User:JLTerrell/draft

Built in 1871, the Stephen Taber is America's oldest continuously licensed merchant sailing vessel in the United States sailing fleet. She is included in the National Historic Register. The Taber is a classic example of a coasting schooner. Her overall length is 115 feet, the length on deck is 68 feet and she is extremely stable with a 22 foot beam. Coasting schooners were built with shallow draft and movable centerboards which enabled the commercial schoonermen to reach into extremely shallow waters. In fact, this movable centerboard enabled the schooner to ground out, if necessary, to deliver its cargoes. As she changed hands over the decades, Stephen Taber was rebuilt several times. Most recently she was literally dismantled and rebuilt from the centerboard upwards with thousands of board feet of oak. While providing passenger amenities, care was taken to retain the original flavor of the Taber, giving meticulous attention to retaining her original detailing. She is painted as she was in 1871, dark green trimmed with black, red, yellow, and white. She remains driven primarily by wind power with an occasional nudge while docking from a motorized yawl. Originally built to haul timber and bricks, the Stephen Taber now carries vacation passengers out of Rockland, Maine.

JLTerrell 18:24, 21 February 2007 (UTC)