Kathryn (skipjack) facts for kids
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Kathryn
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KATHRYN on the Chesapeake Bay ca. 1997
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tilghman, Maryland |
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| Built | 1901 |
| MPS | Chesapeake Bay Skipjack Fleet TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001090 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 16, 1985 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1994 |
The Kathryn is a special kind of boat called a Chesapeake Bay skipjack. It was built a long time ago in 1901 in Crisfield, Maryland. People say she is one of the fastest skipjacks on the Chesapeake Bay! The Kathryn is very important because she is one of the few old skipjacks still working today. She was even named a National Historic Landmark in 1994, which means she's a really important part of history.
Contents
About the Kathryn
The Kathryn is about 50 feet (15 m) long. She is 15.67 feet (4.78 m) wide and goes 4.17 feet (1.27 m) deep in the water. She is a bit different from other skipjacks because she has a "soft" chine. This means the sides of her hull curve smoothly instead of having a sharp angle.
The Kathryn looks like a typical Chesapeake Bay skipjack. She has a pointed front, called a clipper bow. Her middle section is wide, and her back, called the stern, is flat. Like other modern skipjacks, she has a special plate at the back. This plate lets a smaller boat push her when she's not sailing.
How She's Built
The Kathryn is built with her wooden planks running from the front to the back of the boat. Most other skipjacks have their planks laid across the boat. Her deck is flat, which is common for skipjacks. On the deck, there's a main opening (hatch) behind the mast. After that, you can see the equipment used for dredging. There's also a smaller hatch and a small room called a doghouse. This doghouse covers a very low cabin inside.
At the back of the boat, there's the steering system. There are also davits, which are small cranes used to lift the pushboat. Inside the cabin, the walls are made of shiny wood panels. There's a bunk, or bed, on each side under the deck. The steering system uses hydraulics, which means it uses liquid pressure to work.
Her Sails and Mast
The Kathryn has the usual skipjack sails. She has a tall mast, about 64 feet (20 m) high and 12 inches (30 cm) wide. The mast leans back a bit. She carries a small front sail called a jib and a main sail. The main sail is tied to the boom and slides up the mast on wooden hoops. What's special is that the very top of her mast has a wooden ball covered in gold leaf!
Over time, the Kathryn was changed to carry her pushboat. The back of her cabin was made longer. This gives the person steering the boat better protection from the weather.
History of the Kathryn
The Kathryn was built in Crisfield in 1901. She was one of the first boats to use a special way of laying planks called the "herring-bone technique." We don't know much about her very early days. This is because the old records from the Reedville, Virginia, custom office were destroyed in a fire.
She stayed in Crisfield until 1907. Then she moved to Tappahannock, Virginia. In 1914, she moved again to Reedville. In 1925, John E. Spriggs and John C. Marshall bought the Kathryn for $1800. They bought her from J.A. Dodson and brought her back to Crisfield.
Wells W. Evans bought the Kathryn in 1938 for $608. Then, in 1945, he sold her to Irving F. Cannon. Cannon changed her homeport to Cambridge, Maryland. Later, Malcolm "Mac" Wheatley bought half of the boat and became her captain.
In 1954, the Kathryn had a big repair job at the Krentz Marine Railway in Harryhogan, Virginia. This repair work was even written about in a book called Chesapeake Sailing Craft. In 1963, Wheatley became the full owner of the Kathryn.
Johnnie R. Parkinson, Jr. bought the Kathryn in 1975 for $18,000. He moved her back to Crisfield. In 1981, Herman Russell Dize and William James Roe, Jr. bought her. It's interesting because Herman Russell Dize's father had worked on the Kathryn 70 years before!
In 2008, Captain Harold "Stoney" Whitelock bought the Kathryn. He is now working to make sure she is fully restored and in great condition.
Images for kids
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Kathryn, deck plan and section
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The skipjack Kathryn hauling in oysters
