The Hail and Heaty Crew Aboard the Virginia, Upon Arrival at Portland Yacht Services, @ 4:00 this afternoon for Probably a Week of Maintenance and Inspection.  Rob Stevens, of Robert Stevens Boatbuilders, Inc., Phippsburg, is on far Right in White in Above Photo.

Kirstie Truluck, Executive Director of the Virginia Project with Rob Stevens, of Robert Stevens Boatbuilders, Inc. Phippsburg, This Afternoon at PYS, West Commercial Street, Portland.

A Replica of the Original Virginia at the Dock at Portland Yacht Services ‘this Afteroon.  She is Constructed Mostly of Oak From Western Massachusetts According to Rob Stevens, of Robert Stevens Boatbuildfing, Inc. of Phippsburg.   He’s the Shipwright for this Volunteer Project..

It took the Virginia, a 54 ft replica of Maine’s First Ship, Virginia, 7 hours to leave  her home port at the Bath Freight Shed and dock at Portland Yacht Services, 100 West Commercial Street this afternoon. where she will remain for about a week of  mainenance performed by Virginia volunteers and for Coast Guard inspections.

She was powered by a 175 Volvo-Penta engine because all of the rigging has yet to be stepped and inspected by the US Coast Guard.

There was a light SW wind as the Virginia powered down the Kennebec River today. However, there were swells and a good amount of “rolling around” said Frances South, one of the volunteers on board the Virginia today.  “We looked for logs in the Kennebec River, harbor seals, osprey and eagle nests on the trip,”  she said.  “There were lots of logs in the River.  It was a perfect day for a trip down the Kennebec.”  This was not her maiden voyage as Virginia was launched two years ago in Bath.

The pennace Virginia was the first ocean going English ship built in the Americas.  She started a 400 year legacy of shipbuilding  in the lower Kennebec River.  The Virginia was built in 1607-1608 at the Popham Colony founded by the Plymouth Company in August 1607.  The effort was abandoned in October of 1608.  When the Colony was abandoned, the Virginia was sailed to England and in 1609 sailed to Jamestown, the Popham Colony’s southern sister colony according to the non-profit’s excellent web page.

One of the big challenges was the absence of plans for construction of 17th century ships.  So, the plans were drawn up from information about ships built during the era of 1607.  Rob Stevens, of Robert Stevens Boatbuilders, Inc., credits the late John Bradbury for most of the work in this challenge.  Captain John Foss, formerly captain of the American Eagle, is the captain of the Virginia.

The entire project was begun in 1997, but volunteers walked away from it shortly after it began.    Fortunately the project was retooled in 2009 according to Jeremy Blaiklock, President of the Board of Directors for Virginia.  “Phin Sprague visited us several years ago up in Bath.  He told us if we needed assistance in getting hauled out of the water he’d be happy to accommodate us pro bono.”  Sprague responded that PYS hauls out  non-profits pro bono often. Back on July 31, 2018, PYS installed its new travelift, Marine Travelift of Wisconsin,  which enables the yard to haul and launch diverse boats because of its wider width. That includes commercial boats, ferries, and catamarans.. (For more information on this subject,  please visit posts herein dated July 6, 2021 and July 31, 2018)

Phin Sprague, Jr., owner of Portland Yacht Services said:  “We are glad to be part of this community and able to support projects like the Virginia just seems like the right thing to do.  It’s an opportunity for the kids in Portland to learn about their  history.”   Sprague continued:  “We took this property back from a forest with homeless encampments and turned it into one of the largest service yards in Maine.”

Two years ago, PYS bought White Rock Outboard, near Sebago Lake.  It was the first job that Jason Curtis, VP of PYS held.  “It was a strategic as well as emotional move for us.  Jason wanted to help out his mentor.”

“This summer we will be able to take 6 passengers on board the Virginia” said Blaiklock.  “That will be three days a week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  At the end of June, Virginia will be participating in the annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days,” he said.

For much more information, please visit the Virginia’s outstanding web page.  Mfship.org or call:  207 – 443-4242.