Category: SABINO Restoration

Mystic Seaport announced today that it has been awarded a $199,806 grant by the National Park Service, in partnership with the Maritime Administration (MARAD), to support the restoration of its 1908 steamboat Sabino. The grant is part of approximately $2.6 million in Maritime Heritage Program grants for projects that teach about and preserve sites and objects related to our nation’s maritime history.

“Mystic Seaport is pleased to be among the thirty-five grantees of the 2015 Maritime Heritage Grant Program. The Museum strongly supports continuation and expansion of this important grant program to help citizens throughout the United States to understand our nation’s unique relationship to the sea,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

The 57-foot Sabino was built in East Boothbay, ME in 1908 and served for many decades in the state’s coastal waters before coming to Mystic Seaport in the early 1970s. The boat has been designated a National Historic Landmark vessel and offers seasonal cruises on the Mystic River from the Mystic Seaport waterfront. Sabino is presently undergoing an extensive restoration of her hull and mechanical systems in the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.

“Mystic Seaport is one of the nation’s premier maritime history museums— a true Connecticut gem. This $200,000 Maritime Heritage Grant will help restore the steamboat Sabino—the last remaining wooden, coal-fired steamboat in regular operation nationwide today and one of the Museum’s prized historic vessels. This grant—which the Museum will leverage with private dollars—will ensure that generations to come may continue to learn from and marvel at this unique piece of history,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

National Maritime Heritage Grant awards are made possible through a partnership between the two federal agencies that share a commitment to maritime heritage preservation and education.  Funding is provided by the Maritime Administration through the recycling of vessels from the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The preservation grants range from $50,000 to $200,000.

“Mystic Seaport is one of the things that makes Connecticut so special and I’m glad the Maritime Administration and National Park Service are fully behind what they’re doing”, said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). “This $200,000 grant will go a long way to help the Museum remain a must-see for New England families, parents, and children alike. I, for one, can’t wait to take my boys to see the Sabino once it’s fully restored.”

“I am pleased to see Mystic Seaport selected as a grant recipient under the MARAD Maritime Heritage Program, for which I have long advocated,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT 2nd). “This grant will help Mystic Seaport, a regional treasure, preserve a unique part of our state’s maritime history for future generations. I look forward to seeing the excellent work the Mystic team will do to restore the Sabino as a result of this funding.”

Other recipients of program grants include the USS Constitution Museum, Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum for critical work on the cruiser USS Olympia, the Mariners Museum for artifact conservation and outreach for the USS Monitor, New York City’s Intrepid Museum Foundation for the submarine USS Growler, Maryland’s Living Classroom Foundation to rehabilitate the rigging of the USS Constellation, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum for conservation of the Purrington-Russell Panorama painting.

The Mayflower II is not the only major vessel being worked on in the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard this winter. The Mystic Seaport steamboat Sabino was hauled and on Wednesday, December 17, she was moved into the main shop to begin an extensive restoration that will have her out of the water until the summer of 2016.

While she has received constant maintenance and work since she was purchased by Mystic Seaport in 1974, this will be the most comprehensive restoration initiative since that time.

A primary task is to replace the shaft log–a wooden section on top of the keel through which the propeller shaft passes–and to inspect and replace the keel bolts. This work requires the engine, boiler, and water tank to be removed to gain access on the inside. The shipwrights also will evaluate her overall condition and develop plans to address any other issues they uncover.

The boiler is scheduled to receive a thorough inspection. The present boiler is not her original, but it was installed in 1941. She will also receive major plumbing and machinery upgrades.

“The goal is to make Sabino good for the next 25 years,” said Quentin Snediker, the shipyard director.

Moving a Steamboat

Where large vessels such as the Charles W. Morgan, Mayflower II, and the Joseph Conrad must be worked on out in the yard, Sabino is small enough to fit in the main shop with some dis-assembly. Working in the shop is obviously preferable to having to cope with the vagaries of a New England winter.

To be able to fit through the doors, the boat’s smokestack, top canopy, and pilothouse had to be removed. The crane hired for this purpose also pulled out the boiler, the engine, and the main water tank. This was done last week and then she was hauled on the ship lift.

The railway system that enables the ship cradles to move on and off the lift do not run through the shop. Thus, a special trailer needed to be brought in to move Sabino. The firm who did the work is Brownell Systems of Mattapoisett, MA. Best known for the ubiquitous Brownell boat stands found in just about every boatyard, the company is an expert in boat transport.

The trailer they used came in several pieces and had to be assembled underneath the boat in a process that took most of a day. (This is a really large trailer.) Once the trailer was in place and was supporting the hull, the blocks and stands were removed and the steamboat could then roll. The truck then pulled forward and then backed the trailer around a turn into the shop. The process was aided by the fact that the trailer’s wheels could be rotated to tighten the turn radius.

The whole move went very smoothly and once in the shop, the shipyard crew braced and blocked the hull in position–being very careful to make sure everything was level–and then the trailer was taken apart. Sabino now stands ready for work to begin in earnest to get her back in the water in tip top condition in 2016.

About Sabino

Sabino was built in 1908 in East Boothbay, ME, and spent most of her career ferrying passengers and cargo between Maine towns and islands. She is 57 feet long and has a beam of 23 feet. Her hull is constructed of wood and she is powered by a 75 horsepower two-cylinder compound steam engine—the very same engine that was installed in 1908. The engine was constructed in nearby Noank. Her boiler is fueled by burning coal.

She came to Mystic Seaport in 1973, where she takes visitors on 30- and 90-minute cruises on the Mystic River from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day each year.