The Cayman Catboat Club has unveiled a new sculpture dedicated to Caymanian seafarers Captain Kemuel ‘Kem’ Jackson and the late William Austin Ebanks for their contributions to Cayman’s rich maritime history and for keeping the catboat alive.
The 400-pound catboat sculpture, which is also a bench and now sits outside the club’s headquarters on North Church Street, along the George Town waterfront, was unveiled on 11 April, with the family and friends of Ebanks and Jackson on hand.
The creation of the catboat replica took more than 600 hours to design and build, and was crafted by Cayman-based company, Artisan Metal Works, and sponsored by Dart.
Men of the seas
Denniston Tibbetts, president of the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association, said the two men “have preserved the history of the catboat and the seafarers association, so I really pay homage to the both of them”.
During his remarks, Catboat Club president Jerris Miller was moved to tears as he shared insight into Cayman’s seafaring history and how Jackson and Ebanks promoted catboats.
“There were two working catboats on the island in 1988, so we really needed to make an effort to keep the Cayman catboat tradition alive and in the forefront of people’s minds,” he said.
“When you see a beautiful catboat on display anywhere in the Cayman Islands, it’s beautiful because of one man… Kem Jackson.
“Kem Jackson is living such an interesting life. He has accomplished two things in varied works that he has done that the rest of us are just amazed by. Most of all is his personality. People who know nothing about the catboat loved Kem Jackson…. love him today, and we’re so happy he’s still with us because he is our north star.”
Talking about Ebanks, Miller called him “Willie Nelson to the Catboat Club”.
“A calmer, more serene person you could not find,” he said. “And one of my favourite pictures is with ‘Willie Nelson’ on the weatherboard of a catboat. This is one of the most scary jobs that you can get, and he’s so relaxed and serene and comfortable with himself.”
He added, “I really am so glad to honour these two people.”
Miller and Tibbetts ended the ceremony by the ringing of eight bells for seamen past.
Cabinet Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, daughter of Austin Ebanks, said hearing the bells ringing was a “very emotional” moment.
She said she was “reminded of the frequent stories that he told us of his time in the open water. His favourite pastime was when he was on watch.”
“I am so happy that the Dart organisation has chosen to honour Captain Kem and my dad, who were really instrumental in building the catboat association. It was probably one of my dad’s safe havens. If he wasn’t on the boat sailing, you’d find him at the Catboat Club. Just to be here to see something… recognising all of the hard work that him and a number of men, including Captain Kem, have done to preserve our heritage, this makes me feel really proud.”
Ebanks-Wilks said it’s important to keep Cayman’s maritime history alive.
“It’s a reminder to all of us younger Caymanians of our duty to keep this maritime heritage alive, and there’s so many more things we can do to continue to build what they started. We complain that we are a minority in our own country, but these are the things that are really our duty to uphold.”
About Austin Ebanks and Captain Kem Jackson
Austin Ebanks
William Austin Ebanks was an avid catboat racer who served as a director of the Catboat Club.
For more than 20 years, he worked with Dart as one of the company’s first team members, cultivating the gardens and nursery.
He shared his passion for the sea with colleagues, avidly recounting details of boat craftsmanship, knowledge of waterways and how many catboats Cayman had in their heyday.
At his memorial two years ago, his friend and manager Shannon Schmidt noted, “Mr. Austin was happiest on the ocean with his wife and children, and he spent whatever chance he got sailing with his family. The way he would stare out at the sea, as he would often do, it was obvious there was a special connection.”
Captain Kem Jackson
Captain Kemuel ‘Kem’ Jackson went to sea as a young man and worked his way up to chief engineer, according to his biography.
His later life’s work was devoted to restoring old catboats and crafting new ones. A master boat builder who grew up and raised his family in West Bay, he served as vice president of the Catboat Club.
He has been recognised with an MBE and National Heritage Award for his stewardship of Cayman’s culture.
His most notable creations included a six-foot model as part of a display that won a silver medal in the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show and the refurbished 24-foot Whittaker Cat which is now used for educational programmes and heritage celebration races.
Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment.
Related Videos
An excellent memorial to our catboaters and a great idea to combine it with a bench as this will be very popular with all our cruise ship visitors toiling along N Church St towards the beach.