Fiftieth Anniversary of the ROSA II
Posted: Jul 13, 2010
Over the 4th of July weekend I traveled to Boothbay Harbor Maine for a very special event - the 50th Anniversary of the launching of the Rosa II. As a teenager I spent two summers as the paid crew member on the Rosa. Half of the summer was spent sailing to Maine with the Rosenblatt family. I later went to work for the yard that built the Rosa - Paul Luke's, and that experience led to my career choice building and repair boats.
On a perfect Maine summer day, in the very shed where I learned my craft, we enjoyed a lobster bake at the Luke yard, with the Rosa on hand and looking truly Bristol. The convergence of memories flooded over me, much like a tide on a full moon aided by an Easterly wind. As one of four former crew members present, I was asked to come forward and share some memories. In all I spent three summers aboard the Rosa, made 42 delivery trips between New York and Virginia, and have overseen her winter maintenance for the last thirty one years. I guess you can say I know the boat pretty well.
But despite my detailed knowledge of the Rosa's construction, condition, and history, the memories and stories were about people - the Rosenblatt family.
Arlene, Laurel, Bruce, and Roberta
Lester passed away in 2003, and his four adult children, Arlene, Roberta, Bruce, and Laurel, had put this event together and were all present, along with grandchildren. Four generations of this family have sailed on the Rosa, giving a whole new meaning to passage making.
Fifty years of one boat in one family speaks to the quality that the Luke yard put into her construction, the commitment the family has made to keeping her in such great condition, and the unity of this wonderful family. Congratulations to the Rosenblatt family and to the Luke boatyard on such a rare event. The celebration reminded me once more, that what we do at ZMI is not about boats as objects. By stripping away distractions and putting us more in sync with our surroundings, boats bring people closer to each other, creating memories that last a lifetime.
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