Dear friends and shipmates,
We have had a steady flow of visitors to the ship as well as a number of school groups. Interestingly, visitors have come from Toronto, Newfoundland, France, Germany, California, Utah, Montana, Wisconsin, and of course many from the middle Atlantic states and New England. Leah Jeffries, our Visitors Services Supervisor, has been doing a great job running programs and giving tours.
We held two volunteer days last month focusing on cleaning and scraping below decks. Many thanks to Steve Swift, Gerald Vinci, Fred Zinger, Paul Lapointe, Bill Hinkley, Pat Regan, Doug Rife, Polly Zajac, Paul and Louise Anthony, and Laura Pires Hester.
Last week, we had a table set up at the Cape Verdean Festival in Onset and as usual it was like a family reunion! It certainly was especially for Traudi Coli, our volunteer anthropologist, and Julius Britto, vice president of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey, Assn., Inc.
We will have a table at the Antique and Classic Boat Show in Salem on Saturday and Sunday August 22-23 at the Hawthorne Cove Marina. Many thanks to Stephen Gaun for helping to staff our table during the many maritime festivals we attend.
Members of the New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus went to Newfoundland to participate in ‘Celebrating Bartlett’. They were treated like royalty and had a marvelous time. Of course, all people wanted to talk about is our grand old girl!
Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Jim Pond and his family. Jim was a Bartlett Boy from the 1940 trip along with shipmate and dear friend, Fred Littleton. We spent time in the office looking at his photo album then brought him down to see the ship. It never ceases to amaze me how many lives have been touched by our ship.
James Pond III, a 1940 Bartlett Boy at the helm of Schooner Ernestina.
James Pond III with his family
At present, we are making a new hatch cover for the galley and are removing paint off the aft cabin roof to repay the seams to stop the leak.
Your time and treasure is important, highly valued, and deeply appreciated!
Fair winds and following seas!
Paul Brawley