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Blue Dolphin (schooner)
Encyclopedia
Blue Dolphin was an auxiliary schooner
built in 1926 at Shelburne, Nova Scotia
by the Shelburne Shipbuilding Company as an adventure yacht. She served as US Navy auxiliary, IX 65 in World War II and as a postwar research vessel made famous by a Stan Rogers
song.
Blue Dolphin was designed by the famous naval architect William Roue
, designer of the famous racing schooner Bluenose
. Sometimes called a sister ship to Bluenose, Blue Dolphin was in fact considerably smaller but reflected the overall style of Bluenose. Blue Dolphin was built for S.H. Felie of Kansas City
. A rich businessman interested in "long foreign voyages," Felie ordered a fishing schooner style vessel with an extra reinforced hull but luxurious cabins in place of a fishing hold. She was registered at Shelburne for the beginning of her career which her owner used as a base for adventure trips to the north.
In 1933, Blue Doplhin was purchased by Boston businessman Amory Coolidge who transferred her registry to Boston, Massachusetts in 1935.
Blue Dolphin was designated a miscellaneous auxiliary, IX 65, and acquired by the Navy on 17 March 1942 from Amory Coolidge for the nominal fee of $1.00. She was designated a miscellaneous auxiliary, IX 65 and placed in service at the Section Base, Boston on 6 April 1942.
Blue Dolphin spent the next 38 months serving as station vessel at Casco Bay, Maine. Shortly after Germany
surrendered, she was placed out of service at Boston on 28 June 1945. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 11 July 1945, and she was delivered to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration
for disposal on 14 September 1945.
After the war, Blue Dolphin was apparently sold to a Mr. David C. Nutt who was involved in oceanographic
research in conjunction with various universities, civilian research organizations, and the Office of Naval Research
. Mr. Nutt was also a naval reserve
commander
. On 3 April 1949, she was designated as “suitable for use as a naval auxiliary in time of war” by the Chief of Naval Operations
. She was also authorized to fly the Naval Reserve Yacht pennant. The last information available on her indicates that she continued to conduct oceanographic and hydrobiological research out of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, into the summer of 1954.
The schooner is commemorated in the Stan Rogers song, "Man with Blue Dolphin", part of his From Fresh Water
album. The liner notes mention that Rogers wrote the song based on his contact with a photographer named Bruce Kemp who was at the time trying to restore the Blue Dolphin.
While still in Maine, The Blue Dolphin changed hands again. A printer from Detroit named Joe Pica purchased her. Pica had already restored one vessel - the Katherine II - and was looking for a larger ship. He sailed the Blue Dolphin into the Great Lakes where she was berthed in Sarnia, Ontario, for a number of years. That was the last time the Blue Dolphin left the dock under her own power. She sank at the dock in Sarnia at least twice during the restoration efforts. The first time, Pica said the fresh water permeated her okum caulking and when freeze up came it turned to ice. With ice-out, so went the caulking opening up a seam one eighth inch wide by nearly one hundred feet long. With no ship keeper to stem the inflow, she sank. The second sinking Pica attributed to sabotage - unsubstantiated.
Journalist and photographer Bruce Kemp became interested in the restoration when he was assigned the story by Sailing Canada Magazine. Because of his affiliation with another magazine at the time, he wrote the final piece under the name of Howard Douglas Jr. Kemp and his wife Donna worked with Pica in trying to set up a foundation, have debts forgiven and to make the ship an ambassador for the city of Sarnia. Kemp also worked on the project as the last in a string of divers and helped raise the ship the second time. He was instrumental in getting Stan Rogers to agree to aid the project. Unfortunately, a few weeks after writing the song "Man With Blue Dolphin" Rogers died in an airplane fire in Cincinnati.
When money problems began to plague the ship again, Pica hired a tug to tow the Blue Dolphin over the border into the United States and away from his creditors. He did this without telling any of the people trying to help him.
Blue Dolphin spent her final years in Detroit near the Goat Yard Marina. She was last seen by Kemp in 2001. She was lying on her side and partly submerged. Her history and disposition since then is unknown
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
built in 1926 at Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
by the Shelburne Shipbuilding Company as an adventure yacht. She served as US Navy auxiliary, IX 65 in World War II and as a postwar research vessel made famous by a Stan Rogers
Stan Rogers
Stanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
song.
