Olympic Sailing Begins

Feeling the wind in your hair and breeze on your face on a massive smooth sailing schooner is one of the most magnificent feelings of the summer in Maine. Of course, there are those that would agree with the wind and breeze, but differ by saying, they like the sleek lines that allow for that need for speed, especially with the 2008 Summer Olympics starting today in Beijing.

A total of 400 athletes with 272 boats from 62 countries and regions compete in 11 events of nine classes of the sailing regatta. The events last from August 9 to 23.

Representatives from all teams marched on the stage and displayed their flags at the Olympic Sailing Center Themed Park, where the launching ceremony of the Olympic sailing regatta was held on Friday, August 8. You can follow the races here with the International Sailing Federation or the Olympic site with more dates and results.

Fifteen boats from Yngling class and 26 boats from Finn class finished two races on the opening day of the sailing regatta on Saturday afternoon. Watch a VIDEO of the Yngling in action.

The first race of the 2008 Summer Olympics started with the Ynling Fleet. Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson from Great Britain, lived up to their billing as favorites with a second and third place finish in Saturday's two opening races putting them in the overall lead.

On Sunday, the 49er fleet begins its races. It will be a tough one, with a great depth of ability so the winners could come from amongst many of the teams. In the right conditions, the races are short and quick and can be very physical for the crews.

Sitting comfortably in our state-of-the-art newly renovated 6,000-sf climate controlled service bay is a member of the famous Fife family, Belle Aventure with her sleek lines. Fife yachts have competed in races worldwide including the America’s Cup Races (started in 1851), which predates the Modern Olympics (1896) by 45 years.

Arctic Explorer on the Ways

While researching for a video on the Ernestina, I discovered that the ship getting its bow replaced, sitting on our Boothbay Harbor Shipyard marine railway has a rich history and amazing stories to tell.

The Ernestina is one of only two sailing Arctic exploration vessels left afloat in the United States, the other being the schooner Bowdoin, also a National Historic Landmark. After a long and distinguished fishing and cargo-carrying career, Effie M. Morrissey (Ernestina) was purchased in 1926 by Capt. Robert A. Bartlett, Canadian-born Arctic explorer and captain for Robert E. Peary.

Seventeen years earlier, Bartlett navigated Peary and Matthew Henson to the North Pole in 1909, on the Roosevelt and was considered the greatest ice captain of the 20th century. After 1924, under Capt. Bob Bartlett, Ernestina or known at that time as "the little Morrissey" made 20 regular voyages north. On one voyage they reached within 600 miles of the Pole. They documented the frozen north and its flora and fauna. Its patrons included the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Museum of the American Indian, and others.

Star of Pathe newsreels and David Putnam's adventures for boys, David Goes to Greenland and David Goes to Baffin Land, spread the name and fame of this revered captain and his schooner. Cap'n Bob and Morrissey, were as famous to the generation of the 1920s and 30s as Jacques Cousteau and Calypso were to the generation of the 1960s and 70s. They were heroes of adventure along with their ships.

If you look at some of the "Newsreels" on the British Pathe website, you can see actual footage of Capt. Bob on the Morrissey around 1934. Included is footage of him battling storms and icebergs among many other adventures.

In 2009, Capt. Bartlett will be celebrated from Newfoundland and Labrador to New England. When the repairs to Ernestina (previously "the little Morrissey") here at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard are completed, she will be ready to begin new stories and adventures with a new generation.

Watch a VIDEO news release from NECN.

Watch the videos below taken on the Effie M. Morrissey with Capt. Bartlett and his " little Morrissey".

Time to Go Sailing

There are few more delicious places in the world than in Boothbay Harbor, Maine in July, August and September . The crisp evenings and warm days allow the locals and visitors to enjoy the activities and the coastal waters to their fullest. Since you can't all be here with us to enjoy this experience, we want to share some images and video with you.

One special event in June is Windjammer Days, which includes a great view of tall ships, mostly two-masted schooners as they sail into Boothbay Harbor in the parade of sail. This year some of the schooners included: Alabama, American Eagle, Eastwind, Fame, Heritage, Lazy Jack, Lewis R. French, Nathaniel Bowditch, Rachel B. Jackson, Spirit of Massachusetts, Friendship of Salem and Spirit of South Carolina.

Here at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, we get pleasure from seeing many of these ships up close while they receive yearly maintenance. We have had many of these Windjammers here at the shipyard such as: Gazela of Philadelphia, Sherman Zwicker, Victory Chimes, Harvey Gamage and J&E Riggin.

