Thanks to the Maine Maritime Museum

Public Letter of Thanks to the Maine Maritime Museum
June 25, 2023

Virginia at the Maine Maritime Museum
© Troy Watson Dronography

The Maine’s First Ship community is elated to have Virginia home at the Bath Freight Shed dock. We are grateful to our volunteers, members, and community who have worked tirelessly and provided funds to restore the integrity of Virginia‘s dock system after an unexpected ice disaster this winter. 

The Maine’s First Ship community is deeply grateful to the Maine Maritime Museum for a warm welcome and generous hospitality. Virginia’s time at the MMM dock allowed our historic vessel to meet new folks and fostered a meaningful comradery between the MFS and MMM staff and volunteers. 

Thank you to Tony for catching our first line at the dock. Thank you to Chris Timm for the warm hug after a 6 hour transit from Wiscasset in May. Thank you to Jason Morin for making space for our vessel at the start of a busy summer season. Thank you to Captain Cindy of the Merrymeeting for helping to arrange our first fuel delivery from Bert’s Oil. Thank you to the education team and the many volunteers who helped to tell Virginia’s story, the MFS story, and the tale of the Popham Colony. Our crewe has appreciated and enjoyed our time with your crew!

One silver lining of the dock damage this winter has been our opportunity to reconnect with the Maine Maritime Museum and to revisit our roots. Folks familiar with Maine’s First Ship history know that in the late ’90s there was discussion about constructing the vessel at the museum. After near dissolution of the project in the early 2000’s, a board was reassembled, a brave shipwright volunteered, and a motley crewe established a build site at a fairly dilapidated Bath Freight Shed. Over two decades later, a dream was launched, and our lovely Virginia has enjoyed a month of excellent hospitality at this southern end of the Long Reach ahead of her homecoming. Huzzah!

To Chris Timm, and the team at the Maine Maritime Museum, Thank You!

Kirstie Truluck, Executive Director, and the Board of Directors

Maine’s First Ship

Bath, ME