Get a sense of what it might have been like traveling in 1607 aboard a pinnace. These were the working cargo ships of the17th century. Maine’s First Ship, Virginia, is a reconstruction of the First English style ship built in the Americas. A business venture from Plymouth England, under the flag of St. George, they landed just North of what is today Bath, Maine. The Popham Colony did not find what they wanted. They built this vessel over the winter of 1607-1608 and returned to Plymouth England with a less than stellar report about the prospects.
“Virginia “re-joined the rest of the enterprise that we know today as the Jamestown Colony and was documented to have made at least one round trip between Plymouth and Jamestown before disappearing into history.
Nearly 400 years later an archeological dig in the Popham Beach area uncovered artifacts proving the location of the original site. This find ignited the imagination of a small group of 20th century individuals who set out to re-create the ship and engage the local community in preserving the ways of early Maine Shipbuilding.
Hundreds of volunteers over a period of more than 11 years donated time, materials and expertise to re-create what that ship looked like. They also made a couple of 21st century adjustments to be able to get Coast Guard certification and make s/v Virginia a teaching vessel and classroom.
Today, the organization known as Maine’s First Ship operates this wonderful enterprise.
I was aboard the first sail in 2023 where we traveled from Bath, Maine to Boothbay Harbor Maine to join in Boothbay’s annual Windjammer days.
The following year, on September 20, 2024 we motored up to Wiscasset Maine to participate in their Schoonerfest.
The seas were a bit rough and being aboard one could visualize what it felt like to be traveling in a vessel very much like this but without the sophisticated navigation tools we have today. Imagine 400 years ago, sailing on stormy seas and arriving here twelve years before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock.