[gstraub]

We are looking for volunteer crew for the coming season (which means after all this silly ice is gone!) for the skipjack Claud W. Somers that is owned by the Reedville Fishermen's Museum and sails out of Reedville, VA. The Claud W. Somers was built in 1911 and is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Virginia Historic Landmark. The crew maintains and sails the vessel. No experience is necessary. Time commitment is flexible as we will have a couple of days per month with organized maintenance, crew training and/or sailing and then additional time on the vessel for maintenance depending on crew member's schedules. We are not currently carrying passengers, but once we begin carrying passengers again, all sailing crew will be drug tested per CG rules. Sailing is typically daysails in and around Reedville, the Great Wicomico, and the adjacent bay waters. There may be some longer sails to area nautical events.

So, if you are interested in traditional sailing craft and would like to help maintain and/or sail this vessel, or if you want to learn about wood vessels or learn to sail (although sailing a skipjack is not like sailing more modern vessels!) please contact me or the Reedville Fishermen's Museum. You can also visit the website Claud W. Somers | Reedville Fishermen's Museum or visit the Facebook page for the vessel (Skipjack Claud W. Somers) for more information and additional contact information.

Gerhard

 

[aa3jy]

Thanks Gerhard for the info. Do you all participate in the Great Chesapeake Bay Skipjack Race as well?

 

[gstraub]

I think you might be thinking of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Alas, we are a sloop, so, no. However, there is the Deal Island Skipjack Race and the Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race, both in September. Assuming we have a good crew together (we wouldn't go intending to lose!), I would like us to go to those. However, that may or may not be possible this year, depending on several issues that are currently being worked.

Gerhard

 

[aa3jy]

Yes..meant the Deal Island Race. Are you still a working oyster vessel?

 

[gstraub]

No, the Claud no longer dredges for oysters. She was donated to the museum in 1999 and was rebuilt 2000-2001 as a passenger vessel. Except for a couple of benches on deck and the missing winder, she is authentic and still uses a yawl boat for mechanical propulsion. In case you are interested in the specs:

Length on deck – 42.6 ft.
Beam – 14 ft.
Length of bowsprit – 14 ft.
Length of boom – 42 ft.
Length of mast – 61 ft.
Draft 3 ft. (w/ centerboard up) 5 ft. (centerboard down)
Sail area: Main sail 945 square feet, jib 370 square feet


Gerhard

 

[aa3jy]

Source of timber for its rebuild?

 

[gstraub]

Most of the wood used in restoration was local pine which was cut at Cockrell's. Exceptions are oak around the mast step, and the mast and boom which are of Norwegian Spruce.

Gerhard

 

[CharlesCook]

Do you belong to Tall Ships America?

The Billet Bank is another great place to find crew...

Tall Ships America Billet Bank

 

[gstraub]

Hi Charles - No we do not. Not sure that we are in the same league as the vessels in ASTA, but appreciate the suggestion. Maybe someday if we really get the program going again we could look for full time crew. Right now we just do not have a program or funding to support that.

Gerhard

 

[captain jack]

(although sailing a skipjack is not like sailing more modern vessels!)
Gerhard

what is it like to sail a skipjack? how is it different? i have, obviously, never sailed on one and am very curious. i have seen one that sails around Baltimore's Inner Harbor. everytime i see it, it's exciting; just like seeing the Pride of Baltimore. i really love the traditional vessels.

 

[gstraub]

Well, it's no different in theory. Skipjacks are fractional rigged so most of the power is in the main. They were really built to reach across oyster beds pulling the dredges and don't really point that well. There is no weighted keel for adding righting moment so they are more like a big, flat bottomed, dinghy with a centerboard, and yes, they can capsize. There is a lot of windage up forward so getting them to turn into the wind, either under sail or power, can be difficult unless you have significant way on. Response is pretty slow. The main is HUGE. The boom on this vessel is 45 feet long. The last one I sailed the boom was 56 feet long and weighed in at about 900 lbs. Jibing is really dangerous in all but really light conditions. Traditional skipjacks, such as this one, do not have any engine but use a yawl boat for mechanical propulsion, which has its advantages and disadvantages. So, my original comment was meant to convey that you'll learn to sail on one of these, but it's going to be a little different than sailing a modern fin keel, spade rudder, cruising sloop. It's even different than sailing a more traditional hull with a full keel because there is no weighted keel, but response times might be more similar.

Gerhard

 

[captain jack]

Well, it's no different in theory. Skipjacks are fractional rigged so most of the power is in the main. They were really built to reach across oyster beds pulling the dredges and don't really point that well. There is no weighted keel for adding righting moment so they are more like a big, flat bottomed, dinghy with a centerboard, and yes, they can capsize. There is a lot of windage up forward so getting them to turn into the wind, either under sail or power, can be difficult unless you have significant way on. Response is pretty slow. The main is HUGE. The boom on this vessel is 45 feet long. The last one I sailed the boom was 56 feet long and weighed in at about 900 lbs. Jibing is really dangerous in all but really light conditions. Traditional skipjacks, such as this one, do not have any engine but use a yawl boat for mechanical propulsion, which has its advantages and disadvantages. So, my original comment was meant to convey that you'll learn to sail on one of these, but it's going to be a little different than sailing a modern fin keel, spade rudder, cruising sloop. It's even different than sailing a more traditional hull with a full keel because there is no weighted keel, but response times might be more similar.

Gerhard

thanks. that's really informative. i had no idea they could capsize. i knew they were made to dredge. had no idea they were dangerous to jibe. so, instead of jibing, do you tack around? i do that in my sailing dinghy in heavy wind, when jibing would be tricky.

 

[aa3jy]

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime museum in St. Michaels,Md. have some excellent examples on display as well as in progress restoration projects for public view..

Skipjack (boat) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The list of remaining skipjacks may need editing as I think there numbers are less than what is indicated..

 

[gstraub]

Don't get me wrong, you can jibe the boats. There is just a lot of force coming across with that big sail and heavy boom, so it is usually safer and more controlled to do a "chicken jibe" as you described (tack around). (In spite of the name, there is nothing "chicken" about it...I call it good judgement.)

Gerhard