LAMP Boatworks chief boatbuilder Maury Keiser (right) and St. Augustine resident Roy Jaeger pose in front of the Galveztown’s erect frames in Malaga, Spain.
One of our more exciting international partnerships is that with the Astilleros Nereo, a shipyard and maritime museum in Malaga, Spain. The shipyard is building a full-size replica of the Revolutionary War ship Galveztown, which played a critical role in the battle that switched Florida from British to Spanish control at the end of the Revolution. LAMP archaeologists provided archaeological data to inform the Malaga shipwrights as they designed the vessel, and our volunteers at LAMP Boatworks are just beginning to build one of two yawls, or ship’s boats, to accompany the Galveztown on her goodwill American tour which is scheduled to begin with the trans-Atlantic voyage to St. Augustine.
LAMP’s chief boatwright, Maury Keiser, headed to Spain on holiday this week and made it a point to visit the Astilleros Nereo shipyard. While there, he got a first-hand look at the Galveztown on the stocks, and got some great press as well.
Maury and Roy Jaeger, who sits on the 450 Corps’ Maritime Activities Committee, were spotlighted in a Malaga newspaper, La Opinion de Malaga. If you read Spanish, you can see the full article here, but our own Dr. Sam Turner has provided a translation of a portion of the article here:
ALFONSO VÁZQUEZ. MÁLAGA Varias instituciones de Estados Unidos van a ponerse, literalmente, ´manos a la obra´ para colaborar en la construcción de la réplica del barco del general malagueño Bernardo de Gálvez, el bergantín ´Galveztown´.
La nave, que se está construyendo en los astilleros Nereo, recibió esta misma semana la visita de Maurice Keiser y Roy Jaeger, dos carpinteros de ribera norteamericanos de San Agustín, en Florida, acompañados por la vicecónsul de Estados Unidos en Málaga, Roberta Aaron.
Como explica un portavoz de los astilleros, la visita tenía como objetivo conocer las instalaciones y el proyecto ya que la próxima primavera, carpinteros de ribera de San Agustín y Málaga realizarán un intercambio de dos meses. “Estuvieron haciendo muchísimas preguntas técnicas del oficio, prácticamente no hay diferencias entre los dos países”. Los artesanos americanos de San Agustín recibieron además de regalo un libro para la construcción de réplicas de carabelas.
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Various institutions in the United States will, literally, put “hands to the task” and collaborate in the construction of the replica vessel of the Malagan general Bernardo de Gálvez – the brig Galveztown.
The vessel, being built at the Astilleros Nereo, this week received a visit from Maurice Keiser and Roy Jaeger, two North American boatbuilders from St. Augustine, Florida who were accompanied by the Roberta Aaron, the vice-consul of the United States in Malaga.
The purpose of the visit, explained a spokesmen for the Astilleros, was to learn about the project and the facilities since next spring boatbuilders from St. Augustine and Malaga hope to initiate an exchange program. “They asked many technical questions regarding the boat building profession; there are few differences between the two countries”. The American artisans from St. Augustine received as a gift a volume on the building of caravel replicas.
Its great to see that Maury made a little time for work while on vacation. Enjoy the rest of your vacation, Maury, and we’ll see you when you get back home!