Essex-Built Schooner Ernestina Needs Your Voice

The Essex-built schooner Ernestina - a forum about her future

We had a request from the good people of New Bedford and the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association to let people know about an important forum to discuss the future of our national historic landmark the Ernestina. As some of you know, in 2008/09 Harold was involved in a massive re-build of the Ernestina's front section but the stern is still in need of a lot of repair as well as the cost of ongoing operations. The forum - to be held on Saturday, October 30 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum offers a great chance to get momentum going and also take a moment to have some input on the future of Ernestina. Here is some of the pertinent info.

Ernestina Forum

The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association is holding a forum to discuss Ernestina's future and seeks:
· People from a broad array of constituencies interested in working together in the interest of the Ernestina's future;
· New ideas to help keep the ship sailing;
· Inspired individuals ready to describe how their ideas can be organized into plans to sustain the ship's restoration and operation.

Saturday, October 30th
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
Barbara (Monteiro) Burgo
bjmonteiro@aol.com
or
Kristen Sarkarati
ks@blueskiesdsn.com

Co-sponsors:

The Schooner Ernestina Commission
The MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association, Inc
P.O. Box 2995
New Bedford, MA 02741

Harold Receives American Schooner Association Award

Harold attended the annual meeting of the American Schooner Association this past week in Mystic, CT which is always a worthwhile place to visit for any shipwright. By arriving on Friday, it gave time to tour Mystic Seaport which was great to do in the off-season. Harold was able to join an ongoing private tour of the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, the last surviving American wooden sailing ship and the oldest American merchant ship afloat. Master shipwright Quentin Snediker led the private group into the lower hold where the ceiling has been removed to expose the frame. The exposed frames of this 109-foot ship were lit with a soft light that, for Harold, was like viewing the Sistine Chapel. After finally leaving the ship and with the museum closed up for the night, Harold visited the famed Griswold Inn in Essex, CT (a great old inn with a pub that has a pot belly stove that has been serving customers for two centuries. The inn is full of museum quality paintings, authentic memorablila while the pub has great, live music every night).

                                Capt. Dave Thomson and Harold Burnham

The following day the ASA gathered for their meeting where Harold was the keynote speaker and he talked about the restoration of the schooner Ernestina. The group was assembled from areas like the Chesapeake Bay, Provincetown, Gloucester, and further afield where many of these towns hold fantastic schooner races during the summer and fall.

Harold was given a great introduction by the board members of the ASA and an ASA award...and for those who did not know Harold and the work he has done, a contingent from his hometown of Essex that included the lovely Daisy Nell were there to speak about how important Harold is to the Essex community. A good time was had by all.

Schooner Ernestina - what a ship!

It's hard to believe how much time has gone by since early May when the summer was ahead of us instead of behind us. But, May was a big month for Harold and the schooner Ernestina which was brought from Boothbay Harbor Maine to New Bedford after nearly a year long restoration of the front end of the schooner. The delivery from Maine to Massachusetts was made by employees of the Boothbay Harbor shipyard and Harold Burnham, who had been hired under contract by the State of Massachusetts to oversee the restoration of the schooner and had spent nearly one year on the project living part of the week in Boothbay Harbor. Paul Brawley of the Department of Conservation and Recreation was Harold's boss and Harold served as the owner's representative overseeing the restoration of the bow end of Ernestina. Harold based himself in Boothbay for one year, coming home for part of the week but spending most of it sleeping right aboard the Ernestina in the captain's quarters as the work went on. It was an amazing year for Harold and for all involved in the project. The restoration work on the first part of the boat was absolutely first rate. Harold was part of something really, really fantastic and he has said it more than once "it was the best job I have ever had" in part because he could be on site during an historic restoration, all his skills were called upon and he became an essential part of the success of the restoration.