'Fame' replica on display at Maine Maritime Museum
Aboard 'Fame,' passengers learn about the fishermen, pirates, privateers, traders and men of war, and the privateers of the Revolution and the War of 1812. Courtesy of mainemaritimemuseum.org
Aboard 'Fame,' passengers learn about the fishermen, pirates, privateers, traders and men of war, and the privateers of the Revolution and the War of 1812. Courtesy of mainemaritimemuseum.org
A full-scale replica of the War of 1812 privateer Fame will be available for boarding at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath this Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
During the War of 1812, more than 500 privately owned vessels were commissioned by the U.S. government to arm themselves and to seek out and capture British merchant ships and cargo intended for Britain. The move was made to help counterbalance the overwhelming odds the British Navy held over the fledgling U.S. Navy; more than 1,000 ships for Britain as opposed to a mere 20 ships for the U.S.
The original Fame was a fast Chebacco fishing schooner before she was repurposed for her wartime role in the summer of 1812. Arguably the first American vessel to bring home a prize, Fame made 20 more captures before being wrecked in the Bay of Fundy in 1814.
Visitors will learn about the fishermen, pirates, traders and, of course, the privateers of the Revolution and the War of 1812 who sailed her. Visiting Fame is free with museum admission.
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