Launch day......Spring 2005!

The Gath III's 61st launch and still as good as new!

"Left to right "Franklin J. Davis " our winter detail man, Big Joe Godin, The Bobinator, and Captain Whit

Now for a little history!

Mrs. Gath Coombs with the boys on launch day in "July 96". Gath bought the champagne to re-christen her namesake that morning. Dennis and Whit were still in high school at the time. She was a great inspiration to them, as most of you know both boys have earned their USCG Captains licenses and are successful four year college graduates.

That summer the boys, DJ, Keith and I installed 42 new oak ribs, completely refastened her cedar planking and finished the new cedar deck. Once she was launched the Gath III then spent the next 8 weeks soaking in the harbor. We still didn't have the engine rebuilt and never left Wells Harbor or made it to the fireworks in the summer of 96, but we all realized we were well on our way......... Mrs. Coombs joined us on Gath for their triumphant return to Ogunqiut and the July 4th celebration the following summer of 97. The Gath III was built in 1944 on Bailey Isle, Maine.

Mrs. Agatha Ethelynn Hawks Coombs, "Gath" taken aboard the Gath III, July 4th 1997. Mrs. Coombs spent the day with us aboard her boat enjoying a lobster bake and later the fireworks off the beach in Oqunquit. Gath purchased the champagne to re-christen the Gath III... It was a proud day for all of us!

Pictured below is Captain Whit’s and Captain Den’s great,great,great grandfather Ephrom Chase and his daughter, their great, great grandmother Iva, grammy Opal's mom. Ephrom was the first Maine guide in the family. The Picture was taken at Oxbow Plantation in 1949. Grampy Eph's camp was up the Oxbow river near the flats at the Patawomqueg Branch. All camp equipment was hauled by oxen who apparently walked along the river bank pulling barges.

Anyway the boys don't take after a stone. Grampy Ephwasa well known Maine fishing and hunting guide who enjoyed taking many famous folks fishing. Among them President Teddy Roosevelt, boxing champion Jack Dempsey, business tycoon Walter Heinz of ketchup, and soup fame. When "Gath", Mrs. Coombs first met Opal both were excited to learn that Captain Coombs and their son had also traveled to Oxbow to fish with her grandpa Eph when Bob Jr. was a little fella. Maine's a funny place in order to be eligible for a state guide's license you have to be able to follow your blood line back at least 17 generations and have at least one mountain named after your family. Well anyway the boys qualify and invite you up for a visit.

Picture of Captain Bobby Coombs, taken in 1943 in his New York Giants uniform....... Bobby received his Captains license in August of 1951, the month and year of my birth. In the early 1950's he began taking guests aboard the Gath II, which he sold to Mr. Bush in Kittery Me. prior to purchasing our own Gath III few years later.  Photo and history courtesy of his son, "young Bobby Coombs".

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