October 2017 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5. M B R 2017 M' A
BATH – On August 24, Maine Maritime Museum honored the boatbuilder’s of the State of Maine with the 12th
annual
Mariners Award, given to an individual or organization that has made extraordinary contributions to Maine’s maritime heritage and signifi cantly impacted the state’s culture and economy. The award was presented to industry association Maine Built Boats on behalf of all of the state’s boatbuilders. Jon Johansen, president of Maine Built Boats, accepted the award. The evening opened with a “gam,”
which is a whaling term for when two whalers came together to share what they knew of current events. On the panel was Roger Hewson, formerly of Sabre Yachts of South Casco; Peter Kass of John’s Bay Boat Co. of South Bristol; Drew Lyman of Lyman-Morse of Camden and Thomaston; David Nutt of Newcastle; Steve White of Brooklin Boat Yard of Brooklin; and Stewart Workman of S. W. Boatworks in Lamoine, who were asked questions by Jon Johansen. After answering several questions with some very interesting stories, the audience of about 75 people, asked a number of ques- tions.
Around 150 guests, including com-
munity members, museum supporters, and boatbuilders, attended the celebration dinner. Following dinner an auction took place, which along with the proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction, raised over $45,000 for the support the museum’s traditional skills programs, including the Discovery Boatbuilding program, which teaches wooden boatbuilding to students from local public schools. “We present this award to highlight
how important our maritime culture is to the state of Maine – and how this heritage has national signifi cance. The state’s boatbuild- ing industry is strong, and Maine-built boats are recognized for their quality all around the world, because of the collective eff orts of boatbuilders, and also the yard owners, the suppliers, and all the related trades nec- essary to the industry,” said Amy Lent, the museum’s executive director. Previous Mariners Award recipients
include Eimskip USA, William Haggett, the National Maritime Historical Society, and the employees of Bath Iron Works. Boatbuilders usually do not attend pub-
lic events, but a major eff ort was made by the Museum and Maine Built Boats to get
as many as possible to this event. With the off ering of a free dinner and some severe arm-twisting more 35 boatbuilders attended the event. In attendance were the likes of: Peter Buxton, Sunset; Doug Dodge, Beals Island; Larkin Hall; Steve Hassett, Bath; Roger Hewson; Glenn Holland, Belfast; Ja- mie Houtz, Kennebunkport; Albert Hutchin- son, Cushing; Steve Johnson, Long Island; Peter Kass, South Bristol; Drew Lyman, Thomaston; David Nutt, Newcastle; Keith and Travis Otis, Searsport; Phin and Joanna Sprague, Portland; Kurt Spuridakis; Rob Stevens, Small Point; Steve White, Brook- lin; and Colby Young, Corea. There is no questions that the boatbuild-
ers of the State of Maine have made a major contribution to the maritime history of the state, and in the process brought the State a lot of notoriety. The fi rst vessel built in the State was the pinnace VIRGINIA in 1607 and since that time ship and boatbuilders have turned out thousands and thousands of vessels. Early on they built small wooden sailing vessels, sloops and schooners, which were used as fi shing boats and coastal or for- eign trade. With time these vessels grew in size the pinnacle of which was the six-mast- ed 3,730-ton schooner WYOMING, built at the Percy Small yard in Bath in 1909, now the site of the Maine Maritime Museum. A number of shipbuilders of Maine did not embrace iron or steel or the advent of steam and a number of them went out of business by the late 1800s or early 1900s. One ship- building company that has survived, despite many close calls with shutting down, has been Bath Iron Works, known mostly for their work with the U. S. Navy, but also for their mega-yachts, both power and sail, of the early 1900s. With the decrease of shipbuilding, some of the workers turned to building yachts. The most noted would by Hodgdon Yachts, which has been in business since 1816, turning out many coastal and fi shing schooners. Now they are known for the fi nely fi tted yachts, both power and sail. A major factor in the success of the Maine boatbuilders has been the development of the lobster boat. The person credited with the initial design is Will Frost, originally from Digby, Nova Scotia, but later from Beals Island. His long, slim design with fl at run, pronounced shear and torpedo stern, gave birth to the lobster boats of today. Of course all the early boats were built in wood, but by the 1950s fi berglass was making an appear-
Jon Johansen, President of Maine Built Boats, accepts the 2017 Mariners Award from Amy Lent, Executive Director of Maine Maritime Museum.
ance, the fi rst lobster boat being turned out by Webber’s Cove Boat Yard in East Blue Hill for the U. S. Navy. Now most of the boats built are fi berglass, but there is still a demand for wooden boats. Anyone who follows these builders will quickly realize the talent the State of Maine has in turning out boats for either the commercial or plea- sure market. With more than 400 years of building experience, and the future looking very positive, one can only hope it will last
another 400 years. Founded in 2005, Maine Built Boats
is a nonprofi t trade group whose purpose is to establish Maine boatbuilding as a rec- ognized brand regionally, nationally, and worldwide, and to strengthen ties within the state’s diverse community of shipwrights and between them and the industries on whose products they rely to build the best boats art and science can devise.
Bring your boat to New England’s most capable yacht yard for the care she deserves. Repairs, refi ts, storage and dockage available for vessels up to 200 feet and 480 tons.
Belfast,Maine 207-930-3740
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