[EXPIRED] More on Chesapeake Bay Buyboats at Elizabeth City, August 5-7, AICW Alternate Route Statute Mile 50
This excellent article on the Chesapeake Bay Buyboats and their visit to Elizabeth City was kindly sent to us by Elizabeth Evans of Cahoon and Cross. We are proud to call Elizabeth City A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Historic Chesapeake Buyboats to Cruise into Elizabeth City, N.C. Aug. 5-7
Graceful wooden vessels part of Virginia, North Carolina boating history
Buyboats docked at Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center
(Elizabeth City, N.C., July 23, 2015) ‘“ For the past decade, members of the Chesapeake Bay Buyboat Association have taken its fleet of historic fishing boats to the water in an annual reunion tour, with stops at selected ports of call that connect to the Chesapeake Bay. Elizabeth City, N.C. will be a featured stop on this year’s 11th annual tour, Aug. 5-7, offering the public a rare chance to view 10 of the historic boats and learn about their origin.
The graceful wooden vessels, also known as deck or oyster boats, were prevalent in the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina sounds in the early-to-mid 20th century. Providing a time-saving service between the oyster fisherman and the processing houses, buyboat owners cruised to where the fisherman worked on the water, loaded their boats with the freshly-caught bivalves and headed directly to the shucking houses to drop off that day’s catch.
At the time, there were no highways or small bridges connecting the Chesapeake Bay tributaries, so the buyboats offered a speedy alternative to trucking the seafood to market. When oyster season was over, the owners used the boats to cart fresh produce, lumber, grain and even livestock to market. They were even outfitted with pumps during World War II, serving as fire boats for the Norfolk area.
`In their hey-day, these boats were the tractor trailer for the region,’ said Theodore Parish, owner of the Nellie Crockett which dates to 1925 and will be part of the tour. `When the combustion engine became reliable, boat owners cut off the masts and could get to market no matter how the winds were blowing.’
Beginning in the 1960s, as the seafood harvest declined and highways became the mode of travel, the large graceful buy boats faded from local waters. Today, there are approximately 30 buy boats in existence, many of which are owned and have been restored by members of the Chesapeake Bay Buyboat Association.
Re-creating the 1900-1960 trade route, this year’s reunion tour will begin in Poquoson, Va., and make its way to Elizabeth City via the historic Dismal Swamp Canal, with stops planned afterwards in Manteo, Coinjock and Chesapeake. In Elizabeth City, the boats will be docked along the downtown waterfront at Mariners’ Wharf, Aug. 5-7, and open to the public to view on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For info on the Elizabeth City stop, visit www.discoverelizabethcity.com or call the Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U. Photo courtesy of David Cantera. Historic Chesapeake Bay Buyboats Muriel Eileen and Nellie Crockett.
Elizabeth City is the `Harbor of Hospitality®’
Elizabeth City is located in northeastern North Carolina on the Intracoastal Waterway, halfway between Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks. Known as the `Harbor of Hospitality,’ the city has six National Register Historic Districts and is home to the Museum of the Albemarle, The Center at Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City State University Planetarium, Port Discover Hands-on Science Center and one of the largest U.S. Coast Guard air stations in the Continental United States. Nature-based travelers are drawn to the area’s proximity to the Dismal Swamp and the abundance of outdoor recreational offerings. For additional information, call Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U (1-866-324-8948) or visit DiscoverElizabethCity.com
Elizabeth Evans, Cahoon & Cross
757.705.7053; eevans@cahoonandcross.com
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