Local mason Jack Neubig and his son Johnny built the Friendship
dory, which my family donated to the Friendship Museum this past summer,
in 1947. Originally used as a fishing boat by young men in Friendship,
the dory’s pointed ends, sail or outboard motor at the stern, made
it a very unique boat. Meg (Simonson) Jones, daughter of Morris Simonson
who originally purchased the boat, remembers it costing $100. However,
there are some who recall that Jack told Morris he had more than $100
in it. When asked what he needed to part with the dory, Jack replied that
Rosie, his wife, needed a new refrigerator, as appliances were hard to
come by at the end of World War II. It is rumored that Morris found a
used refrigerator at home in New Jersey and had it shipped up to Jack
and Rosie for the additional payment.
Sally
remembers the origin of the dory’s name “Balsam.” It
is not only a tree in Maine, but it also contained the first letter of
each of the children’s names: Bill, Sally and Meg. Sally recollects
that the siblings were told whoever learned to swim first got to name
the boat. Obviously, “Balsam” was not a child’s selection.
Perhaps no one learned how to swim that summer.
John Jones remembers a Friendship Sloop Race back when the harbor was
full of beautiful sloops. Taking a tour of the harbor in the dory powered
by a 3 hp motor, admiring the color, designs and various crews of the
competition, a voice called down from one of the decks above.
“She’s a beauty,” he said, referring to the dory. “When
was she built?” John has always delighted in retelling the story
of the admiration of the dory’s classic lines.
Peg Simonson, wife to Morris, always liked to ride in the bow of the boat facing the stern – this kept her out of the wind and freed up seat space for the children. The tipsy nature of the dory might alarm land lubbers who were not used to the former lobstering requirements of hauling traps out of the water and over the side of the boat without capsizing. But this did not cause any anxiety to this experienced crew of Maine summer boaters.
The boat was lightly scraped and painted every year. Some years later there was speculation as to how much so many coats of paint might weigh, and did this factor in to how heavy the boat was to launch and take out each year? Launching was over the sea wall, depending on the tide, with all available hands recruited by the promise of cocktails on the porch upon completion. End of season haul-out called for a similar Herculean effort eased by the numerous rollers kept under the cottage.
This dory enjoyed, and endured, many picnics, clam-digging trips, seal watching excursions, scenic jaunts, kids learning to row, and adults rowing when the motor died, by 3 generations of the Simonson family. If a dory could float on the memories it’s created, “Balsam” could surely drift in Friendship Harbor for decades to come.
Back Yard Yacht Builders
A non-commercial association of amateur boat-builder enthusiasts.
All our wooden boats are Stevenson designs.