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HISTORY
From 1892 to WWII - First boatyard, expansion of harbor and boatbuilding.
We know that a marine railway was built on Cheever's Point at the present site of Manchester Marine, in 1892. There were many small boatbuilding operations in Manchester's shallow harbor at the time. When the Federal Government dredged a channel through Manchester in 1896, the new channel allowed for building larger boats.
W.B. Calderwood took over the boat yard located on Cheever's Point around 1899. Calderwood built many boats in the early 1900's. Twelve John Alden boats were built at Calderwood Yacht Yard from 1916-1922, including an Alden designed R Class Racing sloop that was built in1917 for Charles F. Adams. Adams would go on to become the winning skipper in the 1920 America's Cup racing "Resolute."
Some of the larger boats that were built at Calderwood were, the 45' John Alden schooner "Abaco" (1922), the 32' sloop "Spalpeen" (1922), the 23' sloop "Merla" (1919) and the 35' sloop "Azor Cole" (1919).Through the 1930's Calderwood advertised his yard as "Builders of Yachts, Launches and Tenders" and offered to store boats for the winter. In 1935 additional dredging created mooring basins throughout the harbor and made the main channel 8 feet deep at low water. More boats were able to use Manchester's protected harbor for moorings. Consequently, the service and storage business at Calderwood Yacht Yard began to grow.
During World War II more than 125 men worked at Calderwood Yacht Yard. Eight wooden subchasers were constructed for the Navy. The subchasers were 110' feet in length, displaced 75 to 95 tons, and carried 17-28 men. The Manchester built sub chasers went on to have an impact on the war: SC 692 patroled the Mediterranean and took part in the invasion of Sicily while SC 1358 took part in the Normandy invasion. Others were involved in coastal patrols seeking out "wolf packs" of Nazi submarines that were sinking tankers and other merchant vessels on the east coast.Post WWII to Present Day - Focus on Service and Repair at the Finest Yard Around
After the war, Gordon Abbott Sr. purchased the yard and renamed it Manchester Marine Construction Company. He was just out of the Navy and had owned boats all his life. His first efforts were to modernize the yard and to concentrate on service and repair. He did build a number of fiberglass 16 foot running boats for the Navy. Over the 23 years Mr. Abbott owned the yard, he rebuilt the marine railway, built a large 10,000 square foot storage shed, and purchased the marina in the inner harbor. He operated two 120 foot fishing draggers which were maintained by the yard. He also established a Boston Whaler, Evinrude and Mako dealership.
Around 1953 Irving Johnson brought his Brigantine "Yankee" to Manchester Marine to have a new engine put in. In the picture shown here, "Yankee" sits at the front dock at Manchester Marine. "Yankee" had sailed around the world from 1947-1949 and the voyage is chronicled in "Yankee's Wander World - Circling the Globe in the Brigantine Yankee".
After 20 years of successfully running the business, Mr. Abbott was ready to retire and the yard was sold to Thomas Sturtevant. Mr. Sturtevant continued to modernize the yard. A travel lift was purchased, a spar shed built and more dredging was done to create marina slips. The marine railway was rebuilt, the boat storage areas were extended and the retail store was expanded. For 20 years, the company operated successfully devoting itself again to service and repair.On September 13, 1989, there was a 10 alarm fire at Manchester Marine. The fire is remembered as a large conflagration. Ten neighboring communities and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted in putting the fire out. Only 3 boats were lost, but the offices of the corporation were a total loss. Many great historical photos, records and half hull models were lost in the fire. The yard recovered and continued.
In the early 1990's, Manchester Marine was purchased by the Northern Light Marine Group with Rob Hoyle as president. With the purchase, Northern Light assured the continuation of yacht service and storage on this site in Manchester. As new facilities would need to be built, it was a great opportunity to modernize the yard again. The focus of the yard shifted to outfitting classic boats with new technologies. The goal was to bridge the gap between traditional and high tech. The new storage shed was complete and fully functional in the spring of 1991. The new building allowed 35 boats to be kept indoors while completing major project work.In 2004, Steve Brox invested in Manchester Marine and attained majority shareholder status. A shareholder since 1992, Steve now serves as President and Chairman of the board of Directors. Steve is dedicated to continuing the tradition of excellent craftsmanship and service for which Manchester Marine is known. Along with a highly skilled and dedicated team of employees, Steve's Commitment to improving the facility's infrastructure will ensure that Manchester Marine retains it position as one of the Northeast's finest, full service boat yards.
References -
- Navy Military History Website
- Alden Boats Naval Architects