Noank Well-Smack
Emma C. Berry
Built: 1866
R. & J. Palmer Shipyard
Noank, CT,
Length on deck: 45' 9"
Beam: 14' 8"
Draft: ?
Built three miles down the Mystic River in 1866, the Emma C. Berry is the only survivor of a small, seaworthy fishing vessel type that once ranged the coast from Maine to Florida. When launched, she had a wet well: a watertight compartment in her hold with holes drilled through the bottom so seawater could flow in and out to keep her catch alive. Named for her captain's daughter, she originally fished for mackerel, and later for cod and even swordfish, delivering her catch fresh to Noank, New London or New York.
In 1886 the Berry was rerigged as a two-masted schooner, and in 1894 she was sold to an owner in Maine. After carrying lobsters and bait on the Maine coast for 30 years, an enterprising sailor patched her up for coastal trade. Then she was rebuilt as a yacht in New Jersey in the 1930s.
When Mystic Seaport acquired the Emma C. Berry in 1969, vey little was original except her shape. During restorations in 1969-71 and in 1987-88 she was returned to her original configuration, based on photographs, models, and other information. After she was restored, Mystic Seaport staff sailed the Berry, finding how responsive this yachtlike design is, but also discovering that the mast and rigging restoration needed to be modified.
ID# 1969.231
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