CAMBRIDGE, MD - While normally out on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the Nathan of Dorchester has been brought ashore in for a check-up at the Richardson Maritime Museum in Cambridge.
From a distance, the Nathan of Dorchester stands as a testament to the beauty of wooden ship craftsmanship. Up close, the telltale signs of rust and weathered wood narrate its rich history.
Pat Johnson, President of the Dorchester Skipjack Committee, proudly states, "The Nathan of Dorchester is the last authentic skipjack built on the Chesapeake Bay. It's been a preservation boat. As an organization, we are 30 years into taking care of the boat, preserving it."
Rob Numer, Vice President of maintenance with the skipjack, emphasizes their commitment, saying, "Our number one priority is we paint the bottom every year, scrape, sand, make any repairs on the bottom. Yesterday, we pulled the diesel motor out of the boat. We're taking that over to have a mechanic completely overhaul the diesel."
Today marked a different kind of maintenance effort. Volunteers hammered markers into the wooden hull, drilled holes, and with a chorus of natural sounds, they chipped away at the wood.
Their objective? To explore the ship's interior, focusing on the vital components - the nails. They pulled them out, inspected them, and made sure they're sustainable because those are what hold the boat together.
This meticulous inspection, conducted every five years and overseen by the Coast Guard, involves examining randomly selected nails and planks. Each number marked on the hull represents a plank and a nail, offering insight into the ship's structural integrity.
David Watson, expressing his interest, says, "I'm just interested in old wooden boats, I suppose. And I'd heard that the Richardson Museum had gotten the Sequoia and the Nathan of Dorchester out here for winter repairs."
Indeed, today's work stirred curiosity, but it's all part of the ongoing efforts to ensure that these venerable vessels stay afloat, preserving history for future generations.
The dedicated crew from the Richardson Maritime Museum, in collaboration with the Nathan of Dorchester team, anticipates that the skipjack will gracefully return to the water in approximately two weeks. After a period of intensive maintenance and inspections, the vessel is poised to resume its journeys along the Chesapeake Bay.
And whether you're a maritime enthusiast or simply curious about the intricacies of wooden boat preservation, the crew welcomes all to join them in watching the repairs or volunteering to help.
