Deltaville Maritime Museum celebration marks buyboat’s 100th birthday
The family and friends of the F.D. Crockett gathered on Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16, on Deltaville Maritime Museum’s campus to celebrate the working life and restoration of the 100-year-old, nine-log hulled buyboat.
Saturday, June 15 activities
The “Family and Friends Reunion” on Saturday also gathered the descendants of the original builders, the Gaines and the Smiths, the original owners, the Crocketts, and the families of the succeeding owners, the Lindsays and Greens. Descendants of Wrotens, Wainwrights, and Bradshaws, relatives and crew members, were also represented. Present was the family of the last captain of the boat as a continuously working vessel, David Crockett Westcott Sr., who brought the boat back into the Crockett family.
He is a great-grandson of Ferdinand DeSota Crockett, who commissioned her as a freight vessel. Other Crockett great-grandchildren and great-nieces and great-nephews of 50-year captain William Stephen “Pretty” Green some time pronounced “Prudy,” also joined in the celebration.
John England, the present captain, his wife Vera England, a crew member and the boat historian from the onset of the project, led the presentations. Larry Chowning and Allen Holston gave the keynote addresses. John Barber was thanked for his donation of the original oil painting “F.D. Crockett Off Thimble Shoal Lighthouse.”
Saxophonist Peyton Brabrand entertained while family members caught up and took the opportunity to visit the pierwalk and the F.D. Crockett. While the dinner was a covered dish event, homemade barbecue was served by Joe Davenport, a museum board member.
Saturday, June 16 activities
Sunday, visitors came to celebrate, eat birthday cake and tour the F.D. Crockett buyboat, which the current boat shop volunteers had painted and polished to perfection.
A steady stream of visitors filled the docks during the afternoon and about 60 stepped aboard the boat to see the century old logs and tour the pilothouse and galley.
Captain Pete Cardoso took several creek cruises on the Jennie May, a museum-owned deadrise build by Dave Rollins and his sons. Barefoot Davis and his Island Band entertained the crowd with a concert during the late afternoon, concluding the festivities with song and contributions for the Preservation Endowment Fund.
The boat was perfect for visitors on Sunday, but perfection for a boat is a momentary state.
Anything in the water needs constant repair and maintenance to prevent it from fading into disrepair.
Raising funds for the F.D. Crockett Endowment continues
The museum has reached 60% of its goal of $100,000 for a preservation fund. The original volunteers were 20 years younger when they undertook the restoration. Their efforts cannot keep up. A continuing source of funding for the constant maintenance is essential to keep the F.D. Crockett from succumbing from the ravages of sun, rain, and time.
T-shirts featuring John Barber’s painting and other merchandise, as well as raffle tickets for the original oil painting, are all available at Deltaville Maritime Museum. Generous sponsors who funded this celebration and kicked off the endowment include:
- Hawkins Boat Brokerage
- River Woodworks
- Bay Design Group
- Walden’s Construction
- William Wills
- Graham and Rollins Seafood
- Frank and Elizabeth Johnson
- Long and Foster Real Estate
- Malise Marine (Friday’s Marine/ Brown’s Marine)
- Bay Freight Inc.
- Isabell K. Horsley Real Estate
- Powell’s Marina
- Arts in the Middle
- Galley Restaurant
- Hurd’s True Value Hardware
- Southern Sighs B&B
- Deltaville IGA
- Chesapeake Cove Marina
- J&W Seafood
Continued contributions are welcomed. The F.D. Crockett has represented the Middlesex community for two decades. Its presence at the Deltaville Maritime Museum is a result of the contributions, devotion and support of those citizens who have aided the museum’s efforts. “Please keep the F.D. Crockett alive for another 100 years,” a restoration spokesman urged.