In 1977 construction began on a half-scale model of the fishing schooner Rose Dorothea. Dedicated on June 25, 1988, the completed model spans a 66’6” length and a 12’6” beam. Provincetown gratefully acknowledges Francis A. “Flyer” Santos and a team of volunteers who created this grand tribute to the fishermen of Provincetown and to New England’s ship-building tradition.

 
Master Boat Builder: Francis “Flyer” Santos

Rigger: Frank James Sailmaker: Ernest W. Smith

Lettering: Artist Ernest Irmer Plaque: Claude Jensen

Crew and Volunteers who worked on the Rose Dorothea Model:

Susan Avellar, Ed Carlson, Ricky Crispin, Mike Crowe, David Ditacchio,
Billy Fields, Jr., Joe Lema, E. J. Martinez, Richard Meads, Raphael Merrill, Richard Pereira, Albert Perry, Mark Perry, Arthur J. Santos, James Sants, Gene Scalzo, Bernard Schein, Jamie Snow, Bobby Souza, Donald Thibeault, Ian Tsukroff

The Rose Dorothea and the Lipton Cup: The Rose Dorothea was one of the famous “Indian Head” schooners designed by Thomas McManus and built at the Tarr & James Shipyard in Essex, MA in 1905. She was 108.7 feet long, weighed 108 tons and had a crew of 26 men. Her rounded bow enabled her to sail closer into the wind which made her faster than other schooners of the era.

During Boston’s Old Home Week Celebration in August 1907, a cup was offered by Sir Thomas Lipton for a Fishermen’s Race in Massachusetts Bay. Two of the competing schooners were from Provincetown: the Rose Dorothea and the Jessie Costa. The race was a forty-two mile course laid from Theives Ledge off Boston Light to Davis Ledge off Minot’s Light, to Eastern Point, Gloucester and back to Boston. Despite losing her foretopmast in the final leg of the race, the Rose Dorothea, captained by Marion Perry and skippered for the race by John Watson, won the Lipton Cup and a $650 cash prize.

The men known to be crew members at the time of the race were: Antone Amaral, Isadore Jesse Fratus, Joseph R. Holmes, Willie Jason, Joseph Leal, Manuel Marshall, Thomas O’Donnell, Manuel Perry, Antone Prada, Eduardo Salvador, John Pavon Santos, William Silva, Manuel Souza, Joseph “Iron Horse” Viera and John Wilson. The other crew members are not known.