(22DEC2009) Mariner Peter Arenstam will be the 12^th annual recipient of our Katharine Fox Little Distinguished Mayflower Scholarship Award at the luncheon following our 113^th Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, January 23, 2010. We cite him for his imparting 17th century Pilgrim maritime history.

Peter was born in the 1660 town of Westfield, Hampden Co., western MA. When he was in third grade his family moved to Plymouth. He has never looked into his family’s genealogy to see if he has a Mayflower line, but he has a “line” now as he is Captain of Mayflower II. As a child he remembers school visits to Plimoth Plantation and seeing the masts of Mayflower II from his third floor classroom window. Growing up in Plymouth, he pretty quickly came to love boats, sailing and the ocean. He owns three boats: a 1917 canoe, a 1929 catboat and a 1960s era day sailer.

After receiving a degree in philosophy from Bates College in Lewiston, ME, he served an apprenticeship at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. He says that “We covered everything from design, lofting and building. They foster a sense of boat building as an art, science and profession.”

In 1991 he joined the staff of Plimoth Plantation, having been contracted to build the first ship’s boat for Mayflower II. Since then he has taught boat building classes producing small rowing and sailing craft. He oversaw the construction of the reproduction Elizabeth Tilley shallop for the Pilgrim John Howland Society. His official title now is manager of the Plantation ’s Maritime Artisans Department. Being captain of the 52 year old wooden sailing craft is more than just being a successor to its sailing celebrity first captain, the famed Alan Villiers. As manager he is responsible for its continued maintenance to keep it sea worthy as it is always in the water and does have to be able to put to sea. There is also the wear and tear of thousands of visitors every year to undo. Perhaps fortunately, unlike most reproduction colonial vessels, he has no auxiliary engine to worry about.

But there is more to Peter than the above: he is a prolific writer. Members will have noted his many articles in our General Society’s Mayflower Quarterly as well as the Howland Quarterly and other publications, such as the National Geographic Society’s book Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage. He is also the author of books for children including Felix and His Mayflower II Adventure about the ship’s 1957 mascot and the four-volume Nicholas series for 8 to 12 year olds. Copies of Felix will be available at our meeting.

Finally, although his wife Susan, who will accompany him to our meeting, has no formal ties to the Plantation, she and Peter are parents of two daughters who are former “Plantation children.” Would that our children might have had such a wonderful experience!