Few stories can make a Haligonian as sheepish as the tale of the
Larinda. It’s not the part of the story where the Larinda was built,
over 26 years, in the backyard of Massachusetts auto mechanic Larry
Mahan. Or the part where Mahan, as a child, was originally inspired to
build the ship after reading The Little Grey Men, a British
children’s tale wherein three gnomes build their own ship and set sail
in search of a lost brother. Nope. The part that makes us hang our
heads and scuff our feet is the part where, after being battered by
Hurricane Juan in September 2003, the Larinda sank in Halifax Harbour,
right beside one of our many, long-lived raw sewage outfalls. Reports
of the Larinda filling up with our collective crap circulated, and we
bristled with shame.
Halifax first made noises about treating its harbour-bound sewage
back in the ’70s, right around the time that Mahan was constructing the
hull of the Larinda. But as Mahan realized his dreams in his backyard,
we failed to muster up the money and political will to actually stop
Halifax’s raw sewage problem. Mahan launched the Larinda in 1996, a
year after the first major “harbour cleanup” effort went bust. By 2003,
the city was just about to sign a deal to build the Halifax sewage
plant, which became operational five years later, in 2008.
But the Larinda’s been restored. The 1767 Boston Schooner replica
will take part in this year’s Tall Ships event under her own steam,
thanks to the restoration efforts of its new owner and captain, Arthur
Scott. “We kept everything as orginal as possible,” says Scott from the
Larinda’s home in Boutilier’s Point. “And we’ve added a few of our own
touches. I would say that she’s just about back to her original
splendour prior to her launching,” he adds. “She’s looking that
fine.”
Unfortunately, Halifax Harbour will not be so fine. Before
completing its first full year of service, the Halifax sewage plant
shut down due to apparent design flaws. The busted plant means we’re
back to the old ways. At least it’s not hurricane season.
This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2009.
As someone who sailed on this ship before the tragic event in 2003, I have to say I have much respect for you guys at The Coast. Congratulations on putting together a story that focuses on the ship itself, the amazing story of how Captain Larry built her in his backyard, and the fantastic news of her return. Far too many articles on this focus on the events of my beloved captain’s personal life. As a sailor, and a journalist, I say thank you. Thank you very, very much.
Unfortunately, we were unable to get Larinda into port as planned, but be sure she will return. That vessel always makes an appearance with a bang, and she’ll be sure to do that when the time is right.
Larinda crew.
I have been following the Larinda ‘saga’ for years.. and I still don’t know where she is now, as of October 2009…??
Rudy Fritsch