Last year we posted about a very bad night for the schooner, Ada C. Lore. In the early morning hours of December 4, 2014, the Eastport, Maine breakwater pier where she was berthed suddenly collapsed onto the Ada C. Lore, doing considerable damage to the 1923 built converted oyster dredger. The good news is that the historic schooner is being restored, which will take approximately 6-8 months. Ada C. Lore is a near-sister vessel to the A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s official Tall Ship.
The restoration will include all or partial replacement of: top timbers, topside planks, covering board, cap rail, rub rail, decking, cabin tops, running and standing rigging, center board trunk, helm and steering gear, quarter bits, electrical wiring and components, plumbing associated with firefighting, re-caulking, and paint. To ensure the highest quality standards, the restoration crew will be working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard through every step of the process.
To help out in the restoration process, go to the Ada C. Lore donation page. Thanks to Jesse Briggs on Facebook for the heads up.
I’m very sorry for the damage that occurred to this boat, but why is not either the boat insurance, or the insurance of who owns/operates the pier looking after the repairs.
Shane,
That is a great question. Let me start out by saying that I am the new owner of the Ada C. Lore since the accident occurred. I am a Captain who loves all aspects of traditionally built gaff rigged schooners and have made a living working aboard such vessels over the last few years.
What has transpired is that the insurance company totaled the Ada C Lore after the collapse of the Eastport Breakwater Pier and deemed her a “total loss”, thus paying a settlement to the previous owner. The previous owner then repurchased the Ada back from the insurance company, as they did not want to see her cut up and lost forever. The previous owner decided that they did not have the resources available to restore the Ada so she was sold to another party. An immediate need for the use of the Ada C. Lore did not exist, so restoration did not occur immediately upon acquisition by the then new owner and she sat patiently waiting in the boat yard.
This is where I come in. I had been looking for a schooner to purchase within a relatively low price range for some time. The idea was to make schooner ownership a reality by finding an old girl that needs (lots of) work and save money by doing the work myself. The Ada C. Lore seemed the perfect candidate; a beautiful old workboat whom is stoutly built, she needs lots of repair, and she was sitting idle in a boat yard awaiting her fate. I spoke with friends to see what type of money we could scrape together to acquire this old girl so we could repair her and get her back sailing.
To make a long story short we (Lance Keller and Myself) purchased the Ada C Lore. We are the ones solely responsible for her restoration without affiliation or financial help from insurance companies or other entities. We figured as best we could expenses for the purchase and restoration, then moved forward knowing that the finances for the project would be extremely tight. We are hopeful that we will be able to make things work on a shoestring budget and whatever we can raise through our fundraising efforts on our website http://www.schooneradaclore.com/donations.