Restored ‘F.D. Crockett’ makes maiden voyage
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| On her maiden journey, the restored buyboat “F.D. Crockett” heads out of Jackson Creek in Deltaville and encounters the schooner “Spirit of Massachusetts.” (Photo by Tom Chillemi) |
In September, 2005, a derelict hulk of a buyboat was towed to the Deltaville Maritime Museum. Old shirts and greasy rags had been stuffed between the leaky planks of “F.D. Crockett.”
The 1924 vintage boat was barely floating, but her graceful lines were still visible in the decaying wood.
Thus began a 4-plus-year restoration of F.D. Crockett.
On Monday afternoon, the restored F.D. Crockett began her new life when it gently glided away from the museum dock under its own power. “There’s finally smoke in the (exhaust) pipe,” said project manager John England, who was at the helm as the 86-year old boat backed out into Mill Creek.
F.D. Crockett is one of two boats in existence whose hull was carved from massive logs joined together specifically to cradle an internal combustion engine.
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In Seaford, Virginia, Alexander Gaines, with the assistance of John Franklin Smith of Dare, was building a boat that incorporated several centuries of knowledge and tradition with the newest technology of the time. F.D. Crockett’s nine-log hull combined the ancient building techniques of the Native American log canoe with 1920s cutting-edge technology—the internal combustion engine.
Construction of the 62-foot Crockett marked an end to the sailing era and the beginning of a new one.
Her low decks made for good oyster and crab dredging as well as for transporting seafood and produce throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
Those at the Deltaville Maritime Museum who worked on the boat’s restoration, called “Crocketteers,” logged more than 7,000 hours on the project. They used a combination of time-honored boat building methods, traditional materials, and innovative techniques to revive the dignity of F.D. Crockett.
“All of this has been a community effort,” said England.
On Monday, Crockett’s gleaming white wheel house, trimmed in golden heart pine, was a stunning sight that attracted onlookers.
On its maiden journey around Stove Point and into Fishing Bay under its own power, the restored F.D. Crockett crossed paths with the schooner “Spirit of Massachusetts,” which was modeled after an 1889 schooner.
Such encounters were commonplace 80 years ago when F.D. Crockett represented the new age, while the schooner’s time was fading. During a precious few years, the vessels of the two eras worked the Bay side by side.
‘F.D. Crockett’ nears restoration milestone
‘F.D. Crockett’: From rag-top to princess
‘F.D. Crockett’ Restoration Slideshow narrated by Larry S. Chowning
