Big Ship, Small State, Significant Impact
Rhode Island students will trade chalkboards and desks for bowlines and mainsheets through hands-on education aboard the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, the school ship operated by Education at Sea. Designed as a living classroom, the vessel will give learners of all ages practical maritime and oceanographic experience.
When completed in 2013, the tall ship will serve as a technology-rich, purpose-built platform for immersive learning across Rhode Island, with a particular focus on expanding access for urban students.
“It is a unique and innovative program,” says Deborah Gist, Rhode Island’s education commissioner. She noted that the ship combines at-sea, on-shore and classroom learning to teach students about oceans, marine environments and maritime careers.
The program acquired a robust steel hull in 2008 for $325,000—originally a $1.5 million hull planned as a replica of the British ship HMS Detroit, captured by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the War of 1812. The hull is being fitted out at Promet Marine Services in Providence, where deck structures, accommodations and systems are being installed. When finished, the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be a three-masted, square-rigged vessel with a sparred length of about 230 feet, qualifying it as one of the largest privately owned active tall ships in the United States.
More information: www.ohpri.org
Restoration Brings a 1958 Concordia Yawl Back to Life
Concordia Company of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, has purchased Javelin, Concordia yawl No. 57, and started a comprehensive restoration. The company, custodian of original Concordia patterns, aims to preserve these classic yachts so future generations can enjoy them.
Javelin is notable for having remained in the same family since her 1958 launch and for retaining many original features. The restoration plan includes a new horn timber, replacement of numerous frames and floor timbers, replanking, and a deck refit. Concordia owner Brodie MacGregor says the goal is to return Javelin to active, high-end cruising condition for another 50-plus years on the water.
Concordia also stores two other yawls available for restoration: No. 95 Diablo and No. 2 Malay 1, the Lawley-built yacht that won the 1954 Bermuda Race.
Trawler Passagemaking Course Offers Practical Offshore Experience
With southbound migration of boats beginning along the East Coast, Sea Sense is launching weeklong passagemaking courses aboard trawlers this fall. The courses provide real-world passagemaking experience under the guidance of professional captains, and are open to individuals and couples.
Sea Sense co-founder Capt. Carol Cuddyer explains the program is aimed at boaters who have not yet ventured beyond their local inlet or completed overnight passages. The course is designed to build confidence and practical skills to take that next step.
Participants will practice boat handling in the Intracoastal Waterway, learn strategies for running inlets, study offshore safety and equipment, and prepare both vessel and crew for extended cruising. Instruction covers day and night navigation, watchstanding, weather interpretation, fuel management, ship identification, rules of the road, log keeping, and filing float plans. The course actively involves students in decision-making for long cruises, including problem prevention and response. Offshore passages depend on suitable weather conditions.
Sea Sense’s captains bring broad experience from the East Coast, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Labrador, Bermuda, Mexico and a transatlantic crossing aboard trawlers. Class size is limited; the seven-day course costs $3,195 and includes instruction, onboard accommodations, docking and fuel costs, and most meals. More info: www.seasenseboating.com
Historic Photography Exhibit Explores New England Commercial Fishing
An exhibit of historic photography titled “Images from The Atlantic Fisherman” is on display at The Maine Grind café in Ellsworth. Free to the public, the exhibit runs through March 31 and showcases black-and-white images from the early 1920s through later decades.
Compiled by Penobscot Marine Museum photography archivist Kevin Johnson and curator Ben Fuller, the collection highlights working boats and crews, shore-based fishing methods and processing activities. Fuller notes the photographs document the transition to internal combustion power—fishing schooners receiving auxiliary engines and the emergence of engine-based methods like the otter trawl. The images capture both the fishermen who embraced the engine revolution and those who resisted it, along with the evolving craft and waterfronts supporting the industry.
The Maine Grind is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 192 Main Street, Ellsworth. For details, call (207) 667-0011 or visit www.mainegrind.com
Boating Incident in Maryland Leads to Multiple Charges
Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a 41-year-old man in late September with multiple offenses related to an incident on the South River. Charges include reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, hindering and obstructing officers, failing to comply with a lawful order, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol and attempting to elude law enforcement.
Responding units received a call at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 27 about an overturned sailboat with a person clinging to its side. Police, Coast Guard and the Anne Arundel County fireboat located the 25-foot sailboat and found the man aboard. Authorities report he was belligerent and appeared intoxicated as rescue teams approached.
According to police reports, the sailor attempted to ram the fireboat three times, ignored repeated orders to stop, and maneuvered his vessel to prevent boarding by refusing to drop his sails. Officers eventually boarded the sailboat while it was underway; the man resisted and struggled before being subdued. He failed field sobriety tests and an alcohol breath test once ashore. His trial is scheduled for Dec. 17 in Maryland District Court in Annapolis.
This article originally appeared in the New England Home Waters section of the March 2011 issue.