George McKay was a man who built a dream. His dream was 88 feet long and 26 feet high. It was a three-masted schooner rig on a unique homemade hull with 3,000 square feet of sail area. He designed the ship, called the RawFaith, with no previous knowledge of naval architecture, so it was not really surprising that the vessel did not actually resemble any galleon or traditional vessel and was rigged as a schooner, and the mast and sail configuration was also atypical. This is one of my photographs of the RawFaith, and you can see she does look a bit odd.
The ship was fully accessible as McKay’s dream was to provide free sailing adventures to people in wheelchairs, such as his own disabled daughter, who would normally be prevented from sailing. However, RawFaith was the target of criticism for her lack of seaworthiness. On Thanksgiving Day 2004, she was rescued by the United States Coast Guard about 80 miles off the Maine coast after the rudder mechanism failed and the top of the foremast snapped off. She was towed to Rockland, Maine, to undergo repairs. In another incident, on May 9, 2006, all three masts snapped during a storm off the coast of Maine. Again RawFaith was rescued by the Coast Guard cutter Senecaabout 50 miles off Mt. Desert Rock and was again towed to Rockland for repairs.
My wife Jennifer and I were privileged to know the man and his dream. I remember one Sunday afternoon in the fall, with just a slight chill in the air, sitting on the deck, warmed by coffee and hot chocolate, talking about dreams. Jennifer and I planned to join McKay’s crew and set sail for Virginia. Jennifer was so happy to have something to look forward to, another great adventure for a woman who loved adventures and the ocean and who hand been battling cancer for almost 14 years. A lot of people, including someone from WoodenBoat magazine, warned me the ship was not seaworthy. But the dream it was creating for my wife was more than enough cause for me to yell “Weigh anchor!” and so sail we shall and safety be damned! Whoever said life should be safe anyway? But our plans never materialized.
On December 8, 2010, RawFaith began taking on water in rough seas off the coast of Nantucket and sank in 6,000 feet. George McKay and the other person on board were rescued, but the man’s dreams were sent to the bottom of the sea.
By the time the ship sank, Jennifer’s health was starting to fail rapidly, but George, I want you to know that your dream gave my wife some of her happiest moments in her final months. On September 25, 2011, nine months after RawFaith sank, Jennifer gained her fins, and now I’m sure she swims the seven seas and has visited RawFaith. All of your dreams may not have been realized, but I am forever grateful to have met you and for the happiness I saw in Jennifer when she thought she might have one more great adventure. Thank you, George McKay.
There are more tales and other stuff on the shores of Rambling Harbor. Join me there. 