A long-time volunteer of Maine's First Ship program, Parmentier relates the account of the Popham Colony and the project to reconstruct its 1608 Pinnace, Virginia.

In 1607, 100 Englishmen attempted a settlement at the mouth of the Kennebec River. They built defenses, dwellings, and a storeroom for supplies. They sought out and traded with native people and they built a small, maneuverable ship with which to explore nearby rivers and coastlines for resources. When the colony was forced to fold after 14 months, they rigged the ship for an open-ocean voyage and sailed it back to England. This was the start of the 400-year old shipbuilding industry in Maine today.