Last winter Mary Kay helped KD and I apply to the MCC for another Last winter Mary Kay helped KD and I apply to the MCC for another Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant. These grants are awarded to master artists to take on apprentices and teach them about traditional skills not offered in a typical academic setting. We were very grateful to find out that we had been awarded the grant in January. This time KD is named as my apprentice for the Sylvina W. Beal’s rehabilitation.

Here on the marsh at the edge of the Essex River, the ebb and flow of the tide is central to our life and work. While it is true that “time and tide wait for no man,” sometimes just when it seems the time is right, we are faced with the wrong tide. In those moments it is important to take a breath, reassess, and remember that there will be other tides and better times.

With the launch of the wooden schooner Ardelle, North Shore adds another jewel to its crown

A year after drawing claps and gasps of awe at the launching of his 2011 wooden schooner, the Ardelle, Essex’s Harold Burnham has sailed into a new hall of honors.

The schooner Ardelle was launched using the Essex Side Launch technique on July 9, 2011.

There is something about seeing some of the many other vessels I have designed, built, or in some way had my hand it while out on the water with friends and paying guests. The sight makes me both eternally grateful for our Cape Ann heritage and proud of the role I played in keeping our maritime traditions alive.