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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Jacob Pike, an 83-foot (25-meter) motorboat notable for being one of the pioneers in refrigerated sardine transport during Maine’s sardine industry boom, faces scrapping following efforts to recover the sunken vessel.
Last winter, the ship succumbed to adverse weather conditions, leading to its sinking.
Sumner Pike Rugh, the 21-year-old great-great-grandson of the boat’s namesake, has expressed a desire for the historic vessel to be preserved. He has established a nonprofit organization aimed at repurposing the boat for educational purposes. However, the U.S. Coast Guard lacks the authority to transfer ownership, and any prospective new owner could be liable for up to $300,000 in environmental cleanup expenses.
Despite his hopes of collaborating with the Coast Guard to save the boat, Rugh acknowledges that the likelihood of a positive outcome is diminishing.
“It’s an ignominious end to a storied vessel,” reflected his father, Aaron Pike Rugh.
While today Maine is often celebrated for its lobster industry, the state once thrived on sardine production, with numerous canneries lining its coast. The very first sardine cannery in the U.S. was established in 1875 in Eastport, Maine, where workers would meticulously sort, trim, and package sardines, a vital food source for American workers and Allied troops abroad. In contrast, sardine canneries were caricatured in John Steinbeck’s 1945 work, “Cannery Row,” bringing recognition to their peak on the West Coast in California.
Constructed in 1949, the Jacob Pike was designed with a refrigeration system that enabled it to transport large quantities of herring from fishing crews to canneries. As consumer preferences shifted away from sardines, the vessel adapted by carrying lobsters. However, by the time it sank off Harpswell in the previous winter, its days of operational glory had long passed.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in tinned fish, but for the Jacob Pike, the ship’s voyage has seemingly come to an end.
Currently a senior at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, Rugh was serving on a tanker off the coast of South Korea when he learned of the vessel’s fate. With no other parties appearing to express interest, he initiated the Jacob Pike Organization, gathering a board that includes previous owners.
Rugh initially aspired for the Coast Guard to transfer the vessel to his organization without burdening it with potential cleanup costs. With that route blocked, he is now focused on preserving documentation and salvaging enough materials to allow for a future reconstruction of the boat.
According to Lt. Pamela Manns, a Coast Guard spokesperson, the agency assumed responsibility for cleaning up fuel, batteries, and other hazardous materials when the current owner could not or would not handle the process. The owner was unavailable for comments as their phone appeared to be inactive.
Recently, salvage teams utilized airbags and pumps to raise the vessel from its submerged position. Though the Jacob Pike was deemed seaworthy enough to be towed to South Portland, Maine, the Coast Guard stated that it intends to destroy the boat. Manns, while empathizing with Rugh’s aspirations, reiterated the Coast Guard’s primary objective of preventing environmental hazards. “I can appreciate the fact that this boat means something to him, but our role is very clear. Our role is to mitigate any pollution threats. Unfortunately, the Jacob Pike was a pollution threat,” she stated.
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