Programs Main | Apprentice for a Day | Skipjack Restoration Project | Chesapeake People Skipjack Restoration Project: Project History Introduction | Project History | The Skipjacks Project Manager | Shipwright Apprentices The skipjack is a sailing vessel indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay region. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, these boats were designed and built for the local oyster fisheries. Skipjacks grew in popularity and numbered in the hundreds during the industry's prime. Required by state law to drag their dredges under sailpower as a resource conservation measure, the skipjacks are now recognized as America's last commercial sailing fleet. But diminishing oyster stocks and economic pressure on the industry have reduced the active dredging fleet to about a dozen vessels. Successive seasons of poor oyster harvests have made it increasingly difficult for skipjack owners to care properly for their aging boats. In many cases, deferred maintenance has led to major structural deficiencies in the hulls, decks, and spars. In partnership with the Chesapeake Bay's remaining oyster dredging captains and the State of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is restoring these surviving vessels and at the same time working to educate the public about the communities built on the Bay's fisheries. The restoration is being done through a master/apprenticeship program, training students in traditional wood boat construction. The vessels, captains, and members of the crews are being documented through photography and oral histories. With a skipjack as a centerpiece of the museum's boatyard, visitors have an opportunity to watch the work in progress and talk with the master shipwright, his apprentices, and the skipjack captains. In the year 2000, the State of Maryland took decisive action to reverse the trend. First was the designation of the skipjack as the official state boat, because of its historic and economic importance and its symbolic value as a representation of the people of Maryland and their lifestyle. Second, the state formed a task force to address some of the more immediate problems of the survival of the skipjack fleet. One recommendation which emerged was to provide subsidized repair services to the active dredge vessels to stabilize their condition while the oyster stocks were being replenished. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, established and committed to preserve the artifacts and interpret the culture of the Bay region, offered to provide the use of its boat shop facility, marine railway, and skilled staff to meet the challenge of repairing the fleet. With funding from The Maryland Historic Trust, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and numerous private businesses, CBMM began the project in July of 2001. Under the direction of a master shipwright, a crew of boat carpenter apprentices are providing the skilled labor needed to accomplish the task. Chesapeake Bay wood boatbuilding techniques are being handed down to the next generation, thousands of museum visitors are experiencing the unique skills and stories of the Bay, and skipjacks are being preserved for generations to come. HOME | ABOUT US | WHAT TO SEE & DO | VISITOR INFO | EDUCATION & OUTREACH MEMBERS & SUPPORTERS| NEWS & MEDIA | Copyright 2003, The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
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