The Voyage of the Alamar

The Boat

Alamar is a 45 foot (waterline) wooden schooner, built along the lines of a traditional down east fishing boat. She was built in 1946 in Machiasport Maine by Charlie Ingalls after a design by Dan Stewart. She was built for Nat French, who ran a camp in East Orland Maine, and she was designed as a camp boat. The camp was called Alamoosic Camp; Alamar means "Alamoosic at Sea." When the camp closed (it was a fabulous place with 35 kids and eighteen counsellors, Alamar was bought in 1970 by two of the Counsellors, Lew Bigelow and Bob Richardson, who have maintained and sailed her ever since. She actually has twelve bunks, but three are at present unusable. She is thirteen and a half feet wide, draws six feet and weighs around 22 tons. She was also built for heavy weather and ocean travel. Auxiliary power is a new 82hp Westerbeke diesel. Cabin lights and running lights are kerosene, and while there is some electric light, the general feel of the boat is nineteenth century. The galley has a cast iron woodburning stove. Newfoundland is going to be cold and we will use it. There are no winches. The anchor, which weighs 75 lbs, is hauled up by hand, as are the sails. Electronic equipment includes a depth sounder, Loran (essentially obsolete) a VHF radio, two Garmin GPS handheld units, and radar (new for us). Also new for this trip is a satellite telephone, a new Avon inflatable dingy with an outboard motor.

Alamar has been to Nova Scotia several times, usually getting as far north as Baddeck on Cape Breton Island. She has been written up and had her picture taken lots of times. Lots of people, especially in Maine know her. Memories of the old days of working sail still hang like the fog along the entire Atlantic Boreal Coast, and one American who has sailed around Newfoundland told me, after he saw a picture of Alamar "You will be appreciated."