Modesty (sloop) facts for kids
Modesty on display at the Long Island Maritime Museum in January 2008
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Owner |
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| Builder | Wood & Chute Shipyard, Greenport, Suffolk County, New York |
| Cost | $4,000 |
| Launched | July 1923 |
| Refit | Restored 1975-1980 |
| Status | Museum ship since 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Shellfish dredging sloop |
| Length | 35 ft 9 in (10.90 m) |
| Beam | 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m) |
| Draft | 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 × 2-cycle 16 hp (12 kW) Gafka gasoline engine |
| Sail plan | Gaff rig |
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Modesty (south-sider sloop)
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Modesty in November 2009
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| Location | West Sayville, New York |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001051 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 2001 |
| Designated NHL | August 7, 2001 |
The Modesty is a special kind of boat called an oyster sloop. It was built in 1923 by the Wood and Chute Shipyard in Greenport, Long Island. Today, you can see Modesty at the Long Island Maritime Museum in West Sayville, New York.
Modesty was designed to look like another boat called Honest, which was built in 1892. Even though Modesty is a sloop, it has a very wide shape, similar to a catboat. It also has a small gasoline engine to help it move when there isn't enough wind.
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The Modesty: A Unique Working Boat
Oystermen, who are people who harvest oysters, called Modesty a true "southsider." This means it was perfect for working in the shallow waters of Long Island's bays. It is thought to be the very last sailing boat built on Long Island specifically for dredging scallops. Dredging is like scooping up shellfish from the bottom of the sea.
Why Modesty Was Built for Sail
Modesty was built with sails even though many boats were using engines by then. This was because of a law made before World War I. This law said that boats had to use only sail power when they were dredging for scallops. This is why Modesty was built as a sailing boat.
Modesty's Working Life
Modesty worked as a scallop dredger in the Peconic Bay until 1936. After that, it moved to Connecticut and became an oyster dredger. From 1948 until 1974, Modesty was used as a pleasure yacht. This means different owners used it for fun, not for work.
Modesty's Life as a Museum Ship
In 1976, the Long Island Maritime Museum bought Modesty. Theodore Haupt, who was the boat's first owner, was there for this special event. The museum then spent several years restoring Modesty to its original condition.
The Relaunching of Modesty
After its restoration, Modesty was relaunched in 1980. This was a big celebration! A bottle of champagne mixed with water from the Great Peconic Bay and the Great South Bay was used to christen the boat. During the restoration, workers found old coins under the mast. A new 1880 penny was placed there along with the older coins.
A National Historic Landmark
Modesty is a very important boat. In 2001, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a special place or object recognized for its historical importance. Modesty is now docked next to another old oyster dredging sloop called Priscilla. It is also near the 1908 Rudolph Oyster House. Both of these are also National Historic Landmarks.