Blue Dolphin was designed by the famous naval architect William Roue
William Roué
William James Roué was a naval architect, famous for his design of the Bluenose fishing schooner, which sailed to victory in the Halifax Herald International Fisherman's competition in 1921, 1922, 1923, 1931 and 1938, and held the record for the largest catch of fish ever brought into...
, designer of the famous racing schooner Bluenose
Bluenose
Bluenose was a Canadian fishing and racing schooner from Nova Scotia built in 1921. She was later commemorated by a replica Bluenose II built in 1963. A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in...
. Sometimes called a sister ship to Bluenose, Blue Dolphin was in fact considerably smaller but reflected the overall style of Bluenose. Blue Dolphin was built for S.H. Felie of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. A rich businessman interested in "long foreign voyages," Felie ordered a fishing schooner style vessel with an extra reinforced hull but luxurious cabins in place of a fishing hold. She was registered at Shelburne for the beginning of her career which her owner used as a base for adventure trips to the north.
In 1933, Blue Doplhin was purchased by Boston businessman Amory Coolidge who transferred her registry to Boston, Massachusetts in 1935.
Blue Dolphin was designated a miscellaneous auxiliary, IX 65, and acquired by the Navy on 17 March 1942 from Amory Coolidge for the nominal fee of $1.00. She was designated a miscellaneous auxiliary, IX 65 and placed in service at the Section Base, Boston on 6 April 1942.
Blue Dolphin spent the next 38 months serving as station vessel at Casco Bay, Maine. Shortly after Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
surrendered, she was placed out of service at Boston on 28 June 1945. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 11 July 1945, and she was delivered to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
for disposal on 14 September 1945.
After the war, Blue Dolphin was apparently sold to a Mr. David C. Nutt who was involved in oceanographic
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
research in conjunction with various universities, civilian research organizations, and the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
. Mr. Nutt was also a naval reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. On 3 April 1949, she was designated as “suitable for use as a naval auxiliary in time of war” by the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
. She was also authorized to fly the Naval Reserve Yacht pennant. The last information available on her indicates that she continued to conduct oceanographic and hydrobiological research out of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, into the summer of 1954.
The schooner is commemorated in the Stan Rogers song, "Man with Blue Dolphin", part of his From Fresh Water
From Fresh Water
From Fresh Water is a 1984 album by Stan Rogers. It was one of a series of concept albums Rogers intended to do about the regions of Canada...
album. The liner notes mention that Rogers wrote the song based on his contact with a photographer named Bruce Kemp who was at the time trying to restore the Blue Dolphin.
While still in Maine, The Blue Dolphin changed hands again. A printer from Detroit named Joe Pica purchased her. Pica had already restored one vessel - the Katherine II - and was looking for a larger ship. He sailed the Blue Dolphin into the Great Lakes where she was berthed in Sarnia, Ontario, for a number of years. That was the last time the Blue Dolphin left the dock under her own power. She sank at the dock in Sarnia at least twice during the restoration efforts. The first time, Pica said the fresh water permeated her okum caulking and when freeze up came it turned to ice. With ice-out, so went the caulking opening up a seam one eighth inch wide by nearly one hundred feet long. With no ship keeper to stem the inflow, she sank. The second sinking Pica attributed to sabotage - unsubstantiated.
Journalist and photographer Bruce Kemp became interested in the restoration when he was assigned the story by Sailing Canada Magazine. Because of his affiliation with another magazine at the time, he wrote the final piece under the name of Howard Douglas Jr. Kemp and his wife Donna worked with Pica in trying to set up a foundation, have debts forgiven and to make the ship an ambassador for the city of Sarnia. Kemp also worked on the project as the last in a string of divers and helped raise the ship the second time. He was instrumental in getting Stan Rogers to agree to aid the project. Unfortunately, a few weeks after writing the song "Man With Blue Dolphin" Rogers died in an airplane fire in Cincinnati.
When money problems began to plague the ship again, Pica hired a tug to tow the Blue Dolphin over the border into the United States and away from his creditors. He did this without telling any of the people trying to help him.
Blue Dolphin spent her final years in Detroit near the Goat Yard Marina. She was last seen by Kemp in 2001. She was lying on her side and partly submerged. Her history and disposition since then is unknown