Charlotte: A Wooden Boat Story
A film by Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte
Antidote Films, Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
96 minutes
When Ross Gannon and Nat Benjamin established the Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway on Martha’s Vineyard in 1980 they built more than just a boatyard devoted to classic wooden boats. They transformed Vineyard Haven into a mecca for wooden boats and a place where traditional boatbuilding methods would be preserved. For more than 30 years Gannon and Benjamin have remained true to their dream and have designed and built a wide variety of wooden boats and given new life to many classics.
Kusama-Hinte’s emotional documentary chronicles Benjamin’s personal project — a 50-foot gaff-rigged schooner for his family and friends. Named for Benjamin’s grandmother, Charlotte. For Benjamin the boat is a labor of love, but Charlotte is also a testimony to his family and the craftsmen and community who supported him in his efforts. The film explores tradition, craftsmanship, community, and most of all, love of the sea.
