By Tina Comeau
FOR THE SOU’WESTER
Transcontinental Media
When he was building the replica early–1900s lobster fishing boat at the Acadian village in West Pubnico, Yarmouth County, N.S. ¬– without the aid of any power tools – Jimmy d’Entremont did a lot of running back and forth between the village and his boat building shop a short distance away.
On Tuesday, Aug. 24 when the boat, La Tatane, was officially launched during a re-enactment boat launch at Le Village historique Acadien de la Nouvelle Ecosse, the distance between the village’s replica boat shop and the wharf was a shorter distance, but for the village, d’Entremont and the hundreds who gathered to watch, it was a monumental walk.
And once the boat was finally in the water, and d’Entremont – along with village volunteers Sherman d’Entremont and Reginald d’Entremont – went for a short sail, the builder of the boat said it glided through the water like a yacht.
It was the first wooden boat Jimmy d’Entremont had built in 25 years, and it was also unlike any other his boat he had ever built before. For d’Entremont, who had spent a year building La Tatane, it was an emotional moment, particularly given the large crowd that turned out for the launch.
“It was touching to see them,” he said. “I didn’t think there was going to be that many people. I was really surprised.”
La Tatane was pulled to a recently constructed wharf on the village property by two oxen being guided by Alan McCormack. Village interpreters dressed in period costume added to the historical authenticity of the event. Aside from the digital cameras and the occasional ringing of a cell phone, the boat launch was like olden times.
Having a boat on site to depict the Acadian way of fishing in the early 1900s has been a dream of the village. And it took many helping hands to achieve it. The building of La Tatane required expertise and assistance from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, Lunenburg Foundaries and R&N Steelworks – the latter businesses helping with the steel rudder and shaft. Reginald d’Entremont helped to get the engine running for the boat, whose keel and ribs were constructed with oak and pine used for the planking.
When these boats were used back in the early 1900s, sails helped lobster fishermen travel to and from shore – although they often didn’t venture far off, only around five miles explained d’Entremont. Eventually make and break engines came along making the task somewhat easier.
Aside from working hands, it also took funding to see the boat building and wharf projects come to fruition. Among the partners for the projects were the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, which contributed $26,000; the Municipality of Argyle, which contributed $7,000; RBC employees under the employee volunteer grants program – Cora and Clara d’Entremont and Cassie and Neil Amirault – who contributed $4,000.
The balance of the cost of the project was obtained through fundraising events put on the volunteers at the village. In 2009 the events generated a profit of $22,000.
YOU CAN VIEW A VIDEO OF THE LAUNCH BY CLICKING ON THE VIDEO TAB AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE
