PORTSMOUTH—
After nine months of hard work, flying sawdust, hundreds of trunnels, gallons of paint and sealant, miles of cotton and hemp oakum – the new gundalow under construction at the Puddle Dock Shipyard on Strawbery Banke is ready to launch.
“This will be the first wooden boat launched out of Portsmouth in nearly thirty years,” remarked Executive Director Molly Bolster. “Over three hundred years of shipbuilding are part of our local history, and we are thrilled to continue that legacy.”
York, Maine resident and Master Shipwright Paul E. Rollins, Sr., has worked with a crew of boat builders and volunteers since April to build the 64’ long, 18’ wide traditional wooden sailing vessel. Additional work will be carried out on-shore and on the boat through the winter to be ready for public sails next spring. The mast, when completed early next year, will stand at twenty feet tall, with a 65’ yard. Over 1,000 square feet of sail will power the new boat, and when needed, a 200hp diesel engine will help move it along the rivers. Licensed by the US Coast Guard for up to 49 passengers, the new gundalow will draw about 2-1/2 feet.
In early December, the shipyard cover will be dismantled to allow for the boat to be transferred from the shipyard by professional house movers to the launch site at Peirce Island. On Saturday, December 10, the public is invited to witness history in the making as the gundalow built in Portsmouth is launched into the Piscataqua River off of Peirce Island, co-sponsored by Appledore Real Estate, Piscataqua Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management, and the Portsmouth Recreation Department. Ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. with official remarks, followed by the naming of the new boat and the launch at 11 a.m. The new gundalow will then be towed by Steve Root, Portsmouth Harbor Towing to Prescott Park by Sheafe Warehouse and rafted next to the Gundalow Captain Edward H. Adams, launched twenty-nine years ago. Tours of both the new and vintage gundalow are available for Gundalow Company members only due to limited capacity. (To join call 603-433-9505 or enroll online at www.gundalow.org.) In-kind partners for the launching include CMA Engineers, Friends of South End, PPMTV, Portsmouth Harbor Towing, Prescott Park, and Strawbery Banke.
The temporary shipyard cover that protected the new gundalow during construction at Puddle Dock is available for purchase. The building will be partially dismantled and available for pick up by November 30. The conceptual design for the building was by the Portsmouth High School Architecture class. The professionally constructed building is 35’ wide x 80’ long x 16’ featuring rough sawn pine posts and frames, plywood shear wall corners and pre-fabricated Boise Cascade trusses, all assembled with GRK screws. Further information and details are available.
For more information, details of the launching, or to become a volunteer, www.gundalow.org, info@gundalow.org or 603-433-9505.
Photo Caption: (Photo by Ralph Morang)
