Jarrett Bay Boatworks recently had the privilege of being the primary sponsor of a fascinating local exhibit here in Eastern North Carolina. Workboats of Core Sound is an exhibit focusing on the rich tradition of the working class folks of Core Sound, who made their living from the Sound’s fisheries. While heavily focused on Downeast boat building, it seems appropriate for Jarrett Bay to contribute to this exhibit, as our boats have unquestionably influenced local boat building traditions and the industry at large.
One of three skiffs in the exhibit, was built by Jarrett Bay Boatworks’ own new construction foreman Gary Davis, a third generation boat builder, of Marshallberg, NC.
The exhibit features several uses of the region’s traditional wooden hull boats, as well as different boat styles; one being the Atlantic style with straighter hull sides, and the Harker’s Island style, which is more noted for its more accentuated flare. This Harker’s Island style is considered a precursor to the familiar “Carolina Flare” that’s seen in many modern sport fishing boat designs.
The Workboats of Core Sound exhibit will be at the North Carolina History Center, in New Bern NC, through March 2013. Jarrett Bay would like to thank everyone at Tryon Palace for considering us to be a part of this rewarding experience, and we hope it gives visitors more insight to the rich tradition and movement of boat building in Eastern North Carolina.
