Description
About this painting of the waterfront
In 2000, I painted this detailed depiction of the Fairhaven waterfront to show two legendary schooners – Ernestina and Adventure – along with an Azorean whale boat. The old Kelley’s Shipyard (now Fairhaven Shipyard and Marina), also displays prominently in the painting.
Both schooners are famous. Ernestina, built in 1894, is the oldest surviving Grand Banks schooner and is now a school ship in New Bedford. And Adventure, a 121 foot “Knockabout” schooner built in 1926, is known as the “queen of the windjammers” and is also a historical landmark.
Setting sail in the foreground is a replica of a highly sophisticated Azorean whale boat, hosted by the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The boat builders of the Azores were experts in the art of constructing light and nimble whaling craft with minimal scantlings in order to enhance their rowing capabilities.
The Azoreans, having hunted the giant mammals for food and oil for centuries, launched these legendary cedar-planked open boats at sea upon sighting of the “right whale”. The Azorean whaling ships were equipped with davits along the sides of the bulwarks to facilitate the launching and retrieval of these light craft.
Across the Acushnet River from the Fairhaven Waterfront is New Bedford, which shared the title of the Whaling Capital of America (along with the Island of Nantucket, of course).
Related artwork
See also Scott Kennedy’s oil painting “Schooner Ernestina” from 1999.
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