The large ship’s anchor at the Hingham Shipyard Marinas recalls the marina’s former role as a shipyard which turned out vessels for World War II. Photo by Marilyn Pond Brigham
September 2023
By Marilyn Pond Brigham
You’ve probably heard about, or seen, the old meme, “Kilroy was here.” It is said to have originated in Hingham, Mass., and it quickly spread around the globe during World War II. For New England cruisers, Hingham is also home to Hingham Shipyard Marinas, the site of which, during World War II, was occupied by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard. This mid-20th-century facility has a storied past, much of it related to the inspiration of Mr. Kilroy and his patriotic wartime colleagues.
We’d heard about Hingham Shipyard Marinas from friends at Cottage Park Yacht Club, in Winthrop, Mass. Many cruisers enjoy the quick trip from Winthrop to Hingham for a weekend stay to enjoy the many amenities the marina offers: dining, shopping, concerts, walking trails and the like. We thought we’d try it on our return trip to Cape Cod at the end of our cruising season.
From Winthrop, we sailed past Logan Airport, across President Roads, between the beautiful Boston Harbor islands of Gallops and Lovell, and past Georges Island, staying carefully in the well-marked channel. We headed across Nantasket Roads and into Hull Gut, between Windmill Point (Nantasket/Hull) and Peddocks Island, and sailed into Hingham Bay. It was a short trip from there – up through the channel, with Grape Island to port.
At that point, you leave the mouth of Weymouth Fore River and head east, between Grape Island and Lower Neck, to Weymouth Back River. Channel markers led us south to the marina. The chart clearly marks the submerged ruins in Hewitts Cove – probably the remains of those old Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard piers. Early on, you could clearly see the Boston-Hingham ferry dock, with its large elevated gangplank, and the marina appeared large and most impressive.
When we reached N “12”, we hailed the dockmaster (VHF Ch. 9) for our transient-slip assignment and decided to top off our fuel tanks for the run to Cape Cod. The pleasant fellow who pumped the fuel jumped into the marina’s launch to show us our slip. Then he leapt out of the launch to grab our lines and secure us to the dock. Such service. And, he gave us a fun goody bag filled with Hingham Shipyard Marinas swag, informational brochures, and a book on the history of brewing beer in America.
We’re used to all sorts of docks – old, wooden ones that list with the currents, and mere pilings to tie up against – but this dock was concrete, floating and gorgeous, with big, bully cleats. The marina has 500 secured and gated, state-of-the-art concrete slips graced with gleaming vessels. The facility also offers 100 moorings. The docks were long, and it took some time just to walk back to the bulkhead on the shore.
As we had arrived late, on a Sunday afternoon, most recreational mariners had gone home for the weekend. All alone on the dock, with the security of the gates on the shore, we felt very safe. No one was gaining entrance if they did not belong, and no one had established the bad habit of holding the gates open with a concrete block.
So what’s this Kilroy legend all about? According to the U.S. Naval Institute website (www.usni.org ), the slogan “Kilroy was here” – and a drawing of a nosy man peering proprietarily over a wall – was unwittingly spawned by James Kilroy, a warship rivet-hole checker at the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard. Kilroy reportedly scrawled the art on work that had his inspection. In subsequent decades, the saying evolved to indicate that someone, particularly a U.S. GI, had already been there. If you visit Hingham Shipyard Marinas, you’ll find historical markers and artifacts that offer a capsule story of the service of hardworking men and women during World War II, who built 227 ships – 100 of these a new design known as destroyer escorts – to support the war effort.
In the 1940s, the Navy designed this new type of ship and awarded Bethlehem Steel the contract to construct them. However, Bethlehem Steel’s existing facilities were already operating at full war-time capacity. So, in short order, Bethlehem built the new shipyard on 150 wooded acres on Hewitts Cove, in the Weymouth Back River, with easy access to Boston Harbor. The site was ideal for the destroyer escorts, which were 306 feet long with 36-foot beams and 11-foot drafts. In 1943 alone, 90 escorts were built quickly and well. The Navy also awarded the shipyard a contract to produce another new type of vessel, the “landing ship, tank” (LST), made famous during storming the beaches of Normandy.
It took more than 1,000 people to build one of these steel behemoths. Most able-bodied men were already serving in the Armed Services, so young boys, injured men, and women built the ships. At its peak, more than 23,000 people worked, and lived, at the shipyard – more people than lived in Hingham back then.
The Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard shuttered soon after the war. For the next 50 years, the piers, warehouses and production facilities were left to deteriorate. The complex became a shadow of its wartime glory, used only for the MBTA’s Boston-Hingham ferry service, parking facilities, and some warehouses.
Today, at the site of the old yard, you’ll find a vibrant community called The Launch at Hingham Shipyard. It offers a variety of residential properties (condos, apartments, and homes), commercial facilities, restaurants, shops, a movie theater, grocery stores, the MBTA ferry to and from Boston and Shipyard Marinas. It’s the perfect spot for transient visitors by boat: Tie up at a slip, or pick up a mooring, and walk around for a history tour, shopping, fine dining, or an outdoor live concert.
What you’ll see of the Bethlehem-Shipyard are the remains of several short piers; signage along the waterfront with information about the Shipyard and the Navy vessels constructed; a huge warship anchor; a park; and a lovely harborside walkway.
There is no lack of things to do around the marina, and we were happy to have several options for dining. There’s always the opportunity to see one of the Dorchester, Mass., Wahlberg clan – Donnie, Mark or Paul – either at their burger chain, Wahlburgers, or at the upscale waterfront restaurant Alma Nove, across the street.
Regrettably, we did not see any of the famous brothers, but we did enjoy dinner. Both restaurants are right at the top of the breakwater in the Shipyard complex. After dinner, we enjoyed walking around the complex (lots of grassy areas around the waterfront for the dog), reading the informative signs about the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, and checking out the stores (which, unfortunately, were mostly closed that Sunday night).
We thought the neighborhood was great: We could stock up the galley at Trader Joe’s; get a new toy at Petco for the ship’s dog, Ellis; or I could shop for a new outfit at Talbots – all within walking distance. Not many marinas can offer those amenities.
After a great evening, with a gorgeous sunset, we had a quiet night on the boat. We awoke early the next day for our cruise to Cape Cod, but that is another story. We hope you, too, will make your way to the Hingham Shipyard Marinas. Lots of us have gotten there before you, so there’s no need to leave your own “Kilroy was here” signature.
Marilyn Brigham, along with her co-captain/spouse Paul, sails Selkie, a Catalina 445, out of Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Mass. She is a lifelong sailor and current member of the Quissett and Cottage Park yacht clubs.
