Island Heights native and worldwide professional photographer/videographer, Peter Slack, this weekend has released online his documentary on the annual World Duckboat Championship, a treat that we’re happy to share with our Seaport followers today.
"People of all ages and far off places gather for one of their favorite days of the Summer...the Duck Boat Worlds. The Duck boats are judged the night before and a trophy is given for the boat in the best Bristol condition. There is much to be learned from these old wooden boats as they give the older generation a chance to share their stories and wood working techniques...and their secrets to what makes a Duck boat go fast." Enjoy!
Welcome to Toms River Seaport Society’s (Mari)Time-Warp, taking our supporters back through the nautical history of the Barnegat Bay and Toms River watershed areas!
Today we zip around Barnegat Bay and Toms River’s July 4th activities, as covered by the Philadelphia Times on July 9th, 1899 and rediscovered thanks to Newspapers.com.
BARNEGAT AFFORDS NUMEROUS DIVERSIONS
Special Correspondence of THE TIMES. Barnegat, July 8. Jolly times were had by the summer visitors here this week and what with the fishing, sailing, wheeling on superb gravel roads, crabbing, bathing and the like there has been time for nothing like ennui. To-day a regatta will be sailed by the mosquito fleet under nineteen feet in length. Fish are being caught in large quantities. Mostly there are weakfish, but at the Inlet big red and black drum have been taking the hook, to say nothing of the channel bass...
FAMOUS FISHING AT BEACH HAVEN
Special Correspondence of THE TIMES. Beach Haven, N.J., July 8. Fishing is now at its best, and nearly every yacht comes in with a big box full of the finny beauties. The Beach Haven yacht captain has a way of his own for catching the toothsome weakfish. Instead of giving the novices at the sport each a long bamboo pole, dropping his sail and anchoring his yacht over the shell bed, as a Barnegat Bay captain would do, the Beach Haven salt proceeds in an entirely different manner. He doesn't anchor his yacht, but brings her up in the wind on the windward side of the channel, keeping his sail up, but hanging loose in the wind, and lets his boat drift slowly across to the leeward side of the channel in a diagonal line, as the tide sets up or down the channel. Nor does he give the amateur angler a long pole; a hand line, he says, will fell the bite better, and on the windward side of the drifting boat it is no trouble to keep the lines and bait far enough from the yacht. If the fishermen are experts with rod and reel, that is a different matter, but for the novice, your Beach Haven salt maintains that a hand line will feel a bite quicker, and can be used to hook the fish more securely than the pole. The fish are big two and three pounders, what are called channel or tide runners, and not the small half-pound school fish of August. Nor does the Beach Haven fishing party spend all day at the sport, taking out luncheon, as is the habit in Barnegat Bay. Instead they go out after breakfast, rarely sailing more than a half mile or so from the big dock, and return by 10 or 11 o'clock with all that the most ardent angler could wish. After dinner the sport may be repeated...
REGATTAS POPULAR AT ISLAND HEIGHTS
Special Correspondence of THE TIMES. Island Heights, July 8. July Fourth was a big day in the history of the Heights as a summer resort. Practically all the cottages are rented and the hotels are assured of all the guests they can accommodate for the next eight weeks. In fact, the crying need of Island Heights is for more hotel room. The event of the week was the regatta of the Island Heights Yacht Club on the Fourth. The chief prize, the club championship cup and pennant, went to the Virginia, owned by W.G. Hartranft. Albert Mulford won second prize, a ship's lantern, of brass, in the Carita. A ship's compass was the third prize and fell to Edward Megargee. Another race was sailed the same day and over the same course by the mosquito fleet of boats under 18 feet in length. The William H. Miller, sailed by Keeper Ed Miller, of Island Beach, L.S.S., won first place, beating Howard Webb's Golden Rod three seconds actual time, 29 seconds corrected time, over a ten mile course, with the wind blowing a gale. Tom Wilbur finished third. Rev. Daniel Everett Lyons, who will have charge of the camp-meeting, announces that it will be held from August 13 to 20 inclusive. A dinner and supper was held at the Auditorium on the Fourth by the ladies of the Methodist Church...
SEA SIDE PARK IS IN THE SWIM
Special Correspondence of THE TIMES. Sea Side Park, July 8. Several additions have been made to the fleet of yachts at this resort. General Superintendent Frank Sheppard, of the Pennsylvania Railroad, has his yacht Sculpin here in charge of Captain "Les" Penn. The craft is sloop-rigged, with a naphtha engine for auxiliary power when the wind is light. Another naphtha launch is the Adele, owned by Messrs. Jackson and Sharp, of Philadelphia, the proprietors of the Berkeley Hotel. The pier at the foot of Fifth avenue has been built out some hundred feet or more into the bay and is a favorite harbor for the Barnegat Bay yachtsmen, who have been reaping a rich harvest with sailing and fishing parties. The Fourth of July saw perhaps the biggest crowd in the history of Sea Side Park. The cottages are now all occupied and the hotel is doing a nice business. The reduced railroad rates are also bringing many people from the city, who come down to see what this new resort is like and who invariably go away with the intention of returning for a longer stay...
JOLLY CAMPERS AT TOMS RIVER
Special Correspondence of THE TIMES. Toms River, N.J., July 8. The Fourth of July made a busy week and brought with it many guests, not a few of whom are remaining for the summer. Yachting continues in favor and the yachting parties were so numerous on the holiday that yachts had to be procured from various Barnegat Bay resorts to accommodate them. Bathing at the "Spiles" [today Beachwood Beach] is much in favor, and this whilom [we had to look it up, too: means formerly, or "in the past"] resort of the village lad is now given over to the summer visitors of both sexes, who enjoy still water bathing and swimming. A new yacht, 28 feet over all and 21 feet on the water line, has been built by Amos Lewis, of Forked River, for Messrs. H.A. Low and John Imlay, and added to the Toms River fleet of cat boats... The Boys' Brotherhood, of Philadelphia, in charge of Charles Mitchell, are encamped near Money Island, some fifty strong. Professor E.J. Thompson, of the Boys' High School, is president of the brotherhood and is a member of the camp. Dr. C.C. Morgan, the vice president; Professor C.R. Coggeshall, the treasurer, and Dr. C.B. Reynolds, camp surgeon, are with the lads, who occupy seven tents. The Logan Yacht Club, of Philadelphia, are camped near the brotherhood camp. Enjoyed this article?
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