John Stobart on Cape CodInspiring the Next Generation in Maritime¡P
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o t too long ago, kids growing up on Cape Cod would absorb the m aritime culture all around them simply as a way of life. Parents and neighbors were engaged in the fish eries, yachting, boarbuilding and maintenance, in the US Life-Saving Service and its successor, the US Coast G uard. On one end of the Cape in Woods Hole is the mecca of the marine science world, with research vessels of all sizes coming in and our of port on any given day. On the other end is Provincetown, home to an active commercial fis hin g fleer and vibrant tour-boat industry. These d ays, Cape Codders can grow up with very little access to, or insight into, their own maritime heritage, outside of the seaside kirsch they see as they drive down the Mid-Cape highway that stretches from the canal to Long Point Light on the rip of the Cape. The Cape Cod Maritime Museum (CCMM) seeks to remedy this situation. Operating year-round but located in a ma-
jor summer tourist destination, we have found an innovative way to mesh the two seasonal populations, while fulfilling the museum's mission to "protect, preserve and promote Cape Cod 's maritime past, present and future." This summer, the museum, located at the head of H yannis H arbor, is hosting a major arr exhibition by worldrenowned marine artist John Stobart, which will attract visitors from far and wide. Simultaneously, we are expanding the museum's maritime-themed educational programs to introduce young people to their maritime heritage and hopefully inspire them to pursue related trades. While the general population on Cape Cod has moved away from maritime-based work over the past few decades, the demand for skilled labor in boatyards and marinas is still strong. Local employers a re scrambling fo r workers with basic know-how around boats and tools, and the museum h as stepped up to answer the call- bur with a twist.
When boatyards across the Cape began to voice growing concerns that they cannot find enough qualified entry-level employees whom their businesses depend upon, it became painfully obvious to us that the museum's boarbuilding program s, already in place, could be a natural step in building a certificate program for prospective employees . Under the guida nce oflocal boatyard owner and m as ter builder Tony Davis,
(top) Brant Point Light, Nantucket, oil on canvas, 6 x 9 inches. The Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts, is just a stone's throw from the Nantucketjerry docks. As travelers aboard the ferries app roach their destination, they can see this little lighthouse marking the entrance to Nantucket Harbor offto starboard. This painting by John Stobart and the others depicted here, along with more than two dozen more ofthe artist's paintings and prints, are on display at the museum through 2017
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SEA HISTORY 159, SUMMER 2017
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