North America's First Ship
 Nearly four hundred
years ago a Maine sailing vessel launched America's love affair
with shipbuilding.
In 1607 at the mouth of Maine's Kennebec River, a group of
hardy English settlers established a fragile foothold on this
coast, 13 years before the Pilgrams. They named it the Popham
Colony after its benefactor and here they created the
continent's first ocean going ship, a 30-ton pinnace, that
they called the Virginia. In 1608 and 1609 the
Virginia ranged Maine's coast, and voyaged across the
Atlantic at least twice.
Today, a group of sailing enthusiasts and experts are trying
to match the feat by building a replica of the Virginia
along the same river where her namesake first settled into
the water. You can follow their progress at their Web site
www.mainesfirstship.org.
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