The recent “rebuild” of the Bluenose II has excited the hearts of lovers of traditional sail the world over.
The original Bluenose was and remains one of the most famous sailing ships ever to breast the cold green waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Built at the very end of the age of sail, she was a big powerful salt banker, born with a mission beyond catching fish, though she was during her fishing career, a “high liner.” She was built to win a race created by the Herald and Mail newspaper in Halifax.
As the story goes, and it’s true, the America’s Cup was cancelled because the winds were blowing over twenty knots. Fisherman from Gloucester to Lunenburg and beyond were disgusted by this. They worked under sail, and twenty knots was nothing more that a “schooner breeze” to them. So a race for real boats and real sailors was created, and the rest is history.
Bluenose II was built by the Oland family to promote Schooner Beer. When the cold reality of maintaining a huge wooden ship came clear to the brewers, she was given to the province of Nova Scotia, and over the next forty years she became a wonderful ambassador for the province, her people and her seagoing traditions. She literally sailed her way into the hearts of a nation.
But these ships were never meant to last more than fifteen or twenty years. Time took a toll on her, and she was showing her age. Something had to be done. To their credit, the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia came together and commissioned a complete rebuild. Three South Shore companies, Covey Island Boatworks, Snyder’s Shipyard, and the Lunenburg Foundry formed The Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance to do the job, and do it they did. Bluenose II is now ready to sail into the future, strong and able.
Peter Matyas, an artist of national reputation who had settled in Lunenburg, saw all this as history in the making, and decided to record it in a very unique fashion. Sure that working on this ship would be a highlight for all of the crew, he resolved to paint a portrait of every one of them, and while doing the paintings, record their thoughts about the job. The result is a stirring exhibit.
While there are still folks around Lunenburg who remember that their grandfathers helped build Bluenose, there’s very little documentary evidence beyond a few black and white photographs. But for this build, we have everyone who worked on the boat, painted in oils, and we have their thoughts about the job. Matyas is an enthusiast, a skilled painter, and the kind who gets things done. He accomplished what he set out to do, and has left the community with a remarkable exhibition. The paintings are full of life, and a palpable admiration for the men and women who participated in giving Bluenose II a new lease on life.
– Tom Gallant
Please enjoy the online edition of this collection. If you click on each of the images in the virtual gallery below, a window will open with a larger image of the portrait and a message from each individual, written in his or her own words.
“Well I started as a boy 19 or 11 years old, didn’t know much rlse but go fishin’. The dories would come up along side the ship, we were anchored and yhey’d heave the cod on deck an’ I’d fork em’ over and cut the tongues out and throw them in a barrel to sell on shore. Some of those tongues were real big.”
“Started in print room at Pictou Shipyard in 1974, couldn’t draw my breath. With guidance from a great mentor and patience from the tradesmen, I was soon producing working drawings with non catastrophic errors Over time and with experience this industry has provided me with a living, and afforded me the opportunity to engineer, oversee construction and launch the Ship Hector, as well as provide working drawings and technical assistance to the Bluenose II project. Still “Old School” as all my drawings are hand drawn.”
“Young kid growing up in Toronto, my Nova Scotia parents and I would venture ‘down home’ every summer for vacation. Those childhood memories in Nova Scotia would never release their grip on me. So in 1998 when I needed a fresh start, I returned to the ‘motherland’ to reinvent my life. I met and married a local girl and joined in her Lunenburg based business designing and selling custom furniture. Then in 2009, Covey Island Boatworks gave me the opportunity to use those new cabinetry skills in boat interiors and at 50 something, I’ve become known as Nova Scotia’s oldest boat building apprentice. Bluenose II project has been a once in a lifetime experience.To be working with and along side and learning from some of the most talented shipwrights in the country has been an honour. To leave a mark on this Canadian icon has not only been a privilege, but I have proven to myself that any adversity can be overcome with hard work and perseverance. For that I will be eternally grateful.”
“I’m Freeman Rhuland, dory builder for the Lunenburg Shipyard. Well I worked building dories for pretty much all the wooden schooners round here, Bluenose, Bluenose II, Bounty, The Rose, you name it. Started right out of school and learned on the job. The good men had to go off to war so we had to step and learn quick.”
“Ya made the blocks for the new Bluenose II and all that kinda stuff, how long ya bin makin’ for? Ah, it’s, all…well the new Bluenose is gonna use all the old stuffI made before, ya, they’re gettin’ a couple of new ones I had to repair. Now both our grandfathers sailed on the Bluenose, the original Bluenose, and young Tommy sailed on it when it was in the races. Ya grandpop sailed on that, didn’t he . Grandpop was a sailtrimmer, ya know what they say bout the sailtrimmer, the man who trims the sails wins the race. The Bluenose lost one race in it’s career and that race he wasn’t on the boat. Nah, what I was gonna say is,here in this bunch of stuff, all of this here is for the Columbia. And the Americans claim that the Columbia either did beat the Bluenose or almost beat the the Bluenose. It was almost. Well it might a bin the Columbia that won that race, when grandpa wasn’t on the boat. Anyway all this stuff is for the duplicate of the Columbia, the one they’re buildin’ now. The Americans seem to think that the Columbia is the faster boat.”
“Employed with Lunenburg Industrial Foundry since 1997 as a machinist and electrian. I live in Chelsea, Lunenburg County and have 3 beautiful daudhters, all of which have done school projects on the original Bluenose and Bluenose II. Therefore they are very proud to say that their father helped reconstruct the Bluenose II. Having been part of the construction of Theodore II was also an honour. The craftsmanship and sheer dedication to authenticity is certainly not a lost or fading art. At least not here on Nova Scotia’s south Shore. All of the varied occupations I have had over the years this one has given me the most challenges to say the least…but also given me the greatest pleasure. Sail on Bluenose II … Sail on.”
Murals and Paintings by Peter Matyas 