Old sardine carrier to share bay stories
The public is invited to gather at the Eastport Fish Pier on Sunday, June 10, at 3 p.m. when a restored 1942 sardine carrier will set sail on a journey to carry the story of maritime Maine and New Brunswick up the Hudson River, into the Great Lakes and then along the Atlantic seaboard.
The public is invited to gather at the Eastport Fish Pier on Sunday, June 10, at 3 p.m. when a restored 1942 sardine carrier will set sail on a journey to carry the story of maritime Maine and New Brunswick up the Hudson River, into the Great Lakes and then along the Atlantic seaboard. The Bernadine has been changed by Captain Charles Creaser into what has been described as "a floating showcase of the Bay of Fundy and communities surrounding Passamaquoddy Bay."
Refitted to be a mobile museum, the Bernadine will set sail from Campobello to Eastport, and from there carry the message of the destinations, activities and marine culture to be found in the Bay of Fundy and around the Quoddy Loop to other communities. Creaser will take his creative promotional vessel through the Hudson River and into the Great Lakes before returning to the Atlantic coast in November.
In the book Masts and Masters: A Brief History of Sardine Carriers and Boatmen, author John Gilman of Deer Island writes that the original Bernadine was built in 1912 and used as a carrier and freighter. "In 1942, it was found that the old Bernadine was beyond repair, so a new boat along the same lines was drafted and built by Albion Richardson and his crew at Connors' boat shop in Black's Harbour. The new Bernadine was 78 feet long, 19 ft 8 in wide, powered with a Fairbanks Morse, direct-drive diesel of 15-horsepower and would carry 100 hogsheads of herring. She was launched on June 30, 1943, with Will Matthews as her master. The Bernardine was the best looking and fastest carrier in the Connors fleet."
A new initiative to promote New Brunswick, Bay of Fundy and the Quoddy Loop communities surrounding Passamaquoddy Bay, the vessel will now call on ports such as Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, inland ports on the waterways of New York state, and into the Great Lakes from Buffalo to Detroit. Carrying the story of unsurpassed natural beauty, abundant wildlife, working waterfront communities, great foods, and the deep historical significance of the places it represents, the Bernadine will pull up to wharfs and present stories, displays, videos and authentic products to audiences drawn by the sound of the vessel's brass bell and by media announcements.
At each port of call, the Bernadine will welcome visitors to board the floating museum and learn about the area from a select group of displays created by local organizations that will highlight some of the marine attributes found in the Eastport area. Working with Creaser on the Eastport display are The Commons, Save Passamaquoddy Bay, The Boat School and Cobscook Bay Resource Center. This collaborative display will feature the lobster and scallop fisheries, sea creatures that divers can observe; information on wildlife such as the endangered right whale, eagles, porpoises, seals; the shore; pelagic birds; arts and crafts of the area; and maritime careers such as boatbuilding, marine research and fishery development.
Appointed a tourism emissary for the province of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick branch of the Empire Loyalists Association of Canada, the New Brunswick Historical Society, and Campobello Island, Creaser is taking his passion for the area to new shores.
"This was a fascinating invitation when we received the call from Captain Creaser," says Linda Godfrey of The Commons and also a coordinator for Save Passamaquoddy Bay. "He's surely a man who has made his dream and love for the Bay of Fundy and the communities of Passamaquoddy Bay come to life through the Bernadine project. This is the same style and aged vessel as the schooner Sylvina W. Beal that sails out of Eastport. Both have been lovingly restored and both proudly bring the past into the present. We're proud to be involved in this 2007 cruise and look forward to encouraging other groups to join in the unique venture in 2008." Godfrey points out that the Bay of Fundy has just captured third place in the popular vote in CBC's Seven Wonders of Canada. "That will add another highlight to the stories Captain Creaser shares."
The Bernadine project is privately funded, so participating groups and the visiting public are not charged a fee. "This is a true labor of love, and all of our communities will benefit," Godfrey says.
Says Creaser, "I get to meet nice people and share my knowledge of the bay's maritime heritage. You can't beat this life."
Anyone wanting to contact Captain Creaser to learn about joining his 2008 voyage or who want to follow his journey this year to the 25 ports of call, festivals, maritime museums, and historical societies he'll visit may contact him at <charleswymancreaser@hotmail.com>