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Maine’s First ShipWinter 2017Special points of interest: Annual Meeting Become a docent! Student-built skiff raffle President’s Message Annual Gala dinner Knees arrive—can decking be far behind? Ship carpenter neededfor summer programAnnual MFS Meeting March 18Maine’s First Ship’sAnnual Business Meeting isscheduled for SaturdayMarch 18 at 1:30 pm in theBath Freight Shed, followedby a look at Virginia’s progress. She is over halfplanked, and is eagerly looking at a pile of hackmatackknees to be installed as partof the deck. (See story onpage 5.)Members will alsobe asked to consider foldingthe Bath Freight Shed Alli-ance into MFS. The FreightShed Alliance has been avaluable and effective partner with MFS for the pastseveral years. The MFSBoard has been discussingand finalizing details for thepast several months andlook forward to the membership’s input on this bigstep. If passed, an ad hoctransition committee willimplement the change.Please come with questionsand comments.In addition to votingon the officers — OrmanHines, President; JeremyBlaiklock, Vice President;Dan Burchstead, Treasurer;and Allison Hepler, Secretary — members will alsobe asked to approve changes to the organization’s Bylaws. The proposed changesupdate the by-laws largely interms of new committeesthat have been establishedsince the by-laws were lastupdated.Educator carpenter sought for MFS summer programNewsletter producedcourtesy of thePublicityCommittee:Roger Barry, Lori Benson,Allison HeplerMFS is looking fora carpenter, preferably with boatbuilding experience with a passion for educatingmiddle school students in traditional boat buildingskills. MFS buildseducational programs around theconstruction ofVirginia, promotingwoodworkingskills, history, andleadership in middle school students from the Midcoastregion.The successful applicant will work with up to10 middle school studentsto build wooden boat relatedprojects. Additional qualifications include a good rapportwith students and excellentcommunication skills with visi-tors and volunteers.The positionis approximately 8hours/day Mondaythrough Friday for 2one week sessionsJuly 10 through 21.20-40 hours of preparation time is negotiable. This positionpays 25/hour. MFSis an equal opportunity employer.Applicantsshould send a coverletter and resume toMaine’s First Ship,P.O. Box 231 Bath,ME 04530 or emailmfs1@myfairpoint.net.The deadline forapplications is April 7, 2017.

Page 2Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace VirginiaPresident’s NotesEach plank is carefully picked out of thelarge pile of rough cutplanks by the plankmakersRB Omo, Dick Forrest,Roger Barry and crew todetermine if it is of theright length, that it has acurve that will fit the oneabove it, either a smile ora frown as Rob would say.The shape of theplank above is then transferred to a board and thatshape is applied to thenew plank, a processby Orman Hines called spiling. The width isA few warm days are start- then marked off on thenew plank and cut toing to melt that 8 foot highshape.wall of snow between theOnce cut tofreight shed and the boatshape, the plank is planedshed. Planking is movingto the 1 & 3/4 inch thickalong at a steady pace withness on the 20 inch planat least one fitted on eachday. There is much more to er. After the thickness isplaned, the top edge isthe planking process thanmeets the eye.John W. Bradford: In Memoriamplaned to fit the plankabove and then a caulking plane is added ontothe top 2/3rds of theedge.Finally, it isblessed by Jeremy orRob. Oops! you need todrill out those knotswith bark around themand fill them with a plug.The plank is thensoaked in the river for afew days or, if it isgreen, it can be put directly into the steamerfor 2 ½ hours.Then it’s “AllHands” to help carry itto the side of the shipand attached withclamps where it is leftto dry to shape. Once ithas set up we take theplank off, make anyneeded shape adjustments and add tar tothe water tight bulkheadframe, re-clamp the plankon with wedges and metalboat clamps so that it hasa tight fit to the oneabove.The plank is thenready to be drilled for thetrunnels with a one inchdrill bit, and the locusttrunnels are driven homewith the commander’smallet. Each of the trunnels are then wedged onthe outside of the ship andinside. Finishing one ofthree planks in a row, orstrake, is quite an accomplishment taking severaldays from start to finish,and with twenty something strakes or sixty plusplanks we are only at thehalf way point so far.Our dedicatedcrew of Virginia volunteersare all feeling more likeold ship hands with eachday, calluses and all.Sad news for Maine’s First Ship communityarrived November 10, news that John Bradford hadpassed quietly during the night in his Yarmouth homewith his wife Dee Dee at his side.He was a founding member of Maine's FirstShip, devoted to public education and reconstructinga replica of Virginia. John worked tirelessly to makeVirginia come to life. As the first director of the vesselcommittee, he produced the definitive book VIRGINIA,An In-Context Design of Maine’s First Ship in 2011 whichis our main reference for reconstructing of Virginia.John was also a very capable participant in the archaeology at the Popham Colony devoting many hours tothe careful excavating of artifacts and doing researchon the colony and Virginia with Dr. Jeffery Brain.In recent years, John also taught a course atMaine Senior College, entitled "England, France andthe Wabanaki: Cultural Chaos in Seventeenth Century Maine."John leaves a big hole in our hearts as a goodfriend and devoted member of Maine’s First Ship.

