Background
Discover Mercantile’s incredible legacy and our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to keeping it alive.
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Pearl Billings laid Mercantile’s keel in the fall of 1913, and spent the next three winters alongside his brothers and sons building her on the north shore of Little Deer Isle. She has served the Midcoast of Maine continually for the last 110 years, first as a coasting schooner, then as one of the original windjammers. Long known as the ‘prettiest coaster in the Bay,’ she is now the last remaining Penobscot Bay coasting schooner, and it’s very likely that she has logged more knots on that body of water than any other vessel.
Mercantile recently fell on hard times, having been poorly maintained before being sold to an individual who planned to relocate her out of Maine. To make a long story short, when that effort failed, the first mate was left with the responsibility of keeping her afloat. It has been his life’s mission ever since.
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After graduating from the College of William & Mary in 2022, Andrew was dissatisfied with the prospect of transitioning immediately into a corporate America 9-5. He moved back home to work on his experiential economy startup, and took part-time remote jobs. In September of 2023, his boss asked him if he wanted to crew his Pearson cutter from Annapolis to Beaufort, and the rest is history.
Andrew first stepped foot aboard Mercantile on June 22, 2024, and became the sole caretaker less than a month later. Andrew will tell you that his superpower is his undying belief that he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to.
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We have made great progress since Andrew took over in December 2024. From shoring up leaks, to X-raying her masts, obtaining surveys, and lots of caulking, we have taken every necessary step to stabilize Mercantile’s condition and get a handle on the scope of the task. This winter we have expanded organizational capacity to include grant writing, fundraising, marketing, compliance, and project management. We have established two volunteer committees for guidance and boots-on-the-ground delegation. Most importantly, Andrew has gained the support of several accomplished mentors who graciously offer their time and experience to help keep Mercantile off the rocks. Now it’s time to look ahead.
Vision
While restoring Mercantile is our main priority, it’s worth shedding some light on the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Her life of service to the people of the Midcoast is the cornerstone of Mercantile’s identity. We want to build upon that legacy.
We have started conversations with local organizations in areas such as education, environmental preservation, team building, character development, and fun.
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In the wooden boat community, we talk a lot about preserving knowledge and stories from being lost to time. The truth is, today we are at risk of losing more than that. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle bombards us with messages of death, sex, and fear, hijacking neurological function. These impacts are especially harmful in the developing brains of today’s youth, who unsurprisingly report record numbers of mental health disorders and feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. Mercantile–New Day promotes:
Personal agency through creative problem solving
Character development through connecting with one another and ourselves
The healing power of the sea
Mercantile-New Day Core Values
The essence of our mission is to encourage kids of all ages to approach each New Day as an opportunity for a fresh start, and that it’s never too late to turn things around. Andrew hopes that his project to restore Mercantile will confirm the above and exhibit the value of delayed gratification.
Ethos
Mercantile was built by a man and his brothers in their family’s backyard. She stands as a testament to the spirit of this place, and of something much larger.
It is this spirit that we seek to keep alive.
Hard Work
Hard work is its own reward. There is no substitute for hard work.
Thrift
Doing the best you can with what you have.
Resilience
It’s hard to keep a good dog down.
JOY
The wind in your hair.
The Billings brothers famously used a wind-powered saw to cut many of Mercantile’s original timbers. Thrifty!
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