Rebuild the 73 year old passenger vessel Yankee

 After nearly 73 years in service, “Yankee” is in need of some significant work to continue service as a passenger vessel.  Yankee was built in 1946 at the Petersen Shipyard in Great Kills, New York.  She worked  as a charter fishing vessel in the New York/New Jersey area until  1964.  She was then purchased by Nick Sewall and brought to Hermit Island Campground in Phippsburg, Maine to begin a new life taking clients out on the Maine coast fishing.
     In 2014, after 50 years of owning and operating Yankee, Sewall sold her to me.   I operate her as a sightseeing vessel in Stockton Springs taking people out on Penobscot Bay.  We thoroughly enjoy sharing our beautiful bay with visitors and locals alike.  It’s a pleasure to show many people their first glimpse of a harbor seal, porpoise, lighthouse or bald eagle.
  Yankee is a grand old girl, stout, steady and mostly still solid but time has caught up and she is in need of a new fore keel which is an essential part of her keel in the bow area.  This work requires a pretty major disassembly, several new planks, lots and oak and fasteners.  She also has other planks in her hull that need replacing.  Her 1960’s vintage Gray Marine 671 is still running strong but needs a new heat exchanger.  She is still operating with her original reverse gear from a WWII landing craft made by the Oliver Tractor Company.  It is currently in need of new seals and most likely a replacement in the very near future.
   We hope to keep her running maybe for another 73 years but our small clientele hasn’t produced enough capital to accomplish this project.  To date we have invested over $6000 in other projects on the hull and deck structure over the past three years but we are financially at a standstill and forced to make a decision to let her Certificate of Inspection (COI) from the Coast Guard go or try to fundraiser the money.  Without a COI, we would not be able to continue carrying 32 passengers, we would be reduced to 6.  Coast Guard inspections are an integral part of operating passenger vessels and they often determine the work that must be done to continue service.  

For donations over $200 to $500, we will send a free ticket for any of our cruises.  Donations over $500, we will send a pair of free tickets as our thank you.

It is our hope that with completing the repairs, we will continue to support our sightseeing cruises from Stockton Springs. If donations exceed the cost of the expected repairs, we will offer locals schools reduced cost boat cruises so children have the opportunity to get on the water.

Visit our website at www.stocktonharborcruises.com