Page 3Order of First Families of Maine donates to MFSA representative from theOrder of First Families of Mainerecently presented MFS with agenerous donation of 750. According to the organization’s website, OFFME, as the organization isknown, “honors those hardy andenterprising early ancestors whoconcentrated their efforts, labor,and skills in building the enduringgreatness of the State of Maine.”Founded in 2003 by TheReverend Robert Todd Giffin,Founder, who served as PresidentGeneral from 2003-2007, OFFMEcurrently has over 145 members.Jeffrey LaRochelle presented the check to MFS President Orman Hines this past October. “We are very grateful for thisdonation,” said Hines, especially sinceMFS also recognizes the efforts ofMaine’s first European settlers.“Building Virginia is a testament to thecolonists’ efforts to establish a foothold in the New World.”Application for membershipin the Order is open to men andwomen 18 years of age or older whoare “lineal descendants of an ancestorwho was a resident of, owned land in,or was the chief proprietor of a business between 1604 and 1652 withinthe boundaries of present day Maine.”The donation to MFS is partof the Order’s mission to be involvedin “charitable and educational effortsand to support patriotic, genealogical,literary, historical and social activitiesthat further the purposes and objec-tives of this Order within our country.”For more information, see theorganization’s website, http://offme.homestead.com.Docent training May 13Join other volunteers interested in talking to visitors about Virginia andMaine’s First Ship. Docents are critical to the success of MFS. Greeting visitors from close by and from all over the world is exciting and fulfilling. Don’tworry if you feel you don’t know enough about the history and archeology,or the ship Virginia. There are plenty of materials to answer any question.Come for a training, or for some a refresher, on Saturday May 13 at 1 pm atthe Bath Freight Shed. You’ll see additions to the exhibit and an update onprogress of the ship Virginia. All are welcome! Spend part of your summeramidst the smell of freshly fashioned planks and the aura of the past allaround you.Own a skiff built by summer program studentsMFS is raffling off one of the 12’ skiffsmade by students this past summer. Tickets for the Bevin’s skiff, designed by theAlexandria Seaport Foundation are 5each or 5 tickets for 20. The drawing willbe held at the Annual Gala Dinner in May.The overall length of the skiff is 11’8”,with a 4’6” beam, a maximum capacity of450 pounds, and made of marine gradeplywood.

Page 4Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace VirginiaSummer student boatbuilding returns to MFSMaine’s First Ship has announced itsannual summer student boatbuildingprogram, which is open to middleschool students. The program is designed to offerstudents achance to develop and honewoodworkingskills related towooden boatbuilding, including working onVirginia alongside MFS’s volunteer shipwrights.Camp isheld in the BathFreight Shed indowntownBath. This year,there are twoone-week summer sessions beingoffered: Session I is July 10-14; Session II is July 17-21. Each session isMonday-Friday 8 am until 4 pm.Volunteers are also workingwith the students on the history ofVirginia and the colony who built her.“Virginia’s connection to our ownmaritime history excites thestudents,” saysMerry Chapin,board memberand member ofthe MFS Education Committee. “They arealso excited tobe workingnear Virginia.“This isthe eighth yearof MFS’s summer programfor middleschool agedstudents.There is no cost to the program, andinterested students and parentsshould contact Maine’s First Ship in itsnew office above J.R. Maxwell’s, phone443-4242, or emailmfs1@myfairpoint.net. Interestedpeople of all ages can also stopby the boatshop on Wednesdaysand Saturdays and speak with anyof the volunteer shipwrights. Students can download an application from the website after April15, www.mfship.org.MFS connects to local, national history associationsOrman Hines and RobStevens were hosted by the Lincoln County Historical Associa-tion recently, as they sharedtheir archeological and historical knowledge of the PophamColony and Virginia, both theoriginal and the one that MFSis constructing, and Maine’sFirst Ship. They will also bespeaking to the national meeting of the Daughters of Colonial Wars in Washington DC inApril.In another example ofMFS connections leading toother venues for local collaboration, Captain Scott Smith, ofthe Michael Monsoor, currentlybeing built at Bath IronWorks, spoke at Woolwich’s Veterans Dayevent this past November (photo courtesyof WiscassetNewspapers).He has alsoagreed tospeak atWoolwich’sMemorial Daycommemoration this year.Crew members of theMonsoor havebeen regularvolunteers onVirginia.

Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace VirginiaPage 5Block-making is more thanmeets the eyeby Jim NelsonVirginia’s rigging work this winter has centered on making blocks(what landlubbers would call pulleys) those ubiquitous and crucial parts of any ship’s rig. Virginia will need four sizes of blocksto handle 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1” rope. As simple and innocuousas the blocks might seem, their construction is surprisingly involved, requiring many stages of cutting, shaping, routing, gluing,pinning, sanding and finishing. It makes it clear why block-makingwas a trade unto itself throughout the Age of Sail.Knees arrive from Nova Scotia for Virginia’s deckingDavid Westergard, from Tusket Nova Scotia, delivered hackmatack knees last month.The knees will be used for the deck structure of Virginia. Shipwright Rob Stevensnotes that one of them has already beeninstalled, as a replacement for a futtock.Funds for the knees come from 2 sources.The first is from the Fritz Mueller Fund,created in memory of a long-time friend ofMaine’s First Ship. Fritz’s connection toMFS came by way of Jamestown, where hehad been a volunteer there, along with hiswife Christa. The other source of fundingcame through the Davis Family Foundation,which awarded MFS 26,000 for deckstructure materials. MFS has the deckingmaterial already, and is sitting in a barn ofJohn Morse’s in Phippsburg.