Launch of the Dee of St. Mary's

Calvert Marine Museum VOL. 44 / NO. 3 FALL 2019 Launch of the Dee of St. Mary’s By Robert J. Hurry, Museum Registrar unique event of catching her daily occurred on legal limit in record time. A December 16, Skipjacks were the only 1979, a celebration of vessels allowed to dredge the christening and legally for oysters in launching of the locally Maryland waters and, on built skipjack Dee of Mondays and Tuesdays, St. Mary’s. As its 40th were permitted to dredge birthday approaches, under the power of their the skipjack has been push boats. adopted by the Calvert Russell approached Marine Museum, where Francis Goddard, a well- it is used to educate known local waterman students about the area’s and an experienced boat ecology and heritage. builder, with his skipjack This was not always its proposal. Goddard had purpose. When the vessel built hundreds of wooden was launched, its sole skiffs, workboats, and Dee of St. Mary’s under construction at Francis Goddard’s yard at Piney Point. mission was to harvest (Photo by “Pepper” Langley) recreational boats, but oysters in the nation’s last never a large sailing commercial sailing fleet. vessel, much less a skipjack. Russell I well remember the Dee’s was not a sailor. At the time, all I knew showed Goddard a set of skipjack beginnings. In 1979, I lived just a few about the skipjack was what I read in the plans prepared by William Hall, a naval miles from where the skipjack was being newspaper. In my current position here at Continued on page 3 built. When I arrived at the launch site the museum, I have enjoyed researching on the shore of St. George Creek at Piney the backstories of the owner, the builder, Point, Maryland, the weather was mild for and the boat. in this issue… mid-December and the atmosphere was For years, Jack Russell, a St. Mary’s Launch of the Dee of St. Mary’s . .. 1 festive. I joined a sea of other local folks County waterman and oyster packing From the Director .. 2 waiting for the main event. The launch house operator, had dreamed of owning Things are On a Roll at was well publicized in local and regional and operating his own skipjack. He had the Railway Museum . 5 Sandy Roberts, a Personal media outlets and the boat’s owner, never worked in the skipjack fleet and Remembrance . 5 Francis “Jack” Russell, had extended an didn’t even know how to sail a boat, Skates and Rays . 6 open invitation to the whole community but he admired the graceful lines of the Education Update . 8 to join in. People came from far and wide skipjacks that he saw “drudging” for Exhibits Update . 9 and everyone was in high spirits. “arsters” in the Chesapeake Bay. He had Maritime Performance Series . 10 The Dee of St. Mary’s was the first harvested oysters his whole life, first with Activities & Events .. 11 skipjack built anywhere in the Chesapeake shaft tongs and then with patent-tongs, Volunteer Spotlight . 15 region in decades. Its launching was a but he knew the dredge was the most Staff Update . 15 unique event and a cause for celebration. efficient tool for harvesting the bivalve. CMM Society News Museum Store . 16 Making it even more unusual, this boat Back then, Maryland’s public oyster Remembering Robert Pfeiffer . 16 was constructed by a man who had never beds were still productive and, under the Promotions . 17 built a skipjack for a waterman who right conditions, a skipjack was capable Membership . 18 Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums / www.calvertmarinemuseum.com of Czech, German, Irish, and Italian (or possibly Albanian By Jeff Murray — depends on who you ask) heritage. In fact, the name- “What’s your vision board from the for the museum?” German ocean liner is a question I’ve been asked several George Washington times in recent weeks. It seems that that currently hangs whenever a new director arrives, that on the south wall question is among the first he or she of the Maritime is likely to hear. Like my predecessor History Gallery is Sherrod Sturrock, I had the great fortune from the same exact to serve as the museum’s deputy director learning curve is a bit steeper than the ship that brought my Czech ancestors to before my promotion. Doing so provided one she experienced. America in 1911, so I have a very tangible me with considerable insight into the Put simply, my vision is to grow the personal connection to the museum. museum’s inner workings. However, Calvert Marine Museum and its positive Since moving to Southern Mary- unlike Sherrod, I had only two years community impact in a responsible and land in the spring of 2017, I have fallen of experience in that position prior to manageable way, using the museum’s