Old Boats, Old Friends

[Roger Long]

While waiting for my friend in Saint Michaels, I looked over at a boatyard and was surprised to see this boat:

When I first went to Maine after high school to work in Paul Luke's boatyard for the summer of 1969, someone told me that I should go up the road and look in on a fellow building a boat. I stood with my hand on the top of the keel (that's all there was at that point) and talked to the builder, noted marine artist, Earle Barlow.

I watched the boat being built over the next few years and attended her launching. He sailed her across the Atlantic with his family and lived aboard while painting.

After returning to Maine and selling Altair they later owned this boat of my design:

Seeing this boat while waiting for a friend I had lost track of for nearly 30 years was the way everything went on this incredible day.

 

[rbgarr]

Altair!!

When I first moved to Boothbay, Earle was building Altair as you say, and I saw her again when they returned. My wife and I were considering sailing off by that time and I went aboard her with him. We talk about what to consider when buying and setting up a boat for longer distance cruising. I loved the interior of that boat; butternut I think it was.

A few weeks ago his half model of Altair went up for bid at a local auction house. I wish I'd bid higher but it went for more than I could justify. I suggested the buyer donate or loan it for display to the Boothbay Harbor Historical Society, but he demurred.

Last winter my wife cleaned Earle's magnificent six foot full model of the USS Constitution. What a delightful thing that was for her to be asked to do. I plan to take her to look over the real thing in December.

I didn't know the Barlows owned your little pinky! I sailed her at the Bath Marine Museum when it was in their fleet for a few years while I taught boat building there. Last I heard she's at a Philadelphia museum or boat school... or somewhere like that being refurbished.

While waiting for my friend in Saint Michaels, I looked over at a boatyard and was surprised to see this boat:

When I first went to Maine after high school to work in Paul Luke's boatyard for the summer of 1969, someone told me that I should go up the road and look in on a fellow building a boat. I stood with my hand on the top of the keel (that's all there was at that point) and talked to the builder, noted marine artist, Earle Barlow.

I watched the boat being built over the next few years and attended her launching. He sailed her across the Atlantic with his family and lived aboard while painting.

After returning to Maine and selling Altair they later owned this boat of my design:

Seeing this boat while waiting for a friend I had lost track of for nearly 30 years was the way everything went on this incredible day.

 

[Roger Long]

I didn't know the Barlows owned your little pinky!Last I heard she's at a Philadelphia museum or boat school...

She was at a non-profit school called the "Wooden Boat Factory". The stopped answering my emails and, last I looked, it seemed like their web page hadn't been updated in a long time. I fear that they have gone the way of so many such outfits and the boat will die in a warehouse somewhere. If anyone in that area knows anything, please let me know.