Gannon & Benjamin Launch Charlotte

There are plenty of parties on Martha’s Vineyard: parties for birthdays, parties for holidays, parties for no reason besides being on vacation. But a party last week for the launching of Charlotte - a fifty-foot wooden boat built by Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway – meant celebrating 3 1/2 years of hard work, welcoming Charlotte to world, and witnessing a dream of Nat Benjamin’s become a reality. This was not your average clambake.Nat Benjamin has been building quality, traditional wooden boats for other people for more than two decades at the boatyard he and Ross Gannon founded in 1980, and while the physical construction of Charlotte started relatively recently – the idea of her was born long before.

Here’s an abbreviated version of how Charlotte came to be - some of the boats, experiences, and people that served as inspiration and impetus:

• 1947: Nat Benjamin is born in a Hudson River town with an adventurous and spirited paternal grandmother named Charlotte.
• early 60's: Benjamin sailed on an wooden Alden-designed schooner Madriagal.
• 1969: Sailed a Block Island schooner across the Atlantic.
• early 70's: Sailed on a friend's 40-foot Tancock schooner.
• 1974/75: Voyager - a 50-foot schooner - comes into Vineyard Haven - likes the manageable size.
• 1980: Founds the Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway with Ross Gannon.
• 1995: Salvaged a 16,000 pound lead keel from a rotted ketch that ended up at Gannon & Benjamin's which is now Charlotte's keel.
• 1997: Salvaged Charlotte's compass from the Sorcerer of Asker - a boat Benjamin had owned and sold in 1972 and had done two transatlantic crossings on.
• 1997: Consults family on whether building a 50-foot schooner is an endeavor that he should take on and gets a supportive go-ahead.
• 1997: Draws up the designs for his boat.
• 2003: Gannon and Benjamin launch Juno - creating the floor space to draw the boat out full-size and make patterns.
• 2004: Tyler Gibson builds the backbone timbers and sawn frames.
• 2005: Boat continually has at least two people working on her for the next three years.
• winter 2006: Pam Benjamin, Nat's wife, suggests the name Charlotte.
• September 15th, 2007: Charlotte is launched in Vineyard Haven Harbor.

Photo Gallery

For twenty-seven years Nat Benjamin has been building boats for other folks at the boatyard he started with Ross Gannon. On Saturday, September 15th he launched Charlotte - his own fifty foot wooden boat - that G&B has been working on for three and a half years.

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Matthew Stackpole - executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Museum - spoke about the history and importance of boats in Vineyard Haven Harbor.

Video

Gannon and Benjamin Boat Launch

Plum's Tina Miller covers the launch of the 50 foot Schooner 'Charlotte' at the Gannon and Benjamin Boat Yard. The boat was named for Nat Benjamin's Grandmother.