Shad boat facts for kids
The shad boat is a special kind of traditional fishing boat. It's so important to North Carolina that it was named the Official State Historic Boat in 1987 by the state's lawmakers, called the North Carolina General Assembly.
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What is a Shad Boat?
A shad boat is a unique boat named after the shad fish. These boats were mainly used to catch shad fish in the waters of eastern North Carolina. They were like the "pickup trucks" of the water, helping people move around and fish.
The History of the Shad Boat
The very first shad boat was built by a man named George Washington Creef. He lived on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. He built this special boat in the early 1880s. That's over 140 years ago!
George Creef was very clever. He made the bottom part of his boat, called the hull, from the big root ball of a tree. This tree was an Atlantic white cedar, also known as juniper. These trees grew in wet, swampy areas called pocosin wetlands, found in parts of Virginia and North Carolina.
How Shad Boats Changed Over Time
When shad boats were first made, they had a round bottom. They also had a single mast with a special type of sail called a sprit sail. Sometimes, they even had extra sails like a jib and a topsail.
Later, around the early 1900s, the boats changed. Their bottoms became flatter, shaped like a "v". This change made it easier to put an engine in the boat. This was a big improvement, making the boats faster and more powerful.
Where to See Shad Boats Today
Today, there are only a few original shad boats left. You can see some of them in different places:
- At the George Washington Creef Boathouse in Manteo, you can see a replica (a copy) of Creef's original shad boat. It was built in 2002 by Scott Whitesides and volunteers.
- Another old shad boat, built by Alvira Wright in 1904, is being fixed up. It will eventually be shown at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.
- You can also see a shad boat on display at the Roanoke River Maritime Museum in Plymouth. This museum is across the street from a copy of the Roanoke River Light lighthouse.
