The epic tale of Winnie Estelle added a new chapter recently with a visit from 10 family members of builder Noah T. Evans to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Shipyard.
In 1920, Evans named the Chesapeake Bay buyboat after his daughters Winnie and Estelle, and more than a century later, several of their children and grandchildren gathered with their families to learn more about the work CBMM’s shipwrights are doing to preserve the venerable vessel’s legacy by ensuring its future.
CBMM’s ongoing refit of the U.S. Coast Guard-certified boat includes the removal, fabrication, and replacement of its structural timbers, including the original keel laid by Evans as well as chines and bottom planks that date to the boat’s time running charters in the Caribbean.
During the visit, CBMM’s Vessel Conservation Manager Sam Hilgartner offered an overview of the project, and volunteer crew members Lloyd Devigne, Frank Garahan, and Bob Stelmaszek shared stories about Winnie Estelle’s life at CBMM since 2014.
“The excitement is infectious,” said Noah Bradshaw, a Crisfield resident who was named after his grandfather by his mother Estelle. “I can see that anyone who comes to visit is going to feel that same thing.
“It’s like taking the spirit of the Winnie and our family and just carrying it on. That’s something that I’ll take to the grave with me. It’s exciting to know other people care.”
Winnie Estelle’s unlikely path to CBMM has been well-documented, a journey that started 104 years ago with its construction by Evans, a native of Smith Island who raised two daughters there with his wife Dora.
Winnie Estelle worked in the Chesapeake region for more than five decades hauling seafood and produce under several owners before making its way to the Caribbean, where it first transported lumber and then tourists on charter cruises.
Seemingly nearing its end in Belize, Winnie Estelle was abandoned in 1985 before Capt. Roberto Smith rescued the buyboat and spent five years restoring it for a new life of scuba excursions and sunset cruises.
When Smith was ready to retire, Winnie Estelle made its way back to the Chesapeake and eventually CBMM, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.
A decade later, Winnie Estelle is getting the care needed to extend its life, so the beloved buyboat can continue to share Bay history with CBMM guests through unique on-the-water experiences. Hilgartner and the CBMM team were eager to share their work, including several coming cosmetic tweaks to bring the boat’s look closer to its original construction, with Evans’ family.
“The work these folks are doing is amazing,” said Bradshaw, who ventured to Belize with his cousin Nick in 2008 to find the boat and meet Smith. “It’s beyond belief. If you were sitting home in a living room looking on the TV, you wouldn’t believe the size and scope of the effort that they’re putting into this thing.
“It’s amazing. I love that we’re keeping the Winnie alive. My mother and my aunt Winnie would love it, too.”
It was a momentous occasion for the CBMM family, too.
Evans’ ancestors shared prints of family photos and news clippings that they have collected over the years, including a shot of Evans posing with his family.
CBMM’s staff offered a few small pieces of the now-removed keel which was the last original section of the wooden boat left after all the years of work to keep it on the water.
During the visit, several of Evans’ grandchildren chimed in with memories of Winnie, their late parents, and the patriarch who built the buyboat before them.
“We want Winnie Estelle’s preservation to honor and celebrate the vessel’s unique history and legacy,” Hilgartner said. “It was very meaningful, and in a way profound, to spend time with Noah Evans’ family. To hear the recounting of childhood memories and ponder some of their questions regarding their ancestor and his boats further grounds CBMM within Winnie Estelle’s story.”
As a volunteer captain, Devigne has spent countless hours at Winnie’s wheel over the years and just as much time pouring into its backstory.
One of his favorite days came a few years ago when Smith showed up unannounced to visit the boat at CBMM. For him, this visit was just as special. He was proud to present the family with some Winnie Estelle-branded gear that the crew has received over the years.
“Ever since Winnie Estelle arrived at CBMM’s docks, I have been interested in the history of the boat and its builder,” Devigne said. “For me, meeting the family members, listening to their stories, and seeing their old family photos was truly an enlightening and memorable experience.”
During the visit, Bradshaw and his family shared why it was important for them to come from across the region to visit together. They’re getting older now, with several of the grandchildren in their 80s, so it’s not as easy as it used to be.
Afterward, they headed next door to the Crab Claw Restaurant for lunch, with a promise to come back for the boat’s relaunch, which is expected to come early next year.
“This is our heritage – it’s who we are,” Bradshaw said. “It’s part of the glue that holds us all together.”
To learn more about Winnie Estelle’s refit in CBMM’s Shipyard, follow along with the ongoing video series via CBMM’s YouTube channel and cbmm.org/media-center.
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