ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – On October 15th, 1874, the St. Augustine Lighthouse was lit for the first time. 148 years later, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum will celebrate its birthday with the unveiling and launch of a replica 1760 Royal Navy ship’s dinghy, commonly known as a yawl boat, built by its own Heritage Boatworks volunteer program.
Heritage Boatworks is a volunteer group dedicated to keeping the ancient artistry of wooden boatbuilding alive and has been active for over 15 years at the Museum. Devoted volunteer boatbuilders have worked on this build for over five years, demonstrating skilled craftsmanship and commitment
The 14’ eighteenth-century design is based on original lines from the British Archives and obtained from the Smithsonian Institute. This type of watercraft was common in the waters around St. Augustine during the British period from 1763 to 1783. Its keel and posts are made of live oak and planked by cypress, local materials used by boatbuilders in St. Augustine during that time. The boat was commissioned by a local reenactment group, the H.M.S. Belisarius.
This launch will occur on Saturday, October 15th, at 1:00 PM, at the Lighthouse Park boat ramp, 446 Ocean Vista Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32080. The event will feature the crew of H.M.S. Belisarius and reenactors from Fort Mose, who will perform a militia muster to send the yawl boat off in style.
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About the St. Augustine & Maritime Museum:
A unique landmark of St. Augustine for over 147 years, the St. Augustine Light Station is host to centuries of the Nation’s Oldest Port® history and educational programs. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours, and maritime research, the 501(c)(3), non-profit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is on a mission to discover, preserve, present, and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port® as symbolized by our working lighthouse. Today, the Museum keeps the light shining as a private aid-to-navigation. We are the parent organization to the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), and together our two non-profits are an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (www.StAugustineLighthouse.org).
About the American Alliance of Museums: The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. (www.aam-us.org)
