A major new exhibit, "Legacy of Ships: 400 Years of Shipbuilding in Maine" opened this month at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.

Starting with the 1607 Virginia, the exhibit tells the story of shipbuilding and boatbuilding in the state that built more wooden vessels than any other. The exhibit presents some of the most interesting tales of boats and ships built in Maine, along with rarely seen objects from the museum's collection. From wooden schooners to naval destroyers, this multi-media exhibit tells the quintessential Maine stories that tie Maine history to world history.

"We decided to produce this exhibit a year ago when the excitement was building about the Popham Colony and Virginia, Maine's first ship," said Amy Lent, executive director of the museum.

"We wanted to keep the story of Maine boatbuilding and shipbuilding alive and convey to our visitors the excellence of Maine boat building through the centuries. The biggest and the best ships have been built in Maine and certainly the best continue to be built here using wood as well as the most cutting-edge materials imaginable. We hope this exhibit will make people proud of what has happened in the past and enthusiastic about the future prospects of this industry.

The six themes of the exhibit are "Maine's first ship, the Virginia" which includes a diorama of the Popham Colony and a model of the Virginia; "Building Big Wooden Vessels" focuses on Maine's dominance of early shipbuilding, made possible by bountiful forests, skilled tradesmen, and miles of coastline; "Where are they now" illustrates how many of our vessels met violent destruction; "Building Big Steel Ships" shows how, starting in 1890, Bath Iron Works began a long tradition of family employment and shipbuilding, bringing a legacy of crafts; "Wooden boatbuilding" puts a spotlight on Maine built peapods, Friendship sloops and powered lobster boats; and "Nontraditional Boatbuilding" examines Maine built boats of composite materials, synthetics, carbon fiber and other materials.

During the weekend of January 26 and 27, the museum will welcome the boat and shipbuilding community to celebrate their heritage with free admission. There will be demonstrations of model making, ship rigging and steam bending. The South Bristol Discovery Boat builders, a team of eighth graders who take part in a weekly museum program, will be working on their skiffs.

The exhibit is made possible by the corporate sponsorship of Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics Company.