By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s high school boat-building program will mark another milestone next week as it launches its newest creation, a craft to be named in memory of a beloved Hull resident and familiar face at a landmark local restaurant.

**TAKING A BOW:** Hull High students, guided by Hull Lifesaving Museum Executive Director Michael McGurl, combined craftsmanship, teamwork, and maritime tradition to build a boat that will be launched on June 13 at Pemberton Pier. The ‘Barbara Ann’ is named in memory of Hull’s Barbara O’Brien. [Hull Lifesaving Museum photo]

The community is invited to a special boat launching ceremony on Friday, June 13, at 3 p.m. at Pemberton Pier to celebrate the dedication and launch of the Barbara Ann – a beautifully handcrafted Gloucester Gull pulling boat built this year by Hull High School students.

This newest vessel is “lovingly dedicated to Barbara Ann O’Brien, whose legacy of love, kindness, and service continues to shape the Hull community,” according to the museum.

From raising her family on Sunset Point to her role in the family-run Jake’s Seafood Restaurant on Nantasket Pier, O’Brien exemplified strength, generosity, and commitment.

The Barbara Ann is “a fitting tribute, crafted by the hands and hearts of the next generation in honor of a woman whose spirit lives on in the town she called home.”

Guided by museum Executive Director Michael McGurl, students engaged in a rigorous, hands-on project that combined craftsmanship, teamwork, and maritime tradition. Their work honors Hull’s seafaring heritage “and represents a growing effort to engage young people in maritime skills that benefit both personal growth and community connection,” according to a statement from the museum.

The boat building program – launched in January 2023 – is “very unique. There’s nothing like it on the South Shore,” McGurl told The Hull Times. “It offers an opportunity for students with no boat-building experience to learn valuable trade skills related to the marine environment and end up with a boat at the end of the program.”

The Barbara Ann will serve not only as a symbol of student achievement, but also as a platform for environmental exploration and education as part of HLM’s broader initiative.

The Barbara Ann will become a vital part of the museum’s growing fleet, supporting programs such as Summer Explorers, where children engage in hands-on marine science and water-based learning.

Participants, including youth, veterans, and individuals with developmental disabilities, “will deepen their connection to the local marine ecosystem while fostering curiosity, environmental stewardship, and a lasting love for the sea.”

The seven-week Summer Explorers program for ages 12-16 at the museum’s Windmill Point Boathouse, features a different maritime theme for each session.

The experience includes the museum’s fleet of open-water rowing vessels, the harbor, and the harbor islands.

Areas of focus include safety on the water, rowing and commanding (coxing) open-water rowing craft, operating outboard powered boats, harbor piloting and navigation, marine environment, and boat maintenance and boat building, while making connections to each other, “to our past and to our future.” Participants can sign up for any number of weeks.

The June 13 event celebrates not only the launch of the Barbara Ann, but also the dedication of Hull’s talented students, Hull’s community spirit, and generous support from Massachusetts’ Charitable Mechanics Association.

The museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich maritime heritage of Hull and its surrounding communities.

Looking ahead, “Upon completion of the current boathouse restoration project, there will be more space for the museum to host programs and special events,” McGurl said.

To help the lifesaving museum preserve a powerful piece of Hull’s maritime legacy, email info@hulllifesavingmuseum.org to learn more.

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