Hope (sloop) facts for kids
Oyster sloop Hope loaded with oysters in summer 1991
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | Hope |
| Builder | Stanley G. Chard |
| Laid down | 1945 |
| Launched | 1948 |
| Homeport | Norwalk, Connecticut |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sloop |
| Length |
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| Beam | 15 ft 2 in (4.6 m) |
| Height | 48 ft (15 m) Mainmast |
| Draft | 4 ft 9 in (1.4 m) |
| Sail plan | Gaff rig |
The Hope is a special kind of boat called an oyster sloop. It was finished in 1948. Many people think it was the very last boat built on Long Island Sound that used only sails to catch oysters.
The Hope is about 56 feet long, including a long pole at the front called a bowsprit. It's about 42 feet long where it touches the water. The boat is about 15 feet wide. It only needs about 4 feet and 9 inches of water to float when its special fin, called a centerboard, is pulled up. The Hope uses a gaff rig for its sails and has a 'V'-shaped bottom. Its centerboard weighs about 850 pounds. Because it doesn't need much water, the Hope could work easily in shallow areas.
Contents
Building the Hope
Strong Wood for a Strong Boat
The main support beam, called the keel, of the Hope was made from a huge white oak tree. This tree had fallen during a hurricane on Brush Island in Indian Harbor, Greenwich, Connecticut.
The boat's frame and outer planks were also made from white oak trees. These trees were cut down on the Benedict estate, which was across the harbor from Brush Island. The wood was then taken to a sawmill in Silvermine to be cut into lumber. The entire body of the boat is made of white oak. It has two layers of planks held together by wooden pegs called trunnels. The deck, where people walk, is made of Douglas fir wood and is about 2 inches thick.
The Tall Mast
The Hopes mast, which holds the sails, is about 48 feet tall. It's made from a strong type of wood called Navy Sitka spruce. This wood came from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Sitka spruce is known for being very strong for its weight. The Hopes mast is placed a little bit to the left side of the boat's center.
Sails, Not Engines
Even though engines were becoming common for workboats in the 1940s, the Hope was designed to use only sails. This was because of special laws about catching shellfish that were made before World War I. These laws lasted until 1969. They were put in place to protect oyster beds owned by the state. The laws said that boats with motors could not be used in these areas.
Stanley G. Chard designed the Hope. He built the boat on Brush Island with his two nephews, William B. Chard and Clarence E. Chard. They started building the Hope in the fall of 1945. They worked on it for three winters and one summer. The boat was finally launched into the water in the early summer of 1948.
The Hope's Journey
Early Years: Oysters and Clams
The Chard family named the boat Hope because oyster harvests were not doing well at the time. They used the Hope to collect oysters for over 10 years. However, starfish destroyed many of the oyster beds. After that, Clarence Chard used the Hope to collect clams until he retired a few years later.
After retiring, Clarence Chard changed the Hope into a boat for pleasure trips. He kept it docked near the Showboat Restaurant in Greenwich, CT. He spent a lot of time on the boat. In 1971, he sold it to Jack Spratt of Old Greenwich, who used it for family sailing.
Changes and Celebrations
When Jack Spratt owned the Hope, it had about 1495 square feet of sail. It also had a six-cylinder truck engine, which was later replaced with a 135-horsepower Palmer engine. Spratt replaced the old, heavy canvas sails with lighter Dacron sails, which were better for pleasure boating. He also added a taffrail (a railing at the back of the boat) and brass stanchions with a strong stainless steel safety line. A safety line helps people stay on board in rough seas. A special frame for the boom (a pole that holds the bottom of a sail) was added at the back, along with small cranes for a dinghy (a small boat).
Under Spratt's ownership, the Hope sailed in many parades and festivals. It took part in Operation Sail in New York Harbor during the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976. In 1978, it was part of the Boston Harbor Festival and the Norwalk Seaport Oyster Festival. The Hope also represented the Town of Greenwich at various celebrations and boat races, called regattas, over the years.
New Owners and Restoration Efforts
In October 1981, the Norwalk Seaport Association bought the Hope from Spratt for $15,000. They paid this amount over three years. The Hope became the main boat, or flagship, of the Norwalk Seaport Association. On May 22, 1982, the Hope was officially welcomed at the Veterans Memorial Park in Norwalk, CT. The ceremony included music, poetry, and speeches from the Mayor and the President of the Seaport Association.
In the years that followed, the Norwalk Seaport Association worked to raise money to fix and take care of the Hope. In November 1983, they asked a famous marine artist, Mark Greene, to create a special print, called a lithograph, of the boat. Fifty of these prints were made, each signed and framed. As part of a fundraising effort, the first 35 people who donated $1,000 or more to the boat received one of these prints. The remaining 15 were sold later.
While the Norwalk Seaport Association owned the Hope, the boat was repainted. Its steering system and engine were rebuilt, and some of its wooden planks were replaced. A special dock for the Hope was also built in the Norwalk River in South Norwalk. The boat stayed there starting in May 1983.
Later, the Seaport Association focused more on fixing up Sheffield Island Light, which they got in 1987. Because of this, the Hope was given to the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, which was then called The Maritime Center.
For several years, the Hope was displayed in the courtyard of The Maritime Aquarium. Then, in 1990, Tallmadge Brothers, an oyster company in Norwalk, decided to restore the Hope.
Bringing Hope Back to Life
Hillard Bloom of Tallmadge Brothers explained in a local news article that the boat should not have been left on dry land for so long if they wanted it to work again. He said that the wooden planks of oak boats like the Hope tend to shrink when they are out of the water for a long time. The restoration began by putting the Hope back into the water. This allowed its wooden boards to soak up moisture and expand.
The restoration continued when the Tallmadge Brothers crew took the boat to a dry dock in Bridgeport, CT. There, the gaps between its boards were sealed, its deck was sanded, its mast was put back up, and its bottom and sides were painted. The boat was also fully rigged with all its ropes and sails.
After its restoration, the Hope was given back to the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium. It remained on display at the Hope Dock in the Norwalk River. This dock is located between the South Norwalk Railroad Bridge and the Stroffolino drawbridge. On land, facing the boat, there is a sign that tells the Hope's history for people walking by.
Recently, the Hope has faced problems with rust and wood rot. The Maritime Aquarium had trouble keeping up with the maintenance costs. The Hope has now been acquired by Shenton and Kelcey King of Bridgeport, CT. Shenton plans to restore the boat to use it as a private pleasure boat for his family. Shenton's father, Richard S. King, who was a past president of the Norwalk Seaport Association, led the original team that acquired and restored the boat in the early 1980s.
