From collection Irving Nevells Collection
LB2012.17.836
Rockport Marine building with OLD BALDY seen in the doorway. Rockport Marine Inc. was founded in 1962 by Luke Allen. Tucked at the head of the harbor on the west side of Penobscot Bay in Rockport, Maine, the shop opened its doors as a storage and repair facility for wooden boats. Upstairs from the shop was the Sail Loft Restaurant, run by LukeÆs wife Norma. From the restaurant, patrons could watch the comings and goings in the boatyard and the antics of the famous seal, Andre. Since that time, Rockport Marine has grown in scope to become one of the industryÆs premier wooden boat yards. Specializing in new construction, restoration, and design work, RMI has built a wide variety of boats, from traditional plank-on-frame to modern wood composite vessels. Rockport Marine offers design services, storage facilities, and has an on-site metal fabrication shop, and 85-ton boat hoist. In the building is the 25' Frienship Sloop OLD BALDY OLD BALDY was created and built by James S. Rockefeller, Jr. of Bald Mountain Boat Works in Camden, Maine, in 1965. Jim had sailed the South Pacific Islands the previous decade in a Maine-built Friendship sloop that had been re-rigged as a ketch and named Mandalay, and upon later settling in Camden he started Bald Mountain Boat Works to build Friendships, other traditional Maine boats and gunning dories. He also finished a Newman fiberglass Friendship (Euphoria, ex. Diana) and rebuilt Sazarac, among all his other projects. Ironically, today Jim runs around Penobscot Bay aboard his Newman 32, and boat builder and broker Jarvis Newman continues to enjoy Old Baldy. James S. Rockefeller of Camden provided one of the most spectacular launchings of the year when he had Old Baldy launched last August in Rockport Harbor with his mother doing the honors. Mr. Rockefeller's boat shop is on the top of Bald Mountain, Camden, 8 miles from sea. It was as if someone had turned the clock back 60 years to see two yoke of oxen hauling Old Baldy overland to the sea. People came from miles around to line the roads and watch this unusual procession. Cameras were whirring and clicking and hands waved from every doorway and window along the route. The four handsome oxen pulling the loveliest of ships-a Friendship sloop, truly made a magnificent sight! OLD BALDY'S genealogy of owners and significant upgrades over the years are as follows: 1965 Mahlon Hoagland, Vinalhaven, ME 5 years. In the fall of 1965, Dr. Hoagland brought Old Baldy to Southwest Harbor for Jarvis Newman to build hull and deck molds for fiberglass replicas, of which 18 were built. 1970 Louise Millar, Great Cranberry Island 2 years Stored her with Ralph Stanley 1972 Dick Salter, Manchester, MA 5 years Installed roller furling jib, sistered engine ribs 1977 Rev. Frank West, Islesboro, ME 6 years. Had topmast made and acquired topsails. 1983 Dorothy Ahlgren, Kittery Point, ME 5 years 1988 Andrea & James Wilson, Portsmouth, NH 22 years Jim believes he is the only owner to sail Old Baldy with topsails and enthusiastically states she pointed and sailed much better with them. 2010 Jarvis Newman, Southwest Harbor, ME 5 years & counting. Jarvis stripped & refinished decks, replaced & added bolts along stem and keel. 2014-15, Daughter & Son-in-law, Kathe and Dan Walton repowered with a diesel, rewired, & replaced cabin sides.