in love with this wonderful organization. becoming director. As a result, my initial core values and mission statement as a The Calvert Marine Museum is unique guide for how things should be done. among its peers, interpreting the history I want to build and capitalize upon the and biology of the Chesapeake Bay success of my predecessors, and work through three very distinct but related toward achieving the museum’s recently lenses. Its people, however, make it developed site master plan. This plan the special place that our visitors want is a bold one, and has been billed as a to return to again and again. It is those Quarterly Newsletter of the twenty-year undertaking. Fulfilling it individuals, the staff and volunteers, Calvert Marine Museum (A Division of Calvert County Government) will require the utmost amount of time, who put forth the effort to develop and and the concentration, and effort. However, with implement the programs, exhibits, and Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. (ISSN 0887-651X) proper fundraising, a good strategic mas- events which often make us the talk of Jeff Murray, Museum Director ter plan, and some well-conceived and Calvert County and Southern Mary- Sherrod Sturrock, Co-Editor thoughtful capital campaigns, I believe land. I noticed almost immediately after Robert Hurry, Co-Editor we can fully achieve everything during beginning work here that the museum The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft of the Bay, and was built in all its glory at my tenure (and I turned forty-eight in has a wonderful reputation among the Solomons, the “Bugeye Capital of the August). This mission is something I will residents and is almost universally loved World.” Membership dues are used to fund special museum projects, programs, and work toward realizing each and every by the whole region. This is a “problem” this newsletter. Address comments and day, knowing that I won’t be working that many other museums of our size membership applications to: alone, since the museum’s capable board in similar types of communities would Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. P.O. Box 97 • Solomons, MD 20688-0097 and knowledgeable team of staff and love to have. If you are reading this, you 410-326-2042 • FAX 410-326-6691 TDD 410-535-6355 volunteers will be right beside me each are likely to have your own connection Museum Store: 410-326-2750 step of the way. and dedication to the museum and its www.calvertmarinemuseum.com I am a Midwesterner who prides mission — thank you for being a part of Layout by Stuller Designs myself on a solid work ethic, fairness, the magic. and the ability to get things done. I grew My Wisconsin ties have led me to up among the cornfields of central Indi- be a follower of the legendary Green Bay ana, and must admit that I occasionally Packer football coach Vince Lombardi, re-watch the movie “Hoosiers” just to who once said that “Perfection is not remind myself that anything truly is pos- attainable, but if we chase perfection we sible (and the real story of that 1954 high can catch excellence.” I am honored to school team is even more amazing than have been chosen as the fourth person the movie). My family on both sides hails to lead this fine institution, and I truly from throughout Wisconsin, and is a mix intend to chase perfection. - 2 - FALL 2019 Launch of the Dee of St. Mary’s Continued from Page 1 Skipjack Dee of St. Mary’s being towed on Maryland Route 249. Crowd awaiting christening of skipjack Dee of St. Mary’s. (Patuxent River Folklife Project) (Photo by “Pepper” Langley) architect who worked at the Calvert Marine Museum. Goddard boats, he began building the hull upside down, or, as he puts it, pondered Russell’s proposal, studied the plans, and agreed “bottom upwards.” Aside from the Douglas fir keel and keelson, to take on the project. He optimistically estimated the cost of all of the wood used to build the hull was cut and sawn locally. building the hull, mast, and boom would be around $60,000 and, Harvey Zimmerman, a Mennonite sawmill operator at Loveville, barring unforeseen setbacks, would take about six months to Maryland, cut and milled most of the lumber for the boat. complete. Goddard selected white oak to fashion the frames, stem, stern, To better understand the idiosyncrasies of the boats, Russell king plank, and centerboard and used two-inch thick “spruce and Goddard visited working skipjacks at Tilghman Island and pine” (Virginia pine) planks for the deck, sides, and bottom. elsewhere around the bay and spoke With help from his sons Doug with their seasoned captains.

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