraged by the response The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke is get- ting from the community so far,” said Nate Piper, director of The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke. “With funds and materials provided by early donors, we were able to get the


render whale blubber into oil.


“Earlier research by a number of schol- ars suggested that some of the ships that were crushed and sunk might still be on the sea- bed,” said Brad Barr, NOAA archaeologist and project co-director. “But until now, no one had found defi nitive proof of any of the lost fl eet beneath the water. This exploration provides an opportunity to write the last chapter of this important story of American maritime heritage and also bear witness to some of the impacts of a warming climate on the region’s environmental and cultural landscape, including diminishing sea ice and melting permafrost.”


James Delgado, maritime heritage director for NOAA’s Offi ce of National Marine Sanctuaries, said he believes the wrecks were pressed against a submerged sand bar that rests about 100 yards from shore. Working from fi rst-hand accounts of the loss of the fl eet, he said the ice opened the hulls to the sea and tore away the upper portions of the ships, scattering their timbers on the beach, while the lower hulls, weighted down with ballast, and in some cases still anchored, stayed in place against the sand bar.


“Usually, the Arctic does not destroy ships if there is a natural obstacle like a sand bar, large rocks or a sheltered cove to partially divert the force of tons of ice,” Delgado said.


On Sept. 12, 1871, the captains of the 33 whaling ships caught in the ice convened aboard the Champion to consider their options for saving the 1,219 offi cers, crew, and in some cases, families, from their fate. Although, their situation was dire, there was some small glimmer of hope for rescue by seven nearby ships.


foundation in place before the snow and freeze sets in.” The fi rst phase of The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke, which will provide ex- panded maritime history-related exhibits, demonstrations and programs, is focused on the expansion of an existing building to accommodate a new workshop and demon- stration space.


The Boatshop is currently halfway to its fundraising goal of $20,000. Construc- tion of the building will continue when the additional $10,000 from the challenge grant and the matching funds have been raised. Businesses and individuals interested in in- vesting in The Boatshop’s new facility on the grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum can contact the museum’s development offi ce at 603-422-7551.


“Strawbery Bank is delighted to be bringing traditional boat building and the history and practice of maritime crafts back


REDMAN MARINE FABRICATORS


Abandonment of the whalers in the Arctic Ocean, September 1871, including the George, Gay- head, and Concordia. This illustr ation originally ran in Harper’s Weekly in 1871. (Credit: Robert Schwemmer Maritime Library)


However, to save such a large party, the rescuing whale ships had to jettison their precious cargoes of whale oil, bone and their expensive whaling gear to make room for the survivors. The rescue ships were able to sail safely out of the Arctic and back to Ho- nolulu, where hundreds of native Hawaiian whalers aboard the stranded vessels lived, while others sailed on to San Francisco, New Bedford and other cities.


The search for the abandoned whaling fl eet was funded by NOAA’s Offi ce of


Exploration and Research, in collaboration with the NOAA Offi ce of Coast Survey and the Alaska Region of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Additional support and expertise was provided by technology partners Edgetech and Hypack. To see sonar images, historical photos and other mate- rials, visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ explorations/15lostwhalingfl eets/welcome. html. Additional imagery can be found here: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/ lost-arctic-whaling-fl eet/


Strawbery Banke Breaks Ground on The Boatshop


The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke director Nate Piper (third from right) and volunteers complete site work for future boatshop. Photo credit: Caroline Piper


to the museum’s regular interpretation of the site,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, president and CEO of Strawbery Banke. “We look forward to the launch of on-site demonstrations at The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke during the 2016 season.”


The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke re- cently announced that it is partnering with Star Island Corporation and Portsmouth High School to restore Star Island’s six wooden row boats. The project work will be completed as part of the PHS construction trades program’s winter curriculum and will be overseen by Piper. The boats will be re- turned to the Isles of Shoals and relaunched in Spring 2016.


Specializing in Tuna Towers, Hard Tops, T-Tops, and Arches


www.redmanmarinefabricators.com Storage Available!


207-590-1108


The second phase of The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke will focus on developing a series of programs on modern and historical maritime topics and skills, and the creation of an onsite exhibit. Volunteers interested in assisting with maritime-related exhibit set- up, on-site demonstrations and construction of the new Boatshop building can contact


Nate Piper at boatshop@strawberybanke. org.


The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke is a partnership between Piper Boatworks of Rye, New Hampshire and Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Located on the grounds of the historic mu- seum, The Boatshop at Strawbery Banke will provide expanded maritime history-re- lated exhibits and demonstrations, as well as workshops and programs focused on maritime related topics and skills. For more information, visit www.boatshopatstraw- berybanke.org.


Strawbery Banke Museum, in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, NH, is a 10-acre outdoor history museum dedicated to bringing 300+ years of American history to life. The Museum is a place for children, adults, families and groups. The Museum’s restored buildings and open space invite visitors to immerse themselves in the past. For a complete calendar of events, please visit www.strawberybanke.org.


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