Portland’s police boat SARACEN

Lobster smack ANNIE LOUISE

Old maritime magazines are very interesting reading. I recently purchased a copy of “Motorboat” from 1912, which I do not think any Museum has a copy of. It covered cruising the Caribbean; how to build the “Snapper;” a review of several cruisers; power boat races and their problems; “The Forum,” which deals with numerous topics one might have as an issue with his boat; business news; and my favourite the advertisements.

        What really caught my interest was two articles that pertained to the State of Maine. One was on the police boat stationed at Portland named SARACEN. The biggest problem boaters in Portland had at the time was the “harbor thieves” who stole anything that was not nailed down on their boats. The City of Portland wanted a steam driven boat, but they consistently turned down the proposals year after year due to the cost. Finally, they purchased a 30-foot gasoline powered yacht from the Savin Hill Yacht Club in Massachusetts. She was powered with a 4-cylinder Palmer and can push the boat along at 10 mph. Since her arrival at the harbor crime on the water dropped significantly and they also saved a couple of people from drowning and stopped a couple of wharf fires.

        The other article was on the 55-foot lobster smack ANNIE LOUISE, owned by N. F. Trefethen & Co. of Portland. She was built at the Adams Shipbuilding Company of East Boothbay in 1912. She was powered with a 28-hp Regal engine, but also has two masts and carries a jib, foresail and a mainsail. She had nice quarters for the crew and a capacity for carrying 7,000 lobsters.