Governor Stone restored, almost ready // VIDEO, PHOTO GALLERY

PANAMA CITY — Months of restoration will allow for national historical landmark the Governor Stone to set sail once again in a few weeks.

“The restoration has been about five months and we’re getting very close to complete,” said Bill Hamilton, Friends of Governor Stone senior captain and restoration project manager.

Built in 1887 in Pascagoula, Miss., the ship is the last known Gulf of Mexico schooner survivor of that era. The shallow hull boat once hauled various cargo along the Gulf Coast — from lumber and furniture to oysters and rum —  served as a sail training boat, yacht and was used to transport cargo during World War II.

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PHOTO GALLERY

It’s set to launch again by the end of March.

Using a $50,000 state historical monument preservation grant and in-kind donations, nonprofit Friends of Governor Stone has restored the essence of the 19^th century schooner.

“We’ve spent about a third of our time actually restoring the 136-year-old original keel of the boat, which had a number of structural problems,” Hamilton said.

The keel of the boat is significant because it stabilizes the boat.

“This keel was cut from a single log the length of the boat,” Hamilton said. “And all of the wood used to repair the keel was original longleaf yellow pine. … It’s the original material used to build the boat.”

Wherever possible, Friends of Governor Stone used like-kind materials to restore the boat, he said.

The grant, along with thousands of volunteer hours and in-kind donations from Eastern Shipbuilding, Bay County Boatyard and other companies, has made it possible to restore the boat to a safe, refurbished national monument.

In the past the organization hasn’t had the funding or the membership to sustain the wooden boat, but “now it’s authentic historically; it’s more seaworthy,” said Ray Mansfield, vice president of Friends of Governor Stone.

“This is not only a wooden schooner; it’s a historically accurate wooden schooner.”

Community members can tour the boat over the next five or six weeks at Bay County Boatyard, 101 Church Ave. Call Visail Patara at 850-621-0011 for more information.

St. Andrews Marina is the Governor Stone’s homeport.

WANT TO GO?

-What: Preview the Governor Stone

-When: tours available over the next five to six weeks

-Where: Bay County Boatyard, 101 Church Ave.

-Details: Visail Patara, 850-621-0011, governorstone.org