As we gaze out at the harbor from the end of the dock, we often see magnificent yachts sailing like the Alera, which was restored here at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. The extensive six-month rehabilitation of the Alera began the day after the yard celebrated the yacht's 100th birthday on January 3, 2005.

The following clip was taken of the Alera by MPBN. You can watch the complete Emmy award winning video on a local sailmaker, Nat Wilson from the Maine Experience called Carpe Diem.

National Park Service Interns

How are two architect students and one marine architect student spending their summer at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in Maine?

Many hours have been spent measuring every part of the historic Ernestina. They began the measuring in New Bedord, MA before the ship left for Boothbay. This data combined with the data from a TOTAL, a laser tool, is being used to make line and 3D drawings of the Ernestina. Using this laser tool from the deck and land to get the topside and hull markings, a continuous surface is made to replicate the ship.
For more pictures and information see VIDEO.

Interns for the National Parks Service, Karolina Walichiewicz, from California, Caleb Reed from Kansas and Katie Whalen from New York have taken over a conference table and are busy on their computers replicating the Ernestina down to the tiniest detail.

These drawings will be used to get a full picture of what the ship is actually like right now in history. Todd Croteau, the Director of Historic American Engineering Record is supervising the interns, out of Washington DC.

This year the repairs of Ernestina will include the stem, foredeck, and planking above the waterline alongside the foredeck. There will also be temporary repairs to the main deck to halt the leaking.

When asked how it has been for them working at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, they were impressed with all the work goes on and what a busy place it is at the shipyard. Other comments were “It’s a great place to work” and "the people have been friendly and easy to work with.”

The work is expected to be completed this fall and will follow the standards set forth in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard’s for Historic Vessel Preservation Projects and the U.S. Coast Guard. Harold Burnham, an 11th generation Essex Master Shipwright, is the state representative for the project.

Three Tugboats

Three tugboats owned by Cindy and Jon Smith are tied to the pier at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard.

Two new more powerful and fuel-efficient engines are being installed in the Lucinda Smith.

The steel hull of the Lucinda Smith was cut away and lifted to the stern to make room for a large crane to lift out the old engines and be replaced with two 1350 HP engines and German ZF5.61 gears.

Used for dredging harbors and construction, the Lucinda Smith, Eddie R and Cameron’s Point work along the Atlantic coast. A detailed article about the tugboats is in the Boothbay Register.

Watch a VIDEO on the Lucinda Smith Tugboat.

Friendship of Salem Docked at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard

The 171-foot full scale replica of a 1797 East India merchant tall ship, the Friendship of Salem arrived at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard on Monday, Jun 23 for Windjammer Days.
The Friendship of Salem, a three-masted schooner will be docked at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, and open for inspections on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This is your chance to get on board one of the eleven tall ships sailing into Boothbay Harbor this year for the Windjammer Days. Click here to see video.

If you would like to see it sail away, it will be leaving the Shipyard on Thursday.

Building a CHEROKEE at the Museum of Yachting in Newport

David Stimson, yacht designer and general manager from BBHS, has been in Newport now for about a month. Check the CHEROKEE blog for a detailed update on the progress of the CHEROKEE.
From the design of a 6-meter racing yacht that was published in the January 1928 Yachting magazine, Olin Stephen's esteemed career as a great yacht designer was launched. Olin apprenticed under Philip Rhodes and Rod, his brother worked at Nevins Yard in City Island, New York. At the age of 21, Olin entered into a partnership with the successful Yacht broker Drake Sparkman and together they launched Sparkman & Stephens, Inc.

On Long Island Sound, in the 1930's, one very popular yacht was the 6-meter racing yacht. Sparkman and Stephens, Inc (S&S) designed 39 of these yachts. Two of these 39 stood out as exemplary: CHEROKEE and JILL.

The Museum of Yachting is pleased to announce the building of a new CHEROKEE. which is part of an exhibit on the history of S&S. The yacht is being built from plans provided by S&S and will be launched in time to compete in the 6-meter World Cup—also being held in Newport.

Construction management is being lead by Maine's David Stimson, a yacht designer and general manager of the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in Maine. For over thirty-five years David has designed, built and restored wooden boats ranging from catboats to larger-scaled passenger vessels.

According to the International Yacht Restoration School, (IYRS) this new build will rigorously conform to historic design and construction standards necessary to compete in the 2009 Worlds. This design is sanctioned by the 6-meter Association of North America as a replica. Only one copy of any given design is allowed to be built. This copy can be built only after it can be prove that the original yacht is no longer in existence.