One beautiful day in October I decided that it would be nice to have a "lobster lunch". Since there were still some remnants of the fall foliage it didn't take long to convince my husband. He is a camera buff so this meant an opportunity to use one of the many cameras in his collection. He never turns down a "photo op". Little did we know that our journey would take us to the Essex Boat Museum.
Having a "lobster lunch" meant that we would head for the coast, mainly the North Shore. We drove north on Rte. 128, got off on 1A and followed the signs to Ipswich and Essex. Between Ipswich and Essex on Rte. 133 there are several seafood restaurants specializing in clam and lobster dishes. They also look out on the Essex River and the salt marsh, a very relaxing and peaceful view.
As we approached Ipswich our beautiful day began to deteriorate. Clouds moved in and then a sharp wind blew in off the water. So our plan to take a boat ride after lunch was canceled. But all was not lost. I had read about the Essex boat museum so we drove a few miles down Rte. 133 to find it. There it was on the main street tucked in between some interesting antique shops.
The main collection of the museum is housed in an 1835 school house. It is filled with the history of shipbuilding that was a prime industry in the Essex area where over 4000 schooners were built. The shipbuilders of Essex provided many of the boats for the famous schooner fishing races. The races continued from the late 1800's until around the1930's when America was defeated by Nova Scotia. This was the end of the real schooner fishing races, although boat racing still continues along the coast.
The Essex boat yard is owned by Harold Burnham whose family has been in the shipbuilding business for nearly eight generations. It is also the home of the "Evelina M. Goulart" one of the last remaining schooners built in Essex. Only five have survived." The best part of this tour was our visit to the historic shipbuilding yard. The builders there are still using the old techniques of shipbuilding in an effort to keep the craft alive. One of their recent reproductions, the Pinky Schooner, can be seen in Salem as part of the Maritime National Historic Site. Both museums are open all year.
Yes, my husband had his "photo op". Our experience was unexpected and it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting afternoon. The nicest part of our outing was that it was only 30 minutes from home. Day tripping in New England is always an adventure.
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