When you think of Rochester’s past industries, boat building may well not spring to mind. However, we know that prior to the 1850’s, ship building in the Sippican and Mattapoisett sections of town was of course attributed to Rochester. Whaleboats were at one time made in North Rochester.
As part of our current exhibit, “The Tools and Industries That Made Rochester”, we have some antique tools used in the making of wooden boats. They are on loan from William Womack, who owns a wooden boat building company in Wareham.
Anyone who has ever owned a boat knows that maintenance is pretty much constant. This is particularly true of wooden ships. One such maintenance job for old wooden ships was to have their seams caulked to prevent leaks. (My grandfather every spring would threaten to plant petunias in the old wooden rowboat that we were allowed to use before he caulked the seams to make it seaworthy).
The picture shows three tools used in the caulking process. The front one is called a “reefing tool” and was used to remove the old caulking. The other two tools are a “caulking iron” and a “caulking mallet”. Working together they forced the cotton material between the seams of the ship. When wet the boards would swell and tighten the seal.
These are just a few of the tools used in building and maintaining wooden boats both in the past and today that are on display at the Rochester Historical museum. The museum is currently closed but when the snow melts, anyone interested in viewing the exhibit can call Connie at 617-750-2818 to arrange a time.
By Connie Eshbach