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COVER FEATURE gunning, grinding, priming and painting. America has been her pilothouse. Over the decades, origi- “It is a 24/7/365 deterioration cycle,” he said. His expe- nal woodwork had been painted over or concealed behind rience restoring museum vessels, including the 1911 lake later materials, including particle board and decorative freighter Col. James M. Schoonmaker and the 1903 tug coverings. “She looked for a while like a ‘70s Italian res-

Ohio, has taught him valuable lessons in old boat main- taurant,” he recalled. LaMarre stripped the interior to its tenance. He frequently advises organizations considering framing, renewed insulation and restored the woodwork the acquisition of historic vessels to reconsider unless they using traditional techniques. The work included building have the resources to maintain them. In America’s case, a steam box to bend wooden paneling.

commercial operation has helped support her preservation. The completed pilothouse incorporates wood decking, “That’s actually what really, I believe, has probably kept period lettering, decorative scrollwork and other details the America alive, is the fact that she has continued to op- intended to re