Winner of Locally Built, Handcrafted Wooden Classic Boat from Scottville, Michigan
The Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary announced the winner of the Penobscot 14 handcrafted, classic wooden boat that was built by the Thunder Bay Community Boat Builders, with the finishing done by Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing, Inc. (HCS&R).
Of the 1,260 tickets sold, the winning ticket was purchased by Ray and Audrey Keith, farmers from Scottville, Mich., just east of Ludington. The Keiths bought their ticket at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center (GLMHC) Store while visiting Alpena to take a cruise on the Lady Michigan glass-bottom boat to explore the shipwrecks.
At approximately 2:00 p.m. today, the Keiths arrived at the GLMHC to pick up his new boat and take it to its new home. The 14-foot boat represents hundreds of hours of local craftsmanship in the spirit of preserving northeast Michigan’s rich maritime heritage.
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary board president Chuck Wiesen (Alpena) presents $3,000 check to Dave Wentworth on behalf of Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing, Inc., community boat building program.
Keeping in that spirit, a $3,000 check will be presented to the Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing, Inc., a nonprofit with headquarters in Tawas, Mich. The funding will be used to purchase materials for the next community boat-building project.
Dave Wentworth, representing the Tawas-based community boat builders, announced that the nonprofit had met earlier this week and decided to build four wooden paddle boards for its next project. Two of those handcrafted, wooden paddle boards will be raffled by the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary next year.
“We are so pleased and excited about our partnership with the Heritage Coast community boat builders, especially with our shared mission of preserving northeast Michigan’s rich maritime heritage.” said Chuck Wiesen, Friends of TBNMS board president.
“The boat-building craftsmanship present in our region is clearly evident when you look at this year’s exquisite Penobscot 14. One can only imagine how spectacular the paddle boards will be,” added Wiesen.
The balance of the proceeds from the raffle, $3,000, will be used to support local education programs offered through the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS). “The Friends tireless efforts to support the sanctuary’s education and community outreach efforts has enabled us to reach thousands of local school children annually,” said Jeff Gray, Superintendent of the TBNMS.
“Many students who get involved with sanctuary educational programs go on to pursue college degrees dedicated to protecting the Great Lakes and the environment,” added Gray. “The sanctuary is fortunate to have a group of community supporters like the Friends of TBNMS that recognize how important it is to invest in the future stewards of our Great Lakes.”
