THE ARROWz THE ISABEL, & THE SUCCESS:

Shipbuilding at St. Peters Bay

“Build me straight. O worthy master: Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster And with wave and whirlwind wrestle.” (I)

St. Peters Bay was once animated by the now-forgotten sounds of a vessel coming to life. For over one hundred years, the f: sheltered inlets of land along its shores provided ideal conditions for the construction of ships. Rich with natural resources surrounding it, the g, miles of forest that stretched along the nine miles that the Bay extended {‘3 into the land, proved to be the key of the industry. The utilizing of : natural resources surrounding it and the aptitude of hardworking hands placed St. Peters in the midst of the first great industry to arrive in Prince Edward Island. The prosperous and lucrative shipbuilding industry was first _ documented by the introduction of the PEI Shipping Registry in 1781. 4:. Two years later in 1783, the first ships were recorded in this registry for St. Peters. In Prince Edward Island, the pinnacle of the shipbuilding , industry took place in the 1800s. Shipbuilding in St. Peters, however, had a much earlier beginning. The fishing industry was integral to : livelihood of the French settlers in St. Peters during the 1700s. In 1721, ”3,2; a vessel of 100 tons was built by the Acadian settlers to transport cod to the European market. [2) This was to be the first of many ships built in St. Peters. 1 Getting a substantial start adjacent to the timber boom of the early , 1800s, shipbuilding became a major industry in many of the Island's , QOmmunities. Trees of only the best quality from the Island were selected ; for the British market. Napoleon's Influence had forced England from furnishing masts and timber is almost every part of Europe. This 7? resulted in England having to look overseas for an adequate timber Supply. (3) England was in absolute need of lumber and Canada’s forests held an unlimited supply. Canadian pine and oak sustained the navy during its long battle with the Napoleonic Empire. (4) Ships were needed 3 to carry this lumber to England, as well as transport goods. Although much of the money and therefore control of the Industry was based in Charlottetown, there were also many prolific builders and OWners resident to St. Peters. Labeled as a typical shipbuilding family, the Coffin family name was frequently mentioned in reference to Shlpbuilding in St. Peters. Kemble Sr. and Andrew Coffin provided the financing needed for construction of the vessels. Other contributing

members included William, Kemble J r., Duncan and James

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