STEWIACKE, N.S. — A dream, five years in the making, came true for two Nova Scotia cousins on Tuesday when they launched a boat they constructed in honour of their great-grandfather.
But, this was no dumpy dinghy or routine rowboat; it a 24-metre behemoth designed after an old fishing schooner.
Evan and Nicholas Densmore, both in their 20s, were determined to launch the first ocean-going ship into the Stewiacke River since a shipbuilding ancestor did it in the late 1800s.
The self-described “hillbillies” worked on the vessel in a backyard shed behind an auto-body shop, scouring every available resource, including online auctions, for the vast array of components.
Their grandfather passed away recently, but not before helping them with the design plans, And the schooner was christened the “Katie Belle” in honour of their great-grandmother.
Hundreds gathered to witness the launch. The Densmores have become small-town heroes in the rural town of Stewiacke where they grew up.
“The demographics out here are not that great,” Evan said. “To give some of those older folks something to be interested in, it’s a good feeling.”
Launched at high tide Tuesday afternoon, the Katie Belle could eventually become a sightseeing boat for tourists.
For now, she’s proof a rising tide doesn’t just lift boat, it can lift spirits too.
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