In 1877, ships were the fastest method of transportation along the Gulf Coast. Hundreds of schooners carted everything from people to supplies into the area.
Only one Gulf Coast schooner has survived from that era.
Time and the elements have taken their toll on the Governor Stone, necessitating a restoration of the wooden vessel this fall.
About $50,000 of the restoration cost will come from a 2014 Viva Florida 500 Small Matching Preservation Grant. Friends of the Governor Stone, an organization that maintains the schooner, is asking the public to match the grant amount with in-kind donations or funding.
Friends of the Governor Stone plans to repair a small leak and repair and strengthen the original keel, which was laid 135 years ago.
The rub rails, hull planking and chain plates also must be replaced. A number of the schooner’s deteriorating parts will be swapped for more historically accurate versions, including the sails, deck components and rigging.
The Governor Stone had a number of jobs in its lifetime. It was a cargo freighter, rum runner, training vessel for the Merchant Marine and a private yacht. Friends of the Governor Stone will decide what era to depict when the restorations are made, said Ray Mansfield, vice president of the board of directors.
It’s been at least 10 years since the vessel has undergone a restoration of this magnitude, said the schooner’s captain, Bill Hamilton. The boat is continuously maintained by volunteers, but its constant use has taken a toll.
“Sailing the Governor Stone is not like going to a museum,” Hamilton said. “It’s something you take out and use.”
See a PowerPoint presentation about the boat's restoration. >>
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.