The Story

On the iconic Midcoast of Maine, two siblings embark on a personal project. To rebuild and sail Panacea, their fathers 28ft wooden sailboat he bought decades ago. With the goal of capturing the hands on heritage of wooden boat building in Maine, by following and learning from todays stewards. From shipwrights to sailmakers each peninsula, and each small town in Maine has a story. Our project documents the details behind each master shipwright, through the inexperienced eyes Camden and Simon. This story; like the lives of its characters is aimed at preserving and honoring a craft and its craftsmen while building somthing that carries their teachings forward.

Story Structure

This story structure will form around each stage of the boat rebuild. Allowing each stage to stand alone as its own short story. Each part of the build will present a new set of problems that will have to be solved allowing for the opportunity to bring unique new characters into the story. It serves to create a compelling journey while we learn from them and share their stories.

‍ ‍Rough Outline:

Intro: Opening and intro to, the family history and characters and Boothbays history.

One: The hardest part. Simon struggles with planning the boat build and trying to fund it. We follow his journey and meet the foundational characters to the project along the way.

Two: The plan. After the project has been funded Simon starts designing and planning the build, gathering the materials along with Tony.

Three: How to build a wooden boat. As Simon begins the re decking process of Panaceas hull under Tonys supervision. This stage focuses on the craftsmanship, vision and labor required to build a wooden boat and honors Tonys knowledge.

Four: Hand making canvas sails. a short story about the tradition of canvas sailmaking as Sherman brewer remakes the sails for Panacea. This stage honors the history and tradition of the art.

Four: The finishing touches. This section returns to the yard as Simon lays the finishing touches on the boat and faces lingering issues.

Five: The launch. the boat is finally put into the water, the crew, Simon and his Dad make the first sail. This piece concludes as Simon and his friends take panacea on a journey up the coast of Maine exploring the main island trail camping and surfing.

Note* this is a documentary so as is the nature of these projects the storys exact trajectory is subject to change.