Saturday, October 14
In the 40's this morning, but clear skies.
Matthew treated us all to pancakes this morning for breakfast - chocolate chip and blueberry. Yum! And then we were off. Driving through Portland we noticed quite a few homeless camps - kind of surprising with the cold weather approaching!
First stop is the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.
While waiting for our tour with Joan and seven to ten other folks, we admire these pieces created by Eric Darling from used ropes that held lobster traps. Cool!
We meet Joan outside for an interesting guided tour of the 20 acre campus ,which includes indoor and outdoor exhibits. We have signed up for a cruise of shipyards and a few lighthouses later in the day.
This site was home to a shipyard which operated from 1897-1920. ( There were many here along the Kennebec River.) The first wooden ship built in America was called the "Virginia" and was only 50' long. It was built by a group of settlers that had been dropped off here (in October no less) to establish a colony Fortunately shipbuilders were among them, because after that first Winter, they built the Virginia and sailed back to England. We see it later from the boat... can't imagine crossing the Atlantic in it!! It later sailed back to Jamestown!
From the yard here we can see the Bath Ironworks which still builds ships, most recently military destroyers.
Some of the buildings here are original from 1897-1900 because once the shipyard closed, a thriving company named Sears & Roebuck used some of the buildings for storage.
This shipyard built wooden ships and the largest ever built was a 450' 6-masted schooner called Wyoming. There is a sculpture which shows the outline of how large this ship was.
There are multiple buildings which housed things like a blacksmith shop, the Mould Loft which made patterns, the Clinkers Shop which made the wood waterproof, the Caulkers, steam box and more. Thousands of wooden nails, called treenails, were used. Lots of displays.
Soon we head out in the MerryMeeting to explore a bit of the Kennebec River. Cindy Smith, the captain, says this is the best weather they've had all Fall! We are ten miles from the Ocean here.
We pass Perkins Island lighthouse. Along the river, the lighthouses are short because they didn't need to be seen from very far away.
We also see a set of Range Lights, two lights which, when properly aligned by the captains, kept their boats in the deep channel of the river on approach to a sharp double bend in the river at Fiddler Reach. These are the only range lights in Maine. This was the first station to be tended by a woman resident keeper.
We sail close to the Bath Iron Works and see some destroyers - the first picture is the one just launched.
This one is still in process in dry dock.
When we return to the Museum docks, we visit a man named John who demonstrates how ships were launched, using wooden braces which were gradually chopped from under the ship, allowing gravity to let it slide into the water. Always launched stern first and usually at night high tide.
Quite elaborate launching parties were held onboard.
There was a building dedicated to lobstering, another with old wagons and buggies, and then the Donnell house, which was home to one of the Shipbuilding families.
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| Each lobsterman has his own colorful buoy. |
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| Across the river... |
We next look for Doubling Point Lighthouse, again along the Kennebec, but it has obviously been sold and No trespassing signs are everywhere, so we have to turn around and move on.
Not much in the way of camping available. We phone Walmart in a nearby town and they tell us to try Lowe's next door. Lowe's says sure, as long as we buy something and only stay one night. So, Gwynne and I peruse the store and buy a package of Gorilla Glue before using their restroom facilities. Quiet night and I can't remember dinner...?
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