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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing
Article Summaries |
Re-Enactment Fervor
When a swarthy crew of re-enactors rowed a replica of an 18th-century bateau up the 17 miles of historic Kennebec River waterway between Fort Western in Augusta and Fort Halifax in Winslow, the past came alive as participants rowed, poled, and towed against the current and camped out on Seven Mile Island, dressing the part as closely as possible. During the 1750's and 60's, the two forts symbolized Massachusetts' efforts to control the Kennebec River drainage area on behalf of England. Fort Halifax, located above the limit of sail navigation on the Kennebec was the more important of the two; Fort Western, built just at the head of navigation, served as both forts' storehouse. Cargo was moved between the two, usually in one day, on specially built, 30-foot long, flat-bottomed boats (bateaux). Although the trip up-river was made in a single day in the 1700's, the 2004 voyage took two. The rowing, poling, and towing, though, probably was not much different, nor was the determination. Art Carrano of Belgrade, a recently retired U.S. Navy veteran, avid fly fisherman, and recruited bateau man/volunteer was one of the crew. Having spent weeks studying and putting together period clothes and weapons, and days practicing on the Kennebec River, Art fulfilled a navigation dream by surviving the variables of current, wind, rain, and water depths from Fort Western to Fort Halifax — all the while keeping intact his tri-cornered hat. And then he was off to his other life, to teach fly fishing at a camp in North Anson. A film crew from Ursus Productions in Waterville accompanied the bateau and filmed the recreation. The results will be shown sometime in the fall; the viewing will be posted on Old Fort Western's web site. | ||
