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"The Uninvited," oil on panel, 27" x 37"
fishing schooners have led him to painstaking research of every aspect of these fishermen's lives. Over the years he has amassed an enormous amount of reference material, photographs, plans, and writings on over five thousand vessels, which his wife Doris, a librarian, has catalogued and cross-referenced by horneport, dates, activities, type of fishing, captains, family histories, etc. He has also worked closely with one of America's premier model builders Erik Ronnberg to build perhaps the finest collection of fishing schooner models in the country. He uses these models to get the position of the vessels and detailing in hi s paintings just right. Ronnberg, whose father was a rigger on the famous Gloucesterman Gertrude Thebaud, has built a number of models for Tom over the years. Almost five feet in length , these models are completely accurate scale representations of the actual vessels on which all parts work-the blocks run, the windlass cranks around, the anchor chain comes in and runs out." They're probably the only models of their type in the country today," says Torn. 'Tm trying to build a collection of models of representative types for my own enlightenment, to aid in my work, and also to establish a permanent record for the future ... sort of a benchmark for people to build on in the future . I'd like to have these models made while there are still people around who actually witnessed the vessels and can put their input into it, from first-hand experience." But he hasn't stopped there. He has been a regular at maritime museums up and down the East Coast looking for information, and also sailing aboard a few remaining coasting schooners sailing regularly out of Maine where each visit helps him recapture the feeling of the sea and wind and these great vessels under sail. When he can't verify a certain fact himself or needs special firsthand information, he calls upon one of the close friends he has developed over the years who share his enthusiasm for the Gloucester fishermen. One of them is Charlie Sayle, a legendary figure who came to Gloucester when he was just 17 years old from the Midwest, and began fishing. During his long career he sailed on all types of fishing vessels, coasters, freighters all over the North Atlantic and the Great Lakes. At the same time he was taking photographs and recording information, and he now has an unparalleled collection of material on these vessels, as well as a first-hand memory of many of SEA HISTORY, SPRING 1989
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The North Atlantic fishermen had to share their fishing grounds with the transAtlantic steamships, whose sea lanes cut through the Grand Banks and other rich grounds. Here the Stiletto's dorymen , warned by the steamer'sfoghorn, cluster around their schooner. In 1925 this steamship , the Glasgow-built Tuscania, ran down the Gloucester schooner Rex, cutting her in half and drowning fifteen men. The nine survivors were rescued by Tuscania's lifeboats. The Stiletto survived until April 4, 1930 when she stranded on a sand bar offNew Jersey. The schooner was a total loss, but fortunately her crew was saved.
Below, an on-deck view of the newly-built Shepherd King of 1905 with 40"_ _ __ the Norumbega in the distance. "Running By," oil on canvas . 24" x ...,.,... ~ ij ~
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