The original Pilar was built by the Wheeler Shipbuilding Co of Brooklyn, NY and was probably the most famous fishing boat of it's time. The replica pictured here was built over a two year period from 2013-2015. Every detail of the original Pilar, which is now in a museum in Havana, Cuba was incorporated into this conversion/restoration.
This particular boat is owned and operated by the Shannon River Marine Heritage Foundation (SRMHF), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for disabled individuals and wounded veterans by providing access to the sports of recreational boating and fishing upon specially modified boats. You can find out more about this replica and the work done by the SRMHF by visiting their website http://shannonriverfoundation.org .
Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT
When I saw this boat on display I remembered Jeff's post and thought he would enjoy seeing this.
I am amazed and delighted, Ed. Thank you for this excellent post with photos of the Pilar. I had heard something about the second Pilar, but did not know much about it. When I saw the finely detailed model in Hemmingway's hotel room, I thought is was a truly beautiful boat. Unfortunately, we did not get to visit Hemmingway's Cuban house, now a museum, where the original Pilar is located. It was completely restored a few years ago by the Cuban government, so is in good shape. Can not think of a better use of the second Pilar.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the post. Like I said, when I saw this Pilar, I was reminded of your post. It's not clear to me, based on the SRMHF website, whether or not this a completely new build or a restoration of another Wheeler 38 made to look like the original Pilar. They've made this Pilar totally handicap accessible. The SRMHF offers our disabled veterans the chance to go fishing, for free. I also think it is a good use for this classic boat. I only wish I could've gotten some less cluttered pictures of her. They had her pretty much surrounded by other boats as you can see. Thanks for reading!!
DeleteEd, I always look at your blog, but don't want to clutter it with comments. You know my weakness for classic wooden boats. Keep up the good work.
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