By Sheila Dassatt
In my travels these recent days, I have found that people love to tell a story or two either about an experience on the water or about their beloved vessel. The older that I get, the more that I’m learning that it is much more interesting to be a good listener when it comes to a historic story.
Last month, I wrote about the S.S. United States, which has re-surfaced as a more famous ship than I thought. As she has been towed to Florida to become a reef for recreational divers to explore. We have read a lot of stories on social media from people that had good memories of sailing on her. I was pleased personally to receive a letter from a reader that also had a memory to tell. I thank you for that! In all honesty, I am also fascinated with this larger than life vessel and have a renewed interest in the ships of yesteryear.
This vessel has so many good memories that folks have been hoping to resurrect her as a museum instead of scuttling her. The problem is, she has been sitting for so long that a lot of maintenance has gone downhill. I understand that these ships need maintenance, especially a steam powered vessel. It is sort’ve like “out of site, out of mind.” Unfortunately. I agree with the theory of wanting to restore her as a floating museum or a vessel that has compartments restored for also staying on her while being promoted as a museum. I can also understand the ramifications and expense of trying to restore her at this point in time. Only time will tell and it is in the hands of the present owners. Perhaps this is a realization that these famous vessels should have the proper attention before they deteriorate beyond restoration.
Another such vessel that I am referring to is the Pauline, a 1948 sardine carrier that has been under reconstruction for a while now. Campbell “Buzz” Scott took on the challenge of restoring her. He and the nonprofit OceanWide have had dreams of reviving the 83-foot vessel for the purpose of using her for educational programs. The problem, once again, is that Pauline doesn’t need a revival, but a resurrection. Unfortunately, it has turned into a total rebuild. Scott said “At the time, we thought we could get away with a few planks and a new engine and putting a new topside on.”
As they started pulling the planks off, the boat project started to unravel. This meant that the project would take longer and cost more than expected.
Pauline was built in Thomaston in 1948 and was the queen of a fleet of ships that carried sardines from Vinalhaven and surrounding islands to North Lubec Co.’s plant in Rockland. In 1988, the owners of the windjammer, Stephen Taber purchased Pauline and converted her into a passenger vessel. (I remember those days well, she was a beautiful vessel). For the past few years, she is an icon of Maine’s cannery days and has been sitting at Billings Diesel and Marine in Stonington waiting for further instruction of her fate.
The rebuild is expected to run about $3.5 million with $950,000 for the wood, hull, deck and topside, $1 million for the systems and $1 million for the interior construction.
At this point in time, Clark and Eisele Traditional Boatbuilders have already rebuilt the framing in the bow and stern. One more quote: “They have done an amazing job demolishing the bad parts of the vessel and starting the substantial rebuild. As far as the rebuild goes, it’s a good start.”
With this being said, this is a good start toward an awareness for these historic vessels that are falling by the wayside. Perhaps the Pauline can be saved before she is just a pile of deadwood, much like a lot of others that we don’t want to lose in time. Now would be the time to set your focus on these projects, get involved, donate or offer expanded attention on them before it is too late.
This particular vessel has already had attention in Maine Coastal News, but it doesn’t hurt to add her to this list of historic vessels that need to be saved. The sardine carrier, Jacob Pike was another one that we did not want to see in the sardine carrier reef graveyard. I also remember when the Pike would bring sardines into the Stinson sardine factories along the Maine Coast. I worked at the Belfast Stinson factory as a teenager in the summers and always thought she looked so majestic coming in with a load of herring that was about to become sardines. It was such a wonderful time to see these vessels doing “their thing” and also sad that this particular heyday is over. Let’s not overlook this concern and get involved if at all possible.
The Penobscot Marine Museum is having an entire series of sardine carriers and sardine packing days at the factories. For example, on Thursday, May 8th (only on Zoom), Jon Johansen is having a program on sardine carriers. If you are interested in this history, it is a good opportunity to check it out! We truly care about the restoration of our maritime history. We do not want it gone forever.
