These photos tell a story of nail-biting suspense, as a mast was raised by hand on an 18th Century chebacco boat, a small, two-masted fishing vessel. The boat in question was the Lewis H. Story, a replica built in 1998. It had undergone long-delayed repairs, and needed only its masts refitted before being put back in the water.
This was an amiable crowd, enjoying the day, but not one among them could for long keep his or her eyes off the tense proceedings. The event took place in the shipyard of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, located in the town of Essex, Massachusetts. Photos of the mast raising, itself, I’ve posted as a separate story entitled, Chebacco. Here, I present the onlookers:
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