LAWRENCE — It ain't sexy. But it gets the job done. Unless it breaks down.
"The Barge," as it's named, is a boxy-looking, weather-worn boat that has plied the Merrimack River every summer for the last five years or so, filled with a couple dozen tourists eager to learn the natural history of the mighty waterway.
But occasionally, the aging inboard engine fails, forcing the cancellation or shortening of the Sunday tours, said Jim Beauchesne, acting supervisor of Lawrence Heritage State Park, which owns the boathouse and surrounding 43-acre Riverfront Park.
"The boat has proven to be unreliable," he said. "It needs the upgrade."
As a result, the old engine is being removed and a new engine installed, he said.
Last month, the state Department of Recreation and Conservation announced $1.34 million in matching grants for parks projects all over the state, including an $8,000 grant for a new engine for "The Barge."
Now, Friends of the Park, a non-profit fund-raising group, is working to raise $4,000 to match part of the state grant to help speed the $12,000 in repairs that are needed for the vessel.
Ellen Minzner, who runs the Greater Lawrence Community Boating program at the Abe Bashara Boathouse at the end of Eaton Street, said she hoped to use the vessel more frequently once the new engine is installed.
"It's an asset that needs to be developed," she said. "In the past, it was only used a couple months a year. But we have year-round programs, and there's a lot going on in the spring and fall."
Plus, she said, by using The Barge only in July and August, visitors to the city and the park are unable to enjoy the river during what is some of the best weather all year — September and October.
"Fall weather is better," she said. "There aren't as many jet-skiers. There's great foliage. It's just a beautiful time of year."
The tours are hosted by Northern Essex Community College professor Rich Padova, who talks about the natural and manmade history of the river, from its headwaters in New Hampshire to its outflow in Newburyport.
"He talks about the history and geology of the area," Beauchesne said, noting that the 1-1/2-hour tours take passengers from the boathouse into Dracut. People sign up for the free tours at the Visitors Center on Jackson Street.
The tour also includes a discussion of the environmental history of the river, including the difficulties state wildlife officials are having re-stocking the waterway with Atlantic salmon.
Originally, salmon swam upstream as far as New Hampshire to spawn. But after the dams were built, that journey became more difficult. Even fish ladders, or in the case of Lawrence a fish elevator, haven't been enough to restore the beleagured stocks of Atlantic salmon in the Merrimack.
Other species, however, are doing well, he said.
Minzner said that additional tours aren't the only enhancements she is seeking at the boathouse.
Since taking over last March, Minzner has ramped up other offerings at the boathouse, and now has rowing programs nearly year-round, including indoor machine races.
A newly redesigned website touts the many offerings at the 20-year-old boathouse, including sailing from June through August, and rowing, canoeing and kayaking most of the rest of the year.
Later next month, the boating program is holding a "concrete regatta" at The Loop mall in Methuen, during which sailboats, shells and canoes will be on display and in some cases on wheels as participants "race" around the parking lot.
It's a way for the boating program, an undiscovered gem for many Merrimack Valley residents, to learn about and hopefully sign up for the program, Menzner said.
In addition, the program has teamed up with several area schools and education programs to bring field trips to the site where students get hands-on lessons in marine biology, among other subjects.
"They go in canoes to the wetlands and take samples," she said. Already, there's a waiting list for the program, which has signed up groups for early to mid-June.
Last year, Minzner said, about 2,000 visitors came through the doors of the facility, a number that the former Lawrence Community Development Department employee hopes to increase in the coming years.
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How to Donate
Friends of the Park is collecting donations to repair the boat. Visit www.boatingprogram.com to give online, or send a check to Greater Lawrence Community Boating, PO Box 955, Lawrence, MA, 01842. Make check payable to Greater Lawrence Community Boating.
Upcoming events
May 22: Concrete Regatta, The Loop shopping mall, Methuen, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring boat relay races, equipment demonstrations and children's games.
June 26: Celebration Regatta, all day. Regional competition is free for spectators.
June 28: Opening Day. Start of sailing and boating classes.
