This begins a series showcasing photos from the Penobscot Marine Museum (PMM) that I feel OCH members will enjoy. A large percentage of the 60,000 historic photos that you can view on PMM’s website are of boats and waterfronts, and what they looked like 50 or 75 years ago. Digitizing old photos and posting them online is an ongoing mission for PMM. The six scanners there barely cool off as the dozen dedicated volunteers keep feeding them photographic negatives to make into high-resolution images. I believe that PMM leads all other maritime institutions in this endeavor.
The stories that go with these photos are equally important, so if you have information to add, by all means do so. Just leave a reply (in the space at the bottom of this page) and we’ll see that it gets back to PMM where the staff there can digest and post it.
Building the 110′ dragger ST. GEORGE began in the spring of 1939 at Snow’s Shipyard in Rockland, Maine. Her name honors owner Capt. Clyson Coffin’s nearby home town. The wood is white oak held together with galvanized bolts and, for the 3″-thick planking and ceiling, locust trunnels. This photo was taken probably in August o September after she’d been framed out, her bilge stringers were in, and the staging was up for installing the deck beams. A lot has been done, but much lies ahead. Launching day is only about five months away!
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Robert Saul Isenberg says:
Your photos are always a joy to look at. I always see the definition of the difference between a photograph and a snapshot! I fished aboard the f/v Joyce Ann. An Eastern Rig built by Newbert and Wallace. Like the Roann she was also owned by the Wescotts. She had a transom, though unusual she wore it well. She was massive in her scantlings and all other construction and wasn’t too badly tweaked from dragging all the years overside. I only made a handful of trips aboard of her but so glad I had the chance to experience dragging eastern rig style. One thing I won’t forget is setting the aft door. If you mess up, you can take out the propeller or the rudder or both! Or hole the boat so bad well you can see where this is going. The forecastle had a Shipmate Range that was almost double the size of my galley. The bunks, table and bench seating looked just like the Schooner LA Dunton. It would take a few days for the heat of the range to warm the massive stringers, clamps, knees and partners. She had a beautifu engineers stateroom in the Turtleback. I guess with the choice to switch the devout dorymen to motorships they must have revered the guys who kept it working. Joyce Ann still had two sails with no use upon them which we used daily. Steadying sails! What a concept. Were I to own a commercial vessel that did not depend on speed she would be rigged for sail assist. My motorsailor made the trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Galilee, RI on less than 200 gal of diesel! Make hay while the sun shines!
Maynard Bray says:
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the interesting writeup. Do you know what the dragger Joyce Ann’s original name was, or what year she was built? Rod Cook (Roy Wallace’s grandson) and I have been working on a list of Newbert & Wallace-built vessels and I there’s not a Joyce Ann among them.
Bruce Keefauver says:
Nicely done (then) as well as now. Thanks!