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Cheseapeake Heritage was featured in an article by the Havre de Grace Patch!
Needed: A few more “friends” for Martha
By Wendy Gilbert
Editor
The Skipjack Martha Lewis is well known not only for her history, grace and beauty, but also for her many friends. Volunteers and supporters are affectionately known as “friends of the Martha Lewis.” These folks help crew, maintain and sometimes – well, quite often, raise or donate much-needed funds to keep this symbol of Chesapeake Bay heritage not only afloat, but working. Corralling, supporting and educating all those friends is director Cnythia Beane and her message for this season is dire. “The Martha Lewis had transmission trouble on her second day of oystering. We have received word from the marina that she will need a new bell housing and her transmission may have to be rebuilt.”
The pushboat was damaged during a December windstorm as well. “In February we call a boat surveyor out to look at the pushboat and we discovered that Martha had rippled wood. In fact, planks that had been installed just 4 years ago were rotten.”
A recent Coast Guard hull inspection also uncovered a few other things that must be addressed. The estimated cost to repair the Martha Lewis is $25,000. A short-term loan, thanks to a very generous “friend” needs to be repaid over the next 9 months.
The skipjack is currently at Tidewater Yacht Services, Port Covington, Baltimore. Instead of one massive and potentially costly fundraiser, Beane has decided to stage several small events. The first one is a community wide yard sale in Havre de Grace on April 16 & 17. A wine tasting and reception will be held at Mt Felix June 11, 6-8 p.m. cost will include tasting, 2 1/2 glasses of your favorite and a glass to take home along with light appetizers. Rain date is June 18. “We are also going to be selling a Pandora-style bead by local artist Kimmie Ranken,” Beane said. The sterling silver bead will feature a skipjack on one side and ML on the other. Orders are being taken now and a photo of the bead will be on their website chesapeakeheritageconservancy.com soon. Cost for the bead is $55.
“We have also partnered with Harford County Best Cards to help raise much needed funds. There are more then 50 Harford County merchants offering their best deals, packaged as an authentic deck of playing cards,” Beane added.
The cards are valid through Dec. 31. The deck sells for $20 and includes hundreds of dollars in savings. Offers include: Buy one item or entrée, get second of equal or lesser value free or 50 percent off; a percentage off purchase; free merchandise, etc. Several merchants have multiple offers on one card and several can be used more than once.
Future events will include Dine & Donate events at local restaurants. Of course, individual donations are always welcome. Send them to:
Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy, 121 N Union Avenue, Suite C, Havre de Grace, MD 21078 or visit their website to make a donation through PayPal.
Sidebar
The skipjack Martha Lewis was built in 1955 by Bronza Parks in Wingate along with two sister ships - Rosie Parks and Lady Katie. She was named after the mother of her original owner James Lewis.
In 1993 Randy George bought the Martha Lewis to restore her. The restoration work was undertaken by Allen Rawl and volunteers in Havre de Grace next to the Concord Point lighthouse. The work was completed in 1994 and every November since then she has sailed out to participate in the oystering season.
Specifications
- Length on deck 49'5“
- Beam 16'7“
- Gross Tons – 8
- Actual displacement 60,000 lbs.
- Length at Water Line 46'2“
- Draft 3'8“
- Mainsail area 1,947 sq. feet
- Mast height 65 feet over the water
- Boom length is 50 feet
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