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             The old Snow Shipyard

             
     Extreme Clipper Red Jacket 1853

Ben scrapes, sands and paints forward.

Pilot house port side showing bridge wing
 

Topsides wooded, painted and caulked

After deck and varnished table.

Saloon upholstery and curved windows

Pilot house restored inside and out

Restored and refinished mahogany table

     Rekord is as unique as she is distinctive looking. She is a sail-assisted motor freight vessel from the west coast fjords of Norway with a long career of hauling farm goods from the rugged offshore islands near Alesund. Being built only 42 feet long and a little small for her trade by 1934, the Norwegian craftsmen put her on the beach and proceeded to cut her in half in the middle to lengthen her out three more meters.  At that time they equipped the vessel with a very significant, two cylinder, semi-diesel, 90HP Brunvoll engine.  

 

This substantial machinery is, at the present time, original in every way and still runs like a Swiss watch.  The engine was operated unceasingly during the war, night and day, shutting down for only very brief periods, and then only for the most essential maintenance.  Commandeered, armed and manned by Nazis, she ran nights on long patrols for the costal submarine watch, while days were spent hauling goods from the local farms for the German table.   After the war she continued carrying both freight and passengers until it was decided a larger vessel was needed.  Then, in the 1950s, she was once again cut in half and completely rebuilt, adding another three meters of length.  In 1972 Rekord was sold to an American and sailed on her own bottom to the U. S. Virgin Islands, 26 days across the pond on the trade wind route, chug, chug, chug.  Here she was used for commercial fishing and trading among the islands of the Caribbean.

                       
                      
                                Rekord in Norway celebrating May Day.

      Rekord, (as spelled in old Norwegian or Record [modern]) was delivered to the rugged coastal waters of Maine by Captain Jim Sharp, where he reconditioned her accommodation and prepared her to go freighting again.  During the oil crises of the late 70s, Captain Jim, for three winters, delivered coal to the offshore Maine islands for heating fuel in the homes of local lobster fishermen, then keeping the old girl busy the rest of the year doing mooring and harbor work in Camden.  Rekord was sold in 1982 and went to a boat yard owner in Narraganset Bay, where, after ten more years of gainful accomplishment, she was sold to British interests who offered her to the Museum of the Treasure Coast of Florida.  Once again a familiar hand stepped in to start that old engine and take the wheel.  Captain Jim with his wife Meg delivered the grand old boat to Stuart in the sunshine state, where she was welcomed into her new home with flags a-flying and heart-felt cheers from all members.  Then the Sharps were gently coerced into operating her for the museum for the next four winters. Alas, when the museum fell on hard times, it fell on the old captain to bring her North once again to make her part of a wooden boat apprentice shop in the Mid-Cost region of Maine.  Hard times befell the old vessel here and off she went with new owners to the westward...with the Captain keeping a watchful eye on her fate.  She had four owners, questionable care, haphazard maintenance and finally in 2007, she was deposited in Captain Jim's waiting hands.  He was just sculpturing the Sail, Power and Steam Museum of Rockland, Maine and Rekord took the place of honor as the Museum Flag Ship.  That wonderful old boat, still chugging and blowing smoke rings from the slow turning two cylinder symphony orchestra in her engine room, turning like perpetual motion at 95 years, fits beautifully into the scheme of our maritime endeavors and continues to be a much loved curiosity on the magical coast of Maine.  

    

         60 feet, 10 inches x 14 feet 10 inches x 8 feet draft, Sail assisted          
           freight and passenger ship, Rekord, built in 1914, 2 cylinder                
        Brunvoll semi-diesel 90 hp, variable pitch prop, 6 knots, 2 gal/hr.          

Click below and watch me start the old engine and listen to the sweet music of her two cylinders! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvb_r-O4dE