ROANN

I was fortunate to attend a seminar on steambending wood at Mystic Seaport during the 2007 Woodenboat Show. The seminar was held in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard on the grounds of the museum. I have a little boat shop, so it was fun to see a real working shipyard. ( And learning that even real boat shops can be a little cluttered.) We learned techniques and got tips on building steamboxes, making heat sources, creating boilers, and bending wood. Sitting majestically above us was the partially restored ROANN. ROANN is an Eastern-rigged dragger. An Eastern-rigged dragger is identified by a small aft pilothouse and the fact that the gear is worked off the side. She was designed by Albert Condon and built for Roy Campbell. Christened by his wife Ann on May.21,1947 ROANN is a combination of both their names. She is carvel planked 1 3/4" oak on steam bent frames. The round stern is designed not to catch lines off the back. During her 50 years of fishing, she was safe and profitable and was admired around the fishing fleets. Mystic Seaport acquired her directly from her last trip in 1997. After 7 years as a static display she was showing signs of her age. It was decided to restore her to fishing condition.

In 2004 the process was begun, she was carefully disassembled and documented. Each piece, no matter how deteriorated, was saved. Over the next four years she was rebuilt from the keel up.

On May 17, 2008 as some of the old crew, old owners, and the grandaughter of Albert Condon watched, she was gently set in the Mystic River. Condons grandaughter Beth Van Stads presented the lead shipwright with one of Condons hand built backing-out planes. Her pilothouse, rigging, and spars have yet to be installed. She is expected to be finished this fall.

LOA 61'

Beam 16'9"

Depth 9'

Fish Hold Capacity 55,000 lbs. iced fish