Institute of Maritime History

Going into this project, we hoped to draw each frame in profile and gather historical information relevant to the wreck and the cove. We have exceeded expectations, and as project director I couldn’t be happier. We have put in long days and a lot of hours, but there has been some fun thrown in, with a few swims in Echo Lake, an occasional stop for ice cream, and a visit to Bass Harbor Boat to talk with Robert “Chummy” Rich.

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Baylus Brooks continued to explore the local historical resources by visiting Mt. Desert Island Historical Society and the William O. Sawtelle Curatorial Center. Franklin and Crista led teams of volunteers and continued the profile drawings of the frames on the Seal Cove Shipwreck.

Today was all about outreach.  With new volunteers to train and frames to draw, the archaeology team made steady progress at the site.  Meanwhile, on the historical front…

With our Project Historian Baylus out following the scent of various historical leads, the Seal Cove crew continued measuring the vessel. With help from our generous local and park volunteers we covered far more ground than I originally expected to complete. Leading three teams we moved along the frames diagramming the metal fastener holes and the treenails.

Baylus Brooks went to Northeast Harbor and found more historic information on Seal Cove. At the shipwreck, volunteers and Acadia National Park staff joined the team members in drawing profiles and unmeasured cross-section sketches of the frames. Splitting into three groups (Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie), Crista, Steve, and Franklin assisted their team members by illustrating the proper documenting, measuring, and drawing methods necessary for recording the timbers.

Since the crew will be working for the next six straight days, parpicipants took the day off to explore the park.  After an evening of fun and relaxation, the crew was treated to a lobster dinner courtesy of a local fisherman.  Tomorrow, we will continue drawing profiles of the frames, this time with the assistance of volunteers from the general public  and Acadia National Park staff.