Sea History 108 - Autumn 2004

Page 8

NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION How NMHS Gained 31 New MembersA Welcome to Brewer Pilots Point Marina for Rallying around the Heritage and a Dream

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fter a terrific flood in 1982 Dave O 'Neil took most of the contents of his basement to the dump. This left him with enough space to loft a boat down there-after it dried out- and a chance to design and build his own boat. A splendid boat- not your typical backyard boat but a beautiful, 50-foot schooner with a classic clipper bow, wineglass stern , and pleasing sheer. Knowing that a beautiful boat sails as a uibute to our heritage as a coun- Dave O'Neil (3rd from 1.eft) and some of the crew at Brewer Piwts Point Marina. try founded by seafarers, he (Photo by Az Sarwar); (Below) Extrapolation got underway July 10th with

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work here who care about the attention to detail, the work ethic. It comes from the example of Rives Potts, who is here 7 days a week until late at night, and who instills in us the motto perfeet is almost good enough." Rives organized his crew to finish the boat in phases, each with tight deadlines. He wanted the boat fitted with its keel and mast for the High Hopes Therapeutic Riding fund-raiser in Essex, where a daysail on board was a silent auction item. Dave at the helm. (Photo by Jennifer O'Neil Sarwar). Fair Winds, Dave. A d h ld set to wor k . secon p ase wou proBesides bei ng an NMH S overseer an the recipient of the vide sails to give Dave a chance to realize his dream of sailing on 2003 NMHS Founder's Sheet Anchor Awa his own boat. Later, they would finish the interior. neer who knows boats. Extrapolation is des¡ The crew knew they were racing the clock to fi ¡ and efficiency. Like many backyard shipwri ave has boat. To get it to the fund-raiser, they routinely worke borne the brunt of the passing sarcastic remark about after sundown. Among the core of these craftsmen was Eben his vessel and his dream . Then last year, D ave's doctor Whitcomb, sa id to be one of those rare artisans who has a gave hi m the painfully horrific news that his cancer gift in his hands. Whitcom b watched over the work on Extrapolation as if it were his own boat. With shipwould not permit him time to fin ish it himself. His dream to sail on this boat meant he wo uld need wrights Hans Zimm er, Bill Daly, Dennis Painter, Jim help finishing it-and in very little time. H e took Rolston, Skip Doll, and others, they fitted the keel it to Brewer Pilots Point Marina in Westbrook, and centerboard mechanism, spars and all the Connecticut, where Rives Potts has been the rigging, lifelines, stern and bow pulpits, hawse General Manager for twenty years. Rives, like pipe, and anchoring systems, stern boomkin Dave, loves boats and has sailed his whole life. and faired and painted the hull. He understood how difficu lt it would be for Dave O 'Neil gave 31 of the crew at anyone to have so painstakingly designed and Brewer Pilots Point Marina membership built his own boat to turn it over to someone in NMHS as a thank-you for their dedicatio n to boatbuilding. We welcome else. Ri ves had also been an engineer, and he and Dave could communi cate with 14 3 them with this issue. People stop to each other-engineer to engineer. Dave tell the staff how beautiful Extraposoon realized that these were a group of lation is, and they marvel at her craftsmen who shared his passion. He lines and flawless design. "It is had fo und a boatyard with "old-fashone thing to work on a projioned" artisans who work fo r th e ect and h ave the boat come love of what they do and are dediout well. It's another thing cared to their craft. D ave underwhen you help make stood what goes into building a man's dream com e a boat and the value of these true," Bill Daly said. BuRCHENAL artisans' skills and spirit. According to Bill Daly, GREEN who su ervises the paint


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Sea History 108 - Autumn 2004 by National Maritime Historical Society & Sea History Magazine - Issuu