Restored Boat Competing for International Award
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
ILION
Bruce Bennett and the Brooklin Boatyard in Brooklin, Maine spent three years restoring Bennett’s 1956 Shepherd mahogany runabout. Now all that hard work and elbow grease is paying off.
“Come From Away,” owned by Bruce and wife Jeanne, of Ilion, has been nominated for a 2024 Classic Boat award by “Classic Boat” magazine which is headquartered overseas in London. The 1956 Shepherd is in the “Powered Vessel Under 100ft” category, and folks here can help determine whether or not it wins by voting online now through Monday, March 11. The winners will be announced in April at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge, London.
The boat’s name has historical as well as personal significance. “Come From Away” is a Broadway musical written by Tony Award nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is based on real events from the town of Gander, Newfoundland directly following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. American air space had been closed and 38 passenger planes heading west of the Atlantic—with more than 6,500 passengers and crew—were diverted to the airport there.
“Come From Away” is a Newfie expression, Jeanne said.
“Since Bruce’s father came from Newfoundland, and Shepherd boats were made in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, ‘Come From Away’ seemed to be a most appropriate and fitting name,” she explained.
The boat, which had rested under a tarp for 25 years before being discovered by Bruce, is stored at Sam Smith’s Boatyard, just north of the Village of Cooperstown.
“Working with the people at the Brooklin Boatyard for three years and bringing an old boat back to life was a labor of love. It’s something I have always wanted to do. Otsego Lake is a perfect port for her,” Bruce said.
“Come From Away” is a Utility Model and has a 6’ ½” beam with a 22” draft. She is powered by the original, rebuilt inline 6 Chrysler Crown engine.
“Classic Boat” is a British traditional boating magazine published by The Chelsea Magazine Company. According to the website, it was first published in 1987 and defines classic boats as “boats which endure.” The magazine has celebrated the world’s most beautiful boats for more than 35 years.
To cast your vote for the Bennett’s “Come From Away,” visit https://awards.classicboat.co.uk/restored-%20powered-vessel/ To read the full story of the boat’s discovery and restoration at Brooklin Boatyard, visit https://www.brooklinboatyard.com/comefromaway-2023.
And for those interested in learning more about the events in Gander, Newfoundland directly following 9/11, “Come From Away” will be performed at the Stanley Theater in Utica on April 16 and 17, Jeanne said.