Martha Seabury launched in Lunenburg, rescues 3 on maiden voyage

by Susan Corkum-Greek on 1 Oct 2012 Hundreds of people crowded the eastern end of the waterfront street named for this Nova Scotia town’s most famous vessel to view the launch of a new era of Lunenburg Schooners back on August 7th.

The 48-foot Martha Seabury, built for Hollywood actor Billy Campbell, is the first of two traditional wooden schooners built by the shipwrights of Dawson Moreland & Associates Ltd. on the grounds of the historic Dory Shop Boatyard at 175 Bluenose Drive.

Traditionally built from an original half hull design highly influenced by the famous Tancook schooners, as well as the hundreds of North Atlantic fishing and trading schooners launched from this port, the Seabury and her twin were built using heavy double-sawn frames and plank-on-frame construction.

'You could say we’re trailing-edge technology, because we’re just behind the times and we’re going to stay there,' joked company president, Capt. Daniel Moreland.

The one departure from tradition has been the materials used to build the schooners. Traditionally, Nova Scotia vessels built for the fishery were constructed very practically using local lumber. After all, those vessels weren’t expected to last longer than 15 or 20 years.

Such is not the case with these twin schooners, which have been built using select tropical hardwoods and sustainably harvested Alaskan Yellow Cedar from Canada’s West Coast. These choices ensure the twin schooners will enjoy many, many years of sailing whether in Northern waters or tropical climates.

Flanked by shipmates from the sail training ship, the Barque Picton Castle docked nearby, Mr. Campbell said he 'could not be more pleased' with the vessel, which he named for his late grandmother.

Post rigging, he looks forward to helping sail his schooner to Rhode Island for the Newport International Boat Show in hopes of finding a buyer for her twin sister.

The Lunenburg schooner rescues three on maiden voyage

It was an eventful maiden voyage for the crew of the Lunenburg-built schooner Martha Seabury. Departing Lunenburg September 6 bound for Gloucester, MA and then Rhode Island for the Newport International Boat Show, the schooner's owner Billy Campbell knew they were in for a bit of rough weather.

'But that's appropriate for a maiden voyage, isn't it?' he said at a crew dinner the night before.

The schooner was well tested in her passage across the Gulf of Maine, particularly as she approached Gloucester September 11.

'We encountered all kinds of weather including light airs, calms, lumpy seas and, on the last day, wind that built to 25-30 kts and seas up to 10',' reports her captain, Michael Moreland. 'It was here that I knew how amazingly seaworthy this small vessel she is and how stoutly built she is.

'We had her reefed down with double reefed mainsail, single reefed foresail and the stays'l, with 25 kts on the beam and she was galloping along at 7-8 knots, taking the large, steep seas on the beam without a worry. The crew on the tiller only took the occasional spray and the lee rail only rolled under once or twice.'

A day later, transiting the Cape Cod Canal and on through Buzzards Bay she was making exceptional time when just as light was fading crew member Allie Phillips spotted waving arms on the horizon. At first she thought it was a kayaker - albeit one that was strangely far from shore. A closer look revealed multiple people waving their arms in distress.

Capt. Moreland immediately called to take in all sail and rounded up while starting the main engine. Approaching they found three young men clinging to the hull of a 15-foot sailing dingy that had overturned. The men were greatly weakened, managing to swim one at a time the short distance to the schooner where, too weak to climb, they were lifted aboard. They were immediately taken below where their wet clothes could be removed and they could be wrapped in sleeping bags and dressed in wool hats and socks.

Radioing the United States Coast Guard, the Martha Seabury's crew was instructed to rendezvous with a cutter from Wood's Hole, MA. As conditions were rough, the cutter did not conduct an at sea transfer but did manage to get a medic aboard using a touch and go manoeuver. The medic confirmed that the men were stable and transfer under those conditions was not warranted.

The two craft motored to Cuttyhunk Island where a transfer was conducted in sheltered waters. All three men were expected to make a full recovery. The Seabury and her crew spent the night with friends at Cuttyhunk, which had been their plan all along. The next day they sailed to Newport in time for their 1 p.m. docking assignment.

Dawson Moreland reports 'great interest' in the schooner and her sister hull, still for sale. Media exposure resulting from the rescue no doubt helped.

The schooner sailed from Newport following the show bound for a brief visit at Martha's Vineyard and then back to Nova Scotia for the annual September Classic schooner race at Lunenburg.