Katie Belle to Make a Grand Splash at HarbourFest
The Katie Belle, a home built schooner, is currently anchored in the Northumberland Strait not far from Pugwash, waiting to make its grand entrance in the harbour late tomorrow morning. It is expected about noon, and once here, it will be the headliner for the 2016 edition of HarbourFest.
The wooden vessel was built by cousins Evan and Nick Densmore in their home town of Stewiacke. The unlikely pair of boat builders, in their twenties, faced a lot of critics and doubters, but the traditional schooner has passed the test of long distance sea trials and returned with flying colours, even if those colours were the white of her sails.
The Densmores have dedicated the better part of five years to the project, and the Katie Belle answers their vision.
It started from the ground up, in the truest sense of the phrase. First they built the massive boathouse that became home to the vessel. Then, with numerous doubters, the young men transformed raw lumber into a classic Nova Scotia schooner with many similarities to the famous Bluenose.
Once built, it was launched in the Shubenacadie River and motored to Parrsboro where the masts were fitted. The cousins put their creation through aggressive sea trials last fall with a sail to North Carolina and back, a test that silenced all critics once and for all.
The Katie Belle is being hailed as a shining example of dedication and commitment. For many, the young boat builders have become a beacon of hope for a new generation, signalling a kind of return to the ingenuity and work ethic of an earlier time in Nova Scotia.
The vessel will arrive at the Salt Wharf in Pugwash around noon tomorrow to take its position as the headline attraction for the annual waterfront festival. Organizers will host a reception on board for invited guests, but the public will also have a chance to walk the wooden decks and sail the harbour through the weekend.
The Densmore story, indeed the saga of the Katie Belle, may prompt discussion on the potential for more boat building, especially construction in wood, to revive a Nova Scotia tradition.