Boothbay Sailmaker Receives Award

Nathaniel S. Wilson, Boothbay Harbor Sail maker will receive the NMHS 2010 Distinguished Service Award from the National Maritime Historical Society. Nat will be honored for his thirty-five-year career as a sail maker and rigger, recognized as the pre-eminent sail maker of traditional sails in the country, if not the world. Some of the ships and yachts that Nat has made sails for have been built or refit here at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard such as: Alera, Valora, Harvey Gamage, Belle Aventure and Discovery.

The Society salutes his extensive record of helping to keep many of the historic and replica ships sailing, such as USS Constitution, USCG Eagle, Sultana, Clearwater, Spirit of Massachusetts, Pride of Baltimore II, American Eagle, Lettie G Howard, Mayflower II, Godspeed and Discovery. Nathaniel Wilson sails are sought after for vessels large and small, from performance and classic yachts to hearty working craft. The vessels that hoist his sails span the history of water navigation, from replicas of Viking ships to modern vessels, and are true-to-form in look, materials, construction, and performance. The Society also salutes Wilson’s support of sail training and maritime heritage educational programs. His reputation of generosity in sharing his craft and its history precedes him: be it for visiting ships, school groups, or middle and high school history teachers, or the impromptu demonstration for the interested visitor who comes by his loft. Click arrow on right side of the following booklet to turn pages.

Open publication - Free publishing - More sails

Professionally Restored 1st Place Winner of Concours d'Elegance

Belle Aventure was the winner of the Professionally Restored 1st Place at the 19th Annual WoodenBoat Show. She was refastened and refit here at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard.

Belle Aventure, a 1929 Fife, designed and built by William Fife and Sons in Scotland, is owned by Mike McCue. Capt. George Moffett, who represented the owner, the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard shipwrights and staff are responsible for the high quality refastening and refit of this yacht.

At the 19th Annual WoodenBoat Show, the boats were divided into three categories: sail, power, and oar/paddle and judged for their quality of construction and restoration, quality and correctness of all on-board systems, and caliber of finish and appearance.

All boats exhibiting at the WoodenBoat Show; on land or in-water, were invited to participate in the Concours d’Elegance to compete for awards in a number of categories. The quality of this year’s entrants was among the best they had ever seen, which made the judges’ choices very difficult. All the winners can be viewed here and in the upcoming September/October 2010 Woodenboat Magazine.

Our own Capt. Dave is now on Belle Aventure and continues to varnish and keep the boat at its best.

One of Best 7 Articles Ever Written in English

Maine's very own Maine's Lobster Festival was the focus of one of the "Seven Best" all time magazine articles, which was written in 2004 in Gourmet Magazine called Consider the Lobster.

Okay, one could obviously quarrel with the choices, but the links alone make this post worthy of a look. A former editor of Wired magazine went looking for the best that journalism has to offer, and cataloged the results according to decade, as well as the number of times a correspondent suggested it.

Trunnels and Topsails

Enjoy a booklet of some of the fabulous ships and yachts that have undergone restoration here at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in recent years.

A Look at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard

The old saying of "a picture is worth a thousand words" can be multiplied when there is a video available. You may not have the chance to come to the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in person, so we will save you gas and give you a personal tour before you ask us to build you a new ship/yacht/boat or bring yours here for a re-fit.

Our shipyard has been building ships since 1869. With over twenty experienced and dedicated shipwrights, two large shipsaws, one with state-of-the-art temperature and humidity control, two marine railways (a 700-ton and a 150-ton) and well-equipped wood and metal shops, Boothbay Harbor Shipyard has the ideal setup for new building, restoration and repair. Our versatile crew has a depth of experience that ranges from building large sawn-frame working craft to restoring varnished mahogany yachts. Our services include all aspects of traditional wood construction and repair, welding, machine work, engine and mechanical work, painting, varnishing and storage. We also, work on metal framed boats and ships.

Check the VIDEO below for your personal tour.

Update on the Ernestina Re-fit

The historical Ernestina is heading toward completion of her major re-fit here at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. With two months left before the launching of the Ernestina in April, the crew is working very hard to meet the deadline.

The planking covering the bow and midship is complete with the exception of one plank on the starboard side. With the completion of the planking, the chalking has begun on the hull. After the chalking is the sealing.

The building of the deck frame is nearly finished and the laying of the deck will begin shortly.

A template of the covering boards above the planking has been developed and the completion of the covering boards will be the next step toward wrapping up the Ernestina re-fit. Watch the VIDEO below showing the latest progress on the Ernestina

Progress of Belle Aventure

The two-year refit and refastening of Belle Aventure is less than three months from completion. The enormous task of refastening is 95% finished. The keel rabbet and stern post are left to be fastened.

The hull topside is being faired and the final coats of primer are being added.

The interior joinery (woodwork and cabinetry) in the cabins is near completion except for the paint and varnish.

A new engine bed for the new engine was built along with the cabin soles in all three heads and the shower drains, which have been rebuilt. Both the mechanical and electrical systems are in their final stages.

Nat Wilson is in the process of finishing the sails. The three new jibs and mizzen are completed with only the mainsail still to be sewn.

For the launching, we will wait for a very high tide in April.