Phase II work on keelboat at Fort Benton will soon stop
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Kirby Matthew worked as a preservationist for the Forest Service in the northwest. Now retired, he is serving as the consultant on the refurbishing of the "Mandan" keelboat in Fort Benton. Not only does he bring a lot of experience to the project but also a lot of specialized tools. Here he's pictured with part of the 'bow beam' from the "Mandan."
For the past two summers a dedicated group of volunteers has been meeting in Fort Benton for two week-long work sessions each summer. They are refurbishing the "Mandan," one of three keelboats built in the 1960's for the movie "Big Sky." Only one of the three boats has survived and it has been on the shore of the Missouri River in downtown Fort Benton for nearly sixty years. In 2024 it was hoped to have the old boat ship shape again and on display for its sixtieth anniversary at the spot.
The completion date will be pushed forward to at least until 2025. Workers on site this summer said there was just too much deterioration on the old craft to "deconstruct" and replace to preserve the boat in the time allotted. Work during Phase III in 2024 and beyond includes "re-skinning" the entire exterior, restoring the cabin structure, replacing the mast and cross arm and replacing details like doors, rigging and the rudder. An application of preservative will be the last task to cover and protect the entire structure.
My wife and I stopped last week and visited for a time with the crew at work. They were focusing on replacing rotted or missing boards on the bow area. Kirby Matthew, a retired Forest Service preservationist, said, "Without accurate plans we sometimes have to handcraft parts that are missing using a hit or miss approach until we get it right." Matthew, who spent 40 years restoring structures across Idaho, North Dakota and Montana is the 'consultant' on the project. His restricted availability, which includes his specialized tools, at the "Mandan" is partly why the project has stretched over several years.
During the recent work on the bow of the keelboat in Fort Benton part of the structure failed and a long piece of the port bow fell to the ground. A volunteer said, "We try to convince visitors that we planned for the piece to fall but it wasn't planned. You can see on the side boards of the hull where the pieces rotted and just let go."
Still Matthew and the volunteers demonstrate a great deal of patience and maintain a positive outlook. I asked about a long section of the port bow that was lying on the ground. One of the volunteers responded, "We tell visitors that was planned but the reality is some of the supporting boards were in such bad shape they gave way and the entire piece simply crashed to the ground." Rotted places where the supports gave way were visible even to the untrained eye. Setbacks do not seem to deter the volunteers' enthusiasm for the work.
While the planned 2024 celebration will be deferred, the support for the project continues to manifest itself. One volunteer opined, "Not only does our grant support continue but when visitors stop and see what we are doing, many of them ask how they can financially support the refurbishing."
The "Mandan," though not built before the keelboat era ended (in the 1890's) is believed to be the only 'life-sized keelboat' remaining in the United States. Count on seeing it in all its refurbished glory in a few years thanks to generous donors who pay for the materials and dedicated volunteers who hammer the nails and do the work.
