Go Fund Molly Rose Restoration

On October 27th, 2021, a nor'easter swept Newport Harbor with 90 mile-per-hour winds, forcing Molly Rose to the rocks off Kings Park where she sank. The wind died after 10pm when Andre and a small team went out to raise the wooden vessel built by Erford Burt on Martha's Vineyard in 1935. Nine other Newport vessels met their demise that day.

As Molly Rose's steward I'm falling short of being able to finish the restoration. I have the materials but a shipwright must sister 24 white oak frames, bend on 12 cypress planks, and shape and install a stem before I can get the boat back together. This project has already absorbed hundreds of man hours and $68,000. While the most difficult part is past, completion will require another +$25,000 before she will sail again.

I owe Molly Rose more than I can mange in written word, and I certainly owe her a buoyant future. Single-handling often without a working engine or electronics is why I love sailing in all conditions, and the boat is why I'm a licensed Master Captain. However, the cost of a wooden boat restoration of this scale is extreme, and I don't have the time or skill set to do the work myself. Mariner Gallery requires constant dedication, and my recent expansion to another commercial property in Darien for Northeast Hardwood has left me without capital for this project. Molly Rose is 90 years old and needs to go back in the water by this fall in order to avoid long-term damage to her hull. For this reason, I'm burying my pride and asking those of you who have sailed on Molly Rose and want to sail on her again to help fund the final stages of her restoration.

Given my entrepreneurial ventures the logical future for Molly Rose would be to have her sail Newport's waters as a part of Kurt Peterson's Catboat Charter fleet and don the American Flag sail for patrons to enjoy. The history of Molly Rose actually runs back to the Peterson's who owned the boat before the Arguimbau's.