ISLE AU HAUT, ME – Thank you to Jillian for this joyful profile of two longstanding Mission friends.
“It is absolutely wonderful to have Bernie and Billy back aboard the Sunbeam. They are Isle au Haut’s matriarch and patriarch of the Barter family, with four generations spending time on the island these days.
“Billy grew up on Isle au Haut. He and Bernie married young and have been sweet on each other ever since. Billy tells great stories. He can barely get out a joke punch line before laughing himself.
“Bernie has always been a fashionista. She loves prints, velvet, colorful jewelry and big boots. She also loves volleyball and town parades.
“Last week, Sunbeam Engineer Storey helped Bernie tune her new pink guitar during our visit to Isle au Haut. Bernie wants to learn to play.
“Billy still lobsters some with his son and has gotten into baking, making fine pies. I ate one of his squash cookies with chocolate chips. Yum.
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME — With the Sunbeam back in service, it’s good to see photos and read notes from the boat’s crew at work among unbridged Maine islands.
Jillian, the Sunbeam Steward, sent this photo, saying, “[Sunbeam Engineer] Storey giving Douglas and Sharon — with more flu shots — a ride onto Monhegan in the skiff last Wednesday.
“While we crew waited off shore, I made granola and cookies,” said Jillian.
BELFAST, ME — Here’s a side of the Sunbeam rarely seen: the underside. Notice the gray square blocks attached to the boat in strategic places? These zinc “Sacrificial Anodes” are very important and useful. They keep the salt water from eating brass propellers.
These photos show the zincs in the stern near the Sunbeam prop, and also, on the bow near the prop in the bow thruster. As of this writing, the zincs are all submerged. Sunbeam Engineer Storey King says zincs have a lifespan of about three years.
Whenever different metals are placed in a conductive liquid, such as salt water, you create a battery. If you connect these pieces of metal together, current will flow. This current, trying to equalize the conductivity of the metals, will be removing metal from one of the metal pieces. This removal is called “electrolysis”. If the piece being removed is…one of the pieces is your propeller — it is bad.
When you pull your boat to do the bottom you may wonder what those pitted, ashen-white pieces of metal are on your shaft, rudder or possibly on the transom. These are called zincs and, as luck would have it, are made of zinc. The zincs you use on a boat are called “Sacrificial Anodes.” Zinc is used because it has a higher voltage in the water so the current will be more inclined to flow from it than from your propeller.
ROCKPORT, ME — Maine Seacoast Mission spent last weekend at the 45th Maine Fishermen’s Forum. The Sunbeam crew and Mission President John Zavodny, took turns at the Mission booth, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting plenty of new ones. The accompanying photo shows (L-R) Sunbeam Engineer Storey King, Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley, RN, and President Zavodny.
The Mission booth highlighted the Sunbeam crew’s work among island unbridged communities. The Forum was also an opportunity for the Mission to provide informational updates on the Sunbeam‘s routine major refit.
BAR HARBOR, ME — May 23, 2019 the Mission christened their new boat Moonbeam, an interim wood boat to be used while the Sunbeam V was out of the water having its routine major refit.
Sunbeam Captain Mike Johnson is overseeing the Sunbeam refit. Sunbeam Engineer Storey King, a licensed boat captain, switched hats and served as Moonbeam Captain.
Now, Moonbeam is also out of the water for the winter months. Storey King is getting the boat ready for next season.
Here is Storey’s Moonbeam update with photos:
Moonbeam was hauled out of the water just before the new year. She is safe and sound undercover and undergoing typical maintenance for a wood boat.
Upon inspection, Moonbeam has a few issues to deal with, but nothing unexpected. There is a significant cavitation (pitting) on the propeller surface. We know the cause and it will be corrected.
Also a leaking rudder stuffing box has been removed, and will be repaired.
Sand and paint, and Moonbeam will be ready for spring.
