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38”L x 17”H x 4”W
Built in 1902, the Thomas W. Lawson was a seven-masted, steel-hulled schooner was originally planned for the Pacific trade, but then used primarily to haul coal and oil along the East Coast of the United States.
Sailors were not exactly in love this visually striking vessel; they complained that she tended to yaw and needed a stormy wind to be held on course. Owners were not enchanted either—she proved problematic in the ports she was intended to operate in due to the amount of water she displaced. For a period in 1906 she was used simply as a bulk oil carrier, and was towed from place to place. Even her many masts were a source of disagreement, being named and renamed many times:
1. at launch, 'fore, main, mizzen, spanker, jigger, driver, and pusher'
2. after launch, 'forecastle, fore, main, mizzen, jigger, and spanker'
3. and later, 'fore, main, mizzen, rusher, driver, jigger, and spanker'
4. and then, 'fore, main, mizzen, no. 4, no. 5, no. 6, and no. 7',
5. and a final variation, the foremast named "Sunday" and the spankermast "Saturday".
But, like all Maine schooners, she was a beauty, and those confusing sails and soldierly force of masts were at the heart of that strength and charm. Not to mention, being one of a kind. |
