LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

 

Smuggling on the Maine coast goes back to the earliest days of British rule.

Some of the oldest smuggling stories still in the memories of living Mainers are those from the prohibition era. More recently are events of the 1960’ and 1970’s. One story from that era was that of the yacht Traveller III, first published in 2001 in the Fishermen’s Voice.

The story prompted at least as many phone calls, letters, emails, and anonymous inquiries as anything else we have ever published. When it was reprinted in June of this year it elicited more mail. This mail brought to light some information the original research for the story did not uncover.

The complete Traveller III story can be read at the Fishermen’s Voice website archives at: fishermensvoice.com

Dear Editor,

A friend e-mailed me a copy of your article in the June issue on the scuttling of Traveller III. It needs a few corrections.

First, the yacht was not named Traveler III. It was Traveller III, with an extra “l” in Traveller. Nor was she designed by John Alden, or launched in 1968.

Rather, she was designed, starting in late 1969, by Edward S. Brewer & Associates of Brooklin, Maine and built to first class standards in Hong Kong, under the personal supervision of her owner, Captain Art Crimmins, and his beautiful wife Peggy.

You may find my own memories of the occasion shed a bit more light on the mysteries surrounding the scuttling. I’ll send a copy of this e-mail to Peggy Crimmins also and she may be able to add a little as well.

The 61-foot Traveller III was, indeed, my design, started back in 1969 when I lived in Brooklin, Maine. Bob Walstrom was my partner, having joined me that year and did several of the detail drawings on the design. I’m sure that the article writer was thinking of Traveler II (note only one “l” in the name) as she was a large Alden design and had been the Crimmins’ previous charter yacht.

Here are a few details on the scuttling story. After Art Crimmins sold Traveller III she was taken to Camden for a complete refit. I was hired by her new owner’s to keep an eye on the refit and make recommendations, so I made a number of trips to the yard to check on things. Both the yard manager and I figured there was something fungous about the whole operation as the $100,000 refit was paid for in cash. The yard would send out a monthly progress bill and the cash would come back in a fat envelope! Our opinion at the time is that it was a way for a private owner to launder some illegal money, but we had no idea that the boat was to be used to smuggle drugs.

I first heard she had been scuttled when I had a phone call from a USCG officer asking if I had designed her and if I had her plans. (I still do!) Later I had a long talk with the USCG Lieutenant who came to our office to pick up a set of her drawings. When he arrived, he asked me for a bill for the prints but I told him they were on the house if they would help convict the smugglers.

He then advised that the cutter had been chasing the Traveller for some time and the crew was seen throwing bags overboard. By the time the cutter got up to her, and the boarding party closed in, the yacht was already in a sinking condition and went down before they could do even a brief search.

Later the police (?) got a diver down to her and the Lieutenant called to say that she was loaded full of marijuana. Apparently the diver called topside and asked how many bales of marijuana they needed for evidence. They told him “one” and he said she was full to the gunwales! The Lieutenant told me that he suspected the bags they had thrown overboard had contained cocaine and were weighted to sink. I don’t think they recovered any of them though.

Art Crimmins and I spoke about it, of course, and he told me a funny story about one of his charter clients, a Mafia don from Florida. The gentleman called Art to tell him how upset he was that the vessel had been scuttled. He insisted it was not one of their operations and that he would never have harmed a beautiful yacht like Traveller III. Being a yachting enthusiast, he also offered to send a couple of his men to Maine to “reason with” the crew but Art was horrified at that idea and did not take him up on the offer.

I keep in touch with Art’s widow, Peggy Crimmins, and will send her a copy of this letter and your e-mail with the writeup. Peggy may have something to add to your story and I hope she will get in touch with you.

PS: I should add that the Traveller III is here in my office, in a glass case, floating on a calm sea and hanging on her mooring buoy. She brings back sad memories of a lovely yacht.

Fair Winds
Edward “Ted” Brewer

Ted Brewer’s business partner Bob Walstrom telephoned the Fishermen’s Voice office recently after reading the article to add his recollections.

“George Mitchell, the Maine Attorney General at the time invited me to his office. He showed me the materials he had on the boat. He also wanted drawings of the boat to understand the layout of the interior.

A navy diver dove on the boat. He got through the hatch and brought out one bale (of marijuana) and established that there was a large amount on board. The bale was dried out to determine the volume of marijuana on board.

Months before the sinking the boat was at Wayfarer Marine in Rockland where the owners had a perfectly good interior torn out and rebuilt. Mitchell had photos of the work from Wayfarer. The owners brought in a briefcase full of cash to pay for repairs. That was a clue that something was different about the repair job.”

 

No Consolidation Without Vision – Take Action Now

If we truly care about our oceans and our fisheries, then “WHO” fishes matters! As we face the challenge of rebuilding fish populations while sustaining businesses, communities, and infrastructure, “WHO” fishes must remain at the core and that requires a Vision.

The New England Fisheries Management Council has made clear that fleet reduction is a priority in order to reduce total catch. However, a Council vision for who stays and who goes is absent. We learned from the experience of US farm policy that consolidation without a vision resulted in large-scale factory farming corporations driving out family farmers and degrading the land based environment, biodiversity, and security of the food system in this country. As it did this, it also destroyed the fabric and vitality of farming communities in the heartland.

Consolidation without a vision is a mistake we cannot afford to repeat.

The New England community has a Vision for “Who” should fish. Over a two-year visioning process, a diverse group of commercial and recreational fishermen from all geographical areas, boat sizes, and gear types came together with scientists, fisheries advocates, community members and shore-side businesses to create a long-term vision for the fleet. One piece of the Vision that calls for a diverse fleet states:

“A geographically distributed commercial and recreational fleet that includes all gear types and boat sizes. Clearly the community values and understands the need for many different boat sizes and gear types that provide diverse products to markets. The community strongly dislikes the possibility of a fleet that is consolidated either by ownership or geography, and participants in this project advocate many jobs and coastal community welfare over economic efficiency.”

Tell the New England Fisheries Council it is time to adopt a Vision so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes that have destroyed many communities and ecosystems.

Fish Locally Collaborative