by Tina McCloud
Lifting a 114-year-old, 28,000-pound wooden sailboat out of the water would seem a daunting task. But not for Larry Jennings, who lifts about 150 boats a year at his boatyard in Fairport.
Lifting the skipjack Claud W. Somers was just another good day on the job. He’s been at Jennings Boatyard almost his entire life, following in the wake of his father, John.
On Wednesday, December 3, a crew of volunteers brought the Somers around the bend from its dock at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, the owner/steward of the historic vessel. The Somers is now “on the hard” at the boatyard as a $100,000 refit begins.
The skipjack’s sails were removed last month, so its only propulsion was its motorized push boat….
