Hidden Beauty

Hidden Beauty

Now that summer is over, and the boats have been hauled, it is time to get back into the shop with my son Sam and finish the Moth sailboat that we started last winter. So far, all the work that we have done, really the great percentage of the whole project for that matter, will never be seen once the boat is launched. The CVK (central vertical keel), the bulkheads, the stringers, the daggerboard case, the maststep—all will be covered over with planking, in whatever beautiful color scheme Sam chooses.

As I have learned this is no fluke— so often the structure and mechanics of great acts of creation remain hidden. In this issue you will meet some Mainers whose behind-the-scenes work makes big projects possible. Take Hewes & Company, a Blue Hill-based firm that first gained recognition as homebuilders. The company also has a marine division that supplies precision CNC-cut parts to some of the state’s finest boatbuilders. These parts play a key role in streamlining a complex process, yet only those involved in the building get to see the beauty of this work. The same holds true for structural engineer Albert Putnam. He’s the guy who makes sure those architect drawings will hold up to reality. And so on. These are the unsung heroes whose work keeps Maine working.

I love reading about these accomplished individuals and am awed by their skill and knowledge. They give me something to strive for as Sam and I bumble our way through our own project. In our case, it may a good thing that the work remains hidden.    —JKH