ANTIQUE AMERICAN  SAILING
SHIP’S QUARTER BOARD, i.e.
NAME BOARD

From Maine Coasting Schooner Wreck

Presented
is a quarter board from the two masted sailing Schooner VELMA, which was built in Addison,
Maine in 1868. The vessel of 96.68 Gross tons was home ported a few miles further north in Machias, and sank on Handkerchief
Shoals, Massachusetts in 1898. In 1955, the relic was discovered on Nantucket’s beach by a resident. This person recorded
the particulars of the ship on a paper card as typewritten documentation of his find. Years later, it passed to
his son who having held it for many years decided to sell it in 2012.

Trailboards
which are similar are mounted on each side of the bow of a ship, whereas quarter boards are mounted near the
stern quarter, one on each side. This relic comes from a ship that likely
was engaged in the coast-wise trade between Maine and Massachusetts. It is carved from a single piece of wood,
with the hand cut 4 inch letters painted in gold upon a black enamel background. There are numerous marks of age
and some loss of paint.

Decorative boards with ship’s names were made
by seamen and ship builders over the centuries. Authentic carvings off of actual ships are a rare occurrence, and are
highly sought, and increasingly difficult to find. This is an authentic artifact from sailing ship era of the 19th
Century.

 

Back of board with label and hanging wire and patch of grey paint

 

DIMENSIONS:

 

48″ L x 5 3/4″ H x 1”
T          Weight 3 lbs 12 oz

CONDITION:
This is a relic is in good shape on the front, but shows its age on the back where the wood has turned dark and there
are numerous nail holes and other marks. There also is a patch of grey paint. bowsprit.

Particulars of VELMA and the quarter board’s discovery on Nantucket Island

 

SIGNIFICANT
HISTORY:

MICHIAS, MAINE: The first naval battle of the American Revolution,
was the Battle of Machias, June 11-12, 1774. Quickly building a makeshift navy, ships from Machias under the command of Jeremiah
O’Brien, began intercepting British vessels off the coast. As a result of these efforts, the Machias fleet was taken
into the Massachusetts State Navy. Seeking to eliminate the threat posed by the town, it was unsuccessfully attacked by the
British in August 1777.

ADDISON: At least 83 vessels were built in Addison from 1800 to 1900. The peak decade was 1860-1870
when 21 vessels were constructed. The Annie M. Preble was the last vessel built in Addison during
the peak years. It would be more than 100 years before another vessel, the Raw Faith in 2003, would
be built on the banks of the Pleasant